Technology: Boon or Bane?

Day by day, technology advances only to deteriorate the health of those who use it. In the past years, scientists have spoon-fed people of all ages with attractive gadgets. However, the truth is technology has made humans less well-rounded individuals. Technology is a wonderful thing; there are cell phones with internet access and the capability to take pictures and videos. With computers, all the information you could ever want is available within a few keystrokes of a search engine. Contradicting those points is, just like everything else in life. Nothing is ever perfect and technology has its share of flaws. There are calculators, search engines, online forums and instant messengers that are making us socially and mentally handicapped. Video games are giving gamers a false sense of reality and teachings of violence. Finally, technology has in the past and is being used for the wrong reason of destroying the whole universe using weapons of mass destruction. People have questions every single day, and it is very normal and healthy to ask questions. This promotes the mental wellness of a human being; it also helps you learn more information which contributes to your general knowledge. With the invention of search engines and online forums, it has become easier to get your question answered. This is an asset to humans, however a human can become socially undeveloped and not have the confidence to talk with a person face to face and ask a question. Instant messengers have also contributed to the fact that people find it easier to talk over the internet, rather than face to face. The same rule applies to the mental strength of mankind. Math homework is less than a challenge for students of today. They pick up their calculators, type in a few numbers and write the answer down on the page claiming to their teachers that they have applied all their mental faculties to the questions. Though this method is extremely convenient, it is ruining our brain’s full capabilities. In order for something to run efficiently it must be utilized. The calculator does not permit the brain to be exercised before it can function properly. Video games provide unending fun, but it also gives the player unrealistic views about life. Computer and video games have come a long way since Space Invaders and Pac Man. â€Å"†¦numerous studies show that video games, especially ones with violent content, make teens more aggressive† (http://www. pamf. org/preteen/parents/videogames. html). Today's games are much more complex and interesting, and the technology has advanced to the point where a gamer can become immersed within the game. Video games provide the players with false ideas about saving the world and resulting to violence as a method of solving your problems with others. In other words it is making gamers become too unrealistic about the life they live and glorifying an unreal world. Technology has been used for the wrong reason of destroying the universe â€Å"[It] has dominated warfare since the early 1900s† (http://www. newscientist. com/topic/weapons). Majority of the population must agree with that comment. During the final stages of World War II in 1945, the United States conducted two atomic bombings against Japan in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki† (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki). The bombings were one of the earliest signs of a technological breakthrough which destroyed the earth, there is no doubt that it is evident to happen again, due to the technology advancing every day. Another recent example which is still fresh in our minds is t he event of 9/11, in which terrorists trained themselves on a computer to destroy the Twin Towers. With technology reaching insurmountable feats rapidly, it is destroying the planet and its inhabitants. Technology is deteriorating the well-roundedness of humans by allowing them to rely on manmade machines and become lethargic. Technology is making us socially and mentally dumb, giving false sense of reality. Weapons are being created using technology for the wrong reason of destroying the universe. For all those reasons it is suggested people should become further aware of the Trojan horse of today, which is technology.