Technology has dramatically changed all aspects of our lives. It has automated everything from manufacturing to health care, and the pace continues to increase at record speeds. While the Baby Boomers and Gen X population struggle to engage this growing trend, the Millennials and Gen Y population expect and even demand this technology.
Let’s examine the Hill brothers; all three brothers are spaced ten years apart. Brian, the oldest brother, recalls the stacks of encyclopedias he used before beginning to type his research paper on his typewriter. Casey remembers grabbing his flip phone and calling the local Blockbuster to see if a movie was now available for rental, and then he’d have to drive to the store, and rent the DVD movie with a credit card before heading home to watch it. Hunter, the youngest, chuckles at his older brothers, as he pulls out his tablet and begins to use the internet to research Wikipedia for his school project while ordering an on-demand movie for later through Netflix.
Consider the recovery time from an eight-hour heart surgery years ago to the current robotic procedure that no longer requires a major incision. Since the surgery is quicker and less invasive, the trauma to the patient is dramatically reduced, and recovery is much faster. Technology allowed thirteen-year-old Olivia to take the 10% odds given to her, and kick cancer in the teeth twice over the past two years! Without these medical discoveries, Olivia would have succumbed to this awful disease, but today, she’s an inspiration to other children fighting cancer.
Then there’s five-year-old Cooper who received a cochlear device allowing him to hear his daddy’s voice for the first time. The smile on his face as he listens to a bird’s chirp or the family puppy bark will bring anyone to tears. The benefits of these developments are undeniable, but they do come at a cost.
Manufacturing has experienced a rapid transformation with the utilization of technological advances as well. Plants that modernized their assembly lines with computerized technology have seen production increase as much as 500%. Management contends that labor costs are fixed, human error is eliminated, and quality becomes more measurable when factories convert their assembly lines to automation.
As technology continues to be developed at a staggering pace, society becomes more dependent on it. Cars, planes, homes, hospitals, schools, and entire cities rely on technology. The deeper technology integrates and penetrates our daily lives, the more vulnerable we become.
Consider the time you were navigating traffic utilizing Google Maps on your phone, and suddenly, the phone shut off for an update. Or how about the time you frantically searched your computer for the app storing your secure passwords only to discover it was no longer accessible because the app disappeared when your computer updated. These scenarios create extreme levels of frustration, anxiety and confusion, and indicate just how helpless we have become when we rely so heavily on technology.
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