In history, technology has been a double edged sword for humanity. It had been shown as the cause of destruction of a civilization or the saviour of one. Now in our modern era, visionaries and inventors alike would have to face the challenges of avoiding negative effects caused by how it is implemented in our society. In Andrew Niccol's film Gattaca, we see our protagonist being effected by the discrimination of gene altering. This showcases the negative effect of modern technology caused by how society has implemented it, gene altering is very beneficial to human advancement, however due to how our society used this technology it …show more content…
has quickly turned into a negative effect socially. In contrast to this, we can see how technology can be used in a positive way for example, Japan has recently invented a new form of agricultural cultivation called vertical farming. This new invention proved to be extremely beneficial to solving the world hunger problem and thus benefiting humanity. Therefore new technology can be positive and negative, it only depends on how us as a society treats these new technologies whether we use it for the better or worse.
During the course of history, technology has been both a positive aspect and a negative one. For example, without the advancements of medicine or the invention of the lightbulb, our lives today would be in a far worse state then it would be with them. However, there are inventions that prove to be a negative factor in history that even affects us today. One of this inventions was ballistic weaponry more specifically the nuclear missile. This invention in no way improves our lives it only causes our own demise. The destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was an example of which thousands of innocent civilian being casualties caused by a weapon of mass destruction. Why are we inventing objects that if put in the wrong hands would annihilate us all? Though like I have written previously, the positives of technological advancements in history definitely proved to be more relevant in our lives than the negatives. Take farming for example, “Where tillage begins, other arts follow. The farmers therefore are the founders of human civilisation.” This was a quote said by 19th century US senator named Daniel Webster, his quote is absolutely true as imagine if we never did invent agriculture, would we ever have a great civilisation that created a culture? Would we still be primitive apes if not for farming? Therefore, the things we invented in the past has its bad side but if not for the past we won't have the future.
In fiction, technology has been portrayed as a negative factor in human advancement, this is usually depicted in the dystopian genre with such works like the film Gattaca which about gene discrimination and the novel Fahrenheit 451 which is about cultural suppression.
In Andrew Niccol's film Gattaca, we see genetic technology being advanced to the point that you are able to select traits and features for your future child. This was exploited by those in position of power to cause a divide in the social class. Those in the position of power belive their use of technology to make life better for those who are in the upper echelons of the social order. However this causes genetic discrimination even if there is a law against it. For example in Gattaca's world, if you're are seeking for employment if you're born the “unnatural way” through sexual encounters, chances are your traits will not be the perfect choice as judged by Gattaca's society. So companies will not choose your kind and discriminate against you even if you have the skills and desire. However a near perfect “natural” human would be a secured candidate. This shows how new technology even though on paper, it must improve humanity because with this system it would only produce perfect specimens of human beings, but in reality it causes a negative social effect of discrimination and inequality. This shows how it might be in reality if we were to use our technology
incorrectly.
In conclusion, technology is an unpredictable concept that is only affected by our actions. Technology is one of the most important concept in human history, it shapes how we are today and also shows a glimpse of what we might become, it is how we use technology that is the major challenge for it to become a positive aspect in history like farming or a negative aspect like in Gattaca. “I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.” (Oliver Wendell Holmes)