The Increasing Human Dependence on Computers

It seems it was just a few years ago Americans could not even pick up the telephone to call a neighbor without the assistance of an operator. Parents were sending letters and telegrams to their students away at college, instead of e-mails and instant messages. We have come a long way in worldwide technological advancement. It would be almost unheard for the average American to go one day without using a cell phone, fax machine, laptop or printer. But is this accelerating development of personal technology a good thing? Would the world we know and understand come crashing down around us if computer technology suddenly vanished from the face of the earth?

"Computers today have become an inseparable part of our lives, making the difference not just at the work place, but also in our personal lives." (Aptech Computer Education: www.indianfoline.com) This quote summarizes a fear held by many socialists and psychologists of today. They fear the human mind will slowly lose its original ability to be creative due to many tasks that have been taken over by computers. In addition, computers are now doing jobs previously held by factory workers and hard working Americans. What other tasks will be taken over by computer technology in the future?

Many people today are enjoying a day-to-day reliance on the Internet. E-shopping, e-trading, e-therapy and just about "e-everything" else is sweeping the nation. However, one of many concerns is that humans will no longer need to relate with one another for information and services the Internet can now provide. Newspapers could be done away with. Print writers could lose their jobs and be forced into online writing. (Not that there is anything wrong with online writing.) The plethora of information available online is so vast and endless, many Americans consider is to be incomprehensible. Some even consider the Internet to be a threat to ethical, moral and even religious values. Much like the popular Matrix movie trilogy, written and directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski, some even believe technology will eventually gain sentience and overtake the human race. Exaggerative thinking? Maybe.

Some also believe with the increase in online information, particularly e-books, the American literacy rate will steadily decline overtime if regular print books become scarce. There would no longer be a need for public libraries or bookstores. However, one must consider what would happen if, after print books were done away with, the Internet suffered a massive crash. People would no longer have access to information of any kind. Imagine a world without access to books of any kind.

There is no doubt technology has and continues to have a profound effect on our society and race as a whole. The accelerating speed of the "information superhighway" should not replace human communication, thinking, or creativity. Our increasing dependence on computer technology must be well-balanced with face-to-face, human interaction and written correspondence. The human race deserves to retain its individuality separate from the technology we ourselves have created. We hold dominion over it. It does not claim dominion over us.