by Amori Matthews

Some people believe that technology is the key to our growth or success. However, I believe that it causes us to be too dependent on it. Technology can be a good thing but I think it has caused more problems rather than simply making our lives easier. Many people want to talk about the growth and the good of technology but they don’t list all the problems that come along with using technology.

The University of the People article, “Society Is Too Dependent On Technology,” claims that it is about the negative effects but it doesn’t really go into detail, making it seem like not a big deal. The author states that “Technology can be a powerful tool when used correctly.” I believe they say this to downplay the negative effects and portray them as minor and easy to control. The article also uses innuendo by saying that technology use “can reduce face-to-face communication,” sort of hinting at social damage without arguing about the long-term consequences or effects. Additionally, when the author states, “studies show that technology affects how people think and behave”, the author does not cite any sources–trying to make the statement seem factual without any evidence to back it up.

UA Grantham’s “Technology: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly” kind of does the same thing. They also talk about some of the problems technology can cause but considers them as small, manageable, or unimportant. The author describes serious issues such as “privacy loss” and “cyber security threats” but refers to them as “challenges of the digital age”, minimizing the potential harm caused by these problems. This article also uses innuendo when the author states, “society is increasingly becoming more and more reliant on technology”, suggesting that we are too dependent but without fully going into detail about it. Furthermore, I think the author uses a lot of truth surrogates–for example, “Technology has transformed nearly every aspect of our modern life.” This claim has little to no evidence to back it up but people agree with it automatically without calling it into question.

Lastly, The United Nations article, “Impact Of Digital Technologies,” strongly supports technological advancements while limiting the discussions of its risks. While the article does mention unequal access to technology, it goes right back to the benefits, using innuendo, downplayers, and truth surrogates. The author downplays global inequalities by stating that “digital technologies are made to accelerate progress towards sustainable development”, basically treating them as secondary issues. The UN also uses innuendo when it claims that “countries that fail to adopt digital technologies are at risk of being left behind.” This statement suggests that if you don’t improve your technology or follow global trends you’re basically irresponsible. Finally, the author uses truth surrogates, stating that “digital technologies are transforming societies worldwide.” Even though this claim is broad and authoritative, it still lacks evidence as to how technology is transforming different societies worldwide.

In conclusion, while I still think technology is bad and causes more problems than good, many people and companies will have different opinions. While I still think people should talk more about the downsides and actually have studies to back up their claims or reasoning, I think people only see the good in technology since it makes everything easier to manage and do.