The Price of Technology

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Technology is not only man's greatest asset, but also our greatest enemy. Technology can and has been used to solve many problems and has given mankind the ability to do what was previously thought to be impossible. It has also been the cause of whole new forms of destruction.

Technology isn't good, but it also isn't bad, its simply an outlet. Lets take the internet for example, there is easy to access information such as; news, social media, and video entertainment, and video games. However there is bad in each of these things.

Social media is very prominent in our modern era. Just about everyone and their grandma has it. It allows for ease of communication, an easy way to keep up with friends, and much more. However it also allows for people to cyberbully others anonymously. Many at least 1/3 of people ages 12-17 have been cyber bullied . This is a staggering statistic however some people don't find it that surprising. 

Video entertainment is seen by a majority of people as a good. Thanks to technologies such as the TV, computer and one of the greatest innovations in the modern era the internet people have access to almost an infinite amount of entertainment, yet there is always "nothing to watch". Some people view this plethora of entertainment to be a downside, specifically "adult entertainment". 

Year in review of Pornhub

Pornography in the modern era is at an all time high. Porn sites such as Pornhub have billions of views each year, however there are a lot of people who think porn should be illegal or that it is amoral. This shows that online entertainment can be a very gray area.

Technology isn't just limited to the internet though. A.I. is also a booming industry, some people think it may be the next big step in manufacturing. It can lower cost and help get the job done much more efficiently and faster. A.I. can take the jobs people don't want to take or that are too dangerous for people. A.I. can be found in many things, from video games, to research. IBM has an A.I. known as Watson. 

Cortana From the Video Game Series Halo

However there are many people worried, and for good reason, about the limits of AI or more specifically the lack thereof. Many of the world's top innovators and scientists believe that there should be restrictions on an AI's capabilities due to the fact that if no restrictions are in place they can easily end the world. One of such people who believe that we should be worried about A.I. is Bill Gates. 

Technology as a whole has its pros and cons. When one tries to find the morality of technology one can see that it is in a gray area, neither good nor bad. Technology is made with good intentions however it can either be used with bad intentions or some people may view it as amoral while others think its fine. One person may think that you spend too much time on social media while another thinks that you don't use it enough.

Sources

11 Facts About Cyberbullying. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-cyber-bullying

Holley, P. (2015, January 29). Bill Gates on dangers of artificial intelligence: 'I don't understand why some people are not concerned'. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/01/28/bill-gates-on-dangers-of-artificial-intelligence-dont-understand-why-some-people-are-not-concerned/ 

How Many People are on Porn Sites Right Now? (Hint: It's a Lot.). (2020, February 20). Retrieved from https://fightthenewdrug.org/by-the-numbers-see-how-many-people-are-watching-porn-today/