The Negative Impacts of Technology

Today’s society would be incomplete without the advancements of technology. From hitting the snooze button on the alarm clock in the morning, to watching the latest events on television, to checking one’s email on the internet, technology is part of everyone’s life and is simply impossible to avoid. But what if the luxury of technology was not available? What if people lived a so called “primitive” life? A life in which one would read a book for enjoyment, not play God of War II on a video game console, or just relax by taking part in a face-to-face conversation with some friends, not text people over a cellular phone. Or even a life in which people would think for themselves, not let technology do it for them. Believe it or not, there was a time when people truly lived like this and they survived quite fine. However, now it is hard to imagine living in a world where technology is nonexistent because people have become so reliant on technology for information and entertainment. Technology appears to be taking over the way one thinks, the way one gains information, the way one interacts with others, and all in all, the way one lives. The progression of technology is making people’s lives easier. For example, in the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, the character, Beatty states, “The zipper displaces the button and a man lacks just that much time to think while dressing at dawn, a philosophical hour, thus a melancholy hour” (Bradbury 56). This statement suggests that the development of technology is allowing humans to think less. Consequently, a new addition to the world of technology is Wakamaru, a Japanese robot that provides various service functions to families, gives necessary information for daily life, and interacts with people spontaneously (Life With a Robot: Wakamaru par. 3). With the ability to access the internet, complete household chores, and recognize a person’s face and voice, this 3.3 foot tall 60 pound robot is taking over an actual