Final Blog Post

 Technology- Past and Present

By- Ava Daniels

When comparing the 20th century to the 21st century, there are multiple clear changes. Everything from the clothes we wear, the way brands advertise, the music we listen to, the technology we use, and much more has all been changed and evolved. The biggest changes that society has seen when comparing the two centuries is without a doubt technology, and in so many different ways. With all of this changing and evolution, the question “how has this advanced technology changed society and does the public think about it?” is raised to the surface. There are many pros and cons to the evolution of technology that you might have even noticed in your everyday life. 

When it comes to naming the pros, that part is easy. For starters, technology is meant to make life easier and less stress free; at least that is how it is advertised. Cars can now drive themselves, refrigerators can talk to you and make grocery lists, and looking up anything on the internet is as easy as three taps on your mobile device. As good as that sounds, all of these can be a double-edged sword. I think that when people consider these things, they don’t always consider the bad that comes along naturally. What happens if the self-driving car crashes and who would be at fault? If Siri, Alexa, and other communication devices can respond to statements made by humans, are they listening to every conversation you have? If information is so easily accessible, will this make people lazy or geniuses? All of these questions are important things to think about when looking at the evolution of technology. 

 I think that technology is an amazing thing and, in fact, does make life easier. Being able to freely express creativity is a great thing that has come from new devices and technology. However, it does not affect everyone in the same way. When looking at how technology benefits different demographics of people, we start to notice even more pros and cons. When looking at younger generations compared to older generations, the differences are crystal clear. People who are born into technology are raised differently than people who were born without it. Traditional learning using pencil, paper, books, and other tools is hard to find now in today’s society. Now, if you were to walk into most classrooms all of the students would have less books and more Chromebook’s, less pencils and pens and more keyboards, and less in-person meetings and more Zoom calls. It is now easier for teachers and professors to communicate outside of the classroom with their students as well as parents. It is also easier for students to do research for papers or projects and there are many resources online to help them study. 

Even though technology has made things in a classroom setting easier for all, there are still some cons that come along with this. For instance, some people believe that newer generations are being less challenged in school because of how easy it is to access information. Some also will argue that inaccurate data is being presented on the internet and people are more influenced. When focusing on life outside of school technology is very influential on babies and younger children. Through the ages of 2 to around 5-7, the human brain is taking in a lot of information from their surroundings. Even though children now have access to multiple learning and skill building apps, are these causing children to be less or more creative? Even though mobile devices now have restrictions that can be set regarding screen time, if a child is introduced to technology at a very young age, will their imagination be less developed by the time that they are older? I think that it is very safe to say that these are all possibilities, however, I also think that it is impossible to shield children from technology without living somewhere remote because of how popular it has become. I don’t think that technology is having a negative effect on today's youth, but I do see some side effects that can happen if technology is overused.

Paying attention to me personally, I love technology. I believe in freedom of expression and I think that technology helps aid in many ways when it comes to it. I also think that it is amazing what technology can help people create and I applaud those who take time to learn how technology works and how it can improve. Throughout my childhood I knew about the latest devices but my parents wanted me and my siblings to have an imagination of our own without relying on said devices. We had limited screen and television time and had to create games and things to keep us entertained and I am very thankful for this.  I think that in the future when devices and technology are even more advanced than now, I will control my children's screen time and teach them that there is life outside of technology.