Modern Technology: For Better or Worse Essay

When it comes to the topic of the impact of digital devices or modern app fabricationd science on society, virtually of us will readily agree that engineering has positive and negative effect on our social and personal brio. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of does engineering science control us? Whereas some be convinced that we need to embrace the engine room, others maintain that we be living too practically in the virtual. While still others are concerned about how we lose sight of the reality because of technologys capability to make it happen. Andrew Lam, a Vietnamese journalist and a short story source makes a argue in his article I Tweet, Therefore I am about how technology is drastically changing the itinerary we look and react in our society. One of the examples he uses to clarify his point is about the professor who collapsed while preparing to give a lecture. Lam said, Instead of helping him, many students in the audience took ou t their cell phones, snapped photos, texted and tweeted (Lam 1).The students wanted to be the first one to spread the news so that they could gain popularity or feel proud of themselves for having the power of recording the extraordinary event that just happened. As we savour to be the first one to tell the news, we dont realize that we are losing our empathy. The students original did feel badly for their professor, but their first reaction was that they welcome to record it instead of giving a hand or calling an ambulance. I understand why the students reacted by taking pictures or television sets of their professors, because I also had those times where I witnessed some unusual happenings and the first reaction I felt is that I build to take pictures of it and share it with my friends by posting the pictures/videos in social networks I am employ. I also understand why Lam is concerned about this, but this is a reality that mechanically happens as we immerse in the generatio n of technology.This is non good because we are permit the influence of technology for bulge out one of the most important aspects of socializing, showing respect and take to someone. We are changing in order to fit in to the digital media and social world. Lam mentions, Generationshave been raised on video games, spent the bulk of their lives in chat rooms and on YouTube, on cellphones and iPods. They have been conditioned to locate the bulk of their emotional behavior in the virtual space (Lam 5). I agree that most of us, in this generation, isolate ourselves in our own place inside the technology. It makes us in use(p) in not such a productive way because we hindquarters sit in a chair or lie in bed just focusing on our phones, computers or tablets and not realize that weve just faineant hours or worse, our whole day. I could stay in my bedroom facing my laptop, chatting my friends for three hours. When I am done with chatting, I close my laptop and start texting.When I d ont text I watch funny and interesting videos on my iPod. Therefore, I would say that my daily routine is occupied with technology and mobile devices, whether it is good or not, technology is a part of every single day of my life. As we get benefits in the use of technology, we also need to accept the consequence that comes with it. Lam also makes a strong point when he said his view about the social media and its effects in on our personal lives, We do not fully exist without some sort of electronic imprint in the virtual world, a digital projection of ourselves (Lam 25). I agree with that because as I see it, we are at one time in a generation where people use technology, our life revolves around it, and we introduce ourselves to others using technology. We are then starting to care less and less about our personal lives.We are now posting what we feel on a Facebook status, we tweet our thoughts in Twitter, we even write what we are doing and where we are in our personal blogs. Instead of just writing it in our journal or diary, we are now overlap it to the world which makes us feel part of the society but making us care less about what we share and lets us forget the real meaning of privacy. What I dont agree with in Lams article is when he said that, they (we) may just be leaving something important and irretrievable behind (Lam), because although there are certain negative impacts of technology. I would not say that we are losing empathy as we immerse ourselves into the digital devices because the technology and its advancement aids the society as a whole and the important things we want to share. Whether it is good or bad news, we get the freedom of manduction it, reaching more people faster. Most importantly is when we find some people who toilette tint to us making us feel more important and better, and that is because of the widespread influence of the technology.Another strain that makes a point and shows concern about the impact of technology is entitled How Computer Change the expressive style We Think by Sherry Turkle, and Abby Rockefeller Mauze Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Turkles concern is how digital devices change the ways we think, how we are all asserting on the benefits of technology and as we rely on it. We are losing our true identity and ability to do deep thinking. Technology blinds us with what is most important, which is enjoying and making friendships and relationships through physical interaction. Tukle said, For those who are lonely yet afraid of intimacy, information technology has make it possible to have the illusion of companionship without the demand of friendship (Turkle 603).Instead of meeting real friends in the park or mall, we add friends on Facebook. Instead of talking to a person face to face, we can text or tweet them and they will text/tweet back to us. Technology helps our social life easier in a way that we are losing the ability to interact to a person physically. As a personal example, when my family and I are having a dinner in a eatery and while time lag for our order to come, we hold our iPods and smartphones, texting or playing games and I notice the silence because we are so busy with our gadgets and mobile devices. After reading Turkles concerns, I realize how rude that is. We are in the restaurant to bond and talk, yet we are in our gadgets talking to other people who are not in the table by means of texting. We are playing games instead of chuckling with our sisters and brothers.We are slowly forgetting the importance of having a face to face interaction. We depend so practically in the computer that we are now letting the computers do the work for us and it is making us do less deep thinking. Moreover on Turkles concerns, he said It does not teach students to begin a discussion or ca-ca a narrative. It encourages presentation, not conversation (Turkle 603). Though the PowerP oint gives us better look of what we want to share, it also have negative effects especially to students. Because of the PowerPoint, the class has now lack of discussion, making the PowerPoint do all the talk. The swooshing sounds, fairylike icons, and flashing test, a slide show (Turkle 603), distracts the students from the real purpose of the presentation. Some focus too much to the functions of PowerPoint and end up thinking of how can we make it looks attractive to the eyes of the audience instead of how they can understandthe ideas behind main points.When it comes to privacy, we are not fully aware of the negative and dangerous impacts of communion our personal information to the public and to the government. We thought that as long as its the way to get access on particular websites, it is fine to share anything they ask for. Turkle says, Unlike past generations of Americans, who grew up with the imprint that the privacy of their mail was sacrosanct, our children are accus tomed to electronic surveillance as part of their daily lives (Turkle 602). When it comes to accessing web services, I also dont hesitate giving my personal information such as my name, address, contact number and I am willing to type it down as it is the save way to get in to the web services that I need, especially for school and work. Also for social networks, it is required to put my name, a profile picture and some basic information such as turn in date and relationship status.Technology is taking away our privacy. We are giving the world to access our life. The dangers of sharing information have been in the news nowadays. There are now people who hack accounts and try to change or mess with our profile. Although we are aware of the danger of sharing personal information on the computer, we are still doing it because we enjoy its benefits. Whatever negative impacts we get in technology and mobile devices, we have to face the reality that we are now in a generation where tec hnology will assume and grow and the next generations to come will depend on it more than we depend on it now. The only thing we can do is not to let technology fully control our daily life by appreciating the outside world and the real people.Works CitedLam, Andrew. I Tweet, Therefore I Am. interpret Culture Contexts for Critical Reading and Writing. Ed. Diana George and John Trimbur. New Jersey Pearson Education, Inc., 2012 Print. Turkle, Sherry. How Computers Change The Way We Think. The sources Presence. Ed. Donald McQuade and Robert Atwan. 7th ed. Boston Bedford/St.Martins, 2012. Print.