Technology: a blessing or a curse?

Nobody can deny that, for the last few decades, technology has been a major part of our lives. However, it still remains a thorny issue. Some support the theory that technology will lead to the solution of all problems humanity suffers from. On the other hand, some detractors of technology claim that it will eventually cause the destruction of our lives. I am inclined to believe that, up to a certain point, both sides are correct.

Technology has undoubtedly resulted in a lot of benefits for us to reap and still has plenty to offer. To begin with, it is much easier nowadays to communicate with our friends and loved ones whether that is by using the telephone or via the Internet. Previously, it was virtually impossible, let alone time-consuming to contact people who were far away. Technology has brought us all together. Furthermore, as curiosity has always been one of humankind’s most basic qualities, people have used technology to explore the world around them. They have succeeded in learning about what existed underground, as well as in the sky. We have managed to travel in space and reach the moon, all thanks to technological advances and our need to explain the unknown. Last but not least, all fields of work and study have bloomed due to technological development. We wouldn’t have found the cure to various diseases and ailments, had there not been machines and equipment to do so. In addition to that, physics wouldn’t exist as a science as without adequate aid, we wouldn’t be able to explain the world around us.

Although the positive aspects of technology are impossible to ignore, there are two sides of that coin. Despite all the things it has helped us conquer, our excessive use of technology has had some crucial repercussions. The most important of those is, of course, environmental degeneration. We have let our love for technology and development cause the deforestation of various areas, global warming and the greenhouse effect, to name but a few, which has set our lives in huge danger, as pollution, floods and other natural disasters are a serious peril that can occur every day. Another argument against technology is our vast addiction to it. The Internet is part of our everyday lives and the various equipment existing in our house to facilitate our routine have rendered us unable to resist the comfort and well-being that technology offers to us, usually with a formidable impact on our health and social life.

Taking all into consideration, I strongly believe technology can be tremendously helpful and useful in helping us face and solve our problems, if we continue to co-exist with it, as it has already helped us deal with a lot of them. However, we should it cautiously as it is essential that we protect the environment and consequently, our lives. We should consider if technology is actually more worth ruining our planet and all that we have managed to build.