New technologies often hide problems that are only revealed later.

New technologies often hide problems that are only revealed later.

10:35-11

What would the world be like without technology? Technology has been around us for many decades and has progressed into a drastically changing field. Since the Industrial revolution at the start of the nineteenth century, new technologies have made our lives more convenient than ever before from the invention of the steam engine, telephone, telegram and type writer to name a few. However after being accustomed to the new technology, life is very hard to live without it but is it really worth it?

After the industrial revolution, during the 1960s technologies such as the television and radio were invented that changed the world even more. Nowadays in the 21^st century, more sophisticated technology has entered the lives of the babyboom generation and youth but reveal problems later on. One of the technological innovations is the computer and the internet. The computer and internet have become an indispensable form of communication, education and interaction with the rest of the world. People can interact with one another through Skype from  thousands of miles on the other side of the globe with just the internet and a web cam. The internet has also given the convenience of  online shopping and banking to those who can’t afford to go outside very often such as the elderly. Apart from the internet, nano-technology has been booming over the past couple of years from the introduction of the laptop and the Ipod. Both of these gadgets have transformed into major industries with sub-industries forming such as smart phones, Smartboards, Ipads, Amazon Kindle, Xbox and other hand held devices. These technologies have increases  mobility for individuals but have also caused problems. For example, with smart phones and smart boards, not all people know how to use it so sometimes it is worthless. In other cases people can misuse the technology to jeopardize other people’s lives in instances such as file hacking, identity theft and piracy of multimedia. In 2010, NBC news reported that some cell phones given by companies and bought by employees on their own had hidden cameras and tracking devices that would be monitored by their bosses and even total strangers. So it is evident that new technologies have their advantages as well as disadvantages.

On the other hand, technology doesn’t always cause problems. Just like nanotechnology, the “green revolution” is spreading like wildfire across the globe. With skyrocketing oil prices and other energy costs people are seeking for alternative energy sources. Initially the government introduced mixing ethanol with petroleum to form gasoline that would lower carbon emissions and is still being used. However, to avoid foreign dependency of oil, energy investments have been made in solar power, geothermal energy, wind power, electricity, and hydrogen based fuels. In many asian countries solar panels have been installed in highways and villages to harness the daily sunlight to fuel their energy needs. Also, in parts of the US such as Illinois and Maine since wind is present many windmill projects have been issued by state governments to encourage sustainability. For example, in Vinalhaven, Maine new wind turbines were installed in 2009 and have saved the town millions in energy costs since then resulting in use of funds for other facelifts. Although there maybe a few problems associated with these technologies such as noise from windmills and maintenance in solar panels, the benefits are still reaped.

All in all,  not all technology is going to have problems that are revealed later. Technology, just like anything else, should have balance in society and used wisely. Introduction and implementation of nano-technologies are useful but also cause problems such as identity theft. As a result, technology should be monitored and used wisely to prevent future problems.