Technology

      Technology affects every single aspect of our life's. Everything from tools, machines, techniques, and methods shape how we live and how we evolve as humans. How you just ordered a cheeseburger from your car to how we put a man on the moon are all connected to technology. Technological advances can be both beneficial as well as harmful. A lot of the time the technology itself isn't damaging, the manner in which we use it is. There are also times when a new invention or discovery if found to be beneficial for one thing, but negatively impact another.

      There are many reason why technology positively contributes to our life's. In a modern world, the most valuable resource is time. It is the only component that literally affects everything and everyone. Advances in technology have allowed us to get more done in shorter amount of time, thus increasing our productivity. This increase in accomplishment also allows us to live our lives at a much faster pace; meaning we get more out of life. Cell phones are probably one of the greatest inventions of all time. In order for anything to get done, there must be communication. The cell phone has allowed us to communicate with anyone, anywhere, at anytime. Since we can now communicate more efficiently, we can do better planning, which increases our most valuable resource, time. Aside from that, cell phones also let you order pizza. That is just one example of thousands in which a small technological advancement in one area has just increased our greatest resource. Most people take little things like this for granted and never fully realize just how intertwined everything is.

      Technology can also be harmful. Let's use the same invention in the previous paragraph, the cell phone. I briefly explained one way it impacts us positively, but it also has negative effects. One of the biggest issues with cell phones, and my biggest pet-peeve, is people who drive and talk on the phone. Studies have proved that talking on the phone while driving is more dangerous than driving impaired, yet people still do it. A study performed by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety concluded that talking while driving increases your chances by four times to be involved in a crash with serious injuries. Driving while using a cell phone also reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37%. Everyday I will see a vehicle driving poorly and almost every time the driver is on the phone. There are very few things in life that are so important for you to answer your phone that exact second. I never answer my phone if I'm driving. I'll look at the number when I get to my destination and call it back. When the cell phone was invented I'm sure very few people thought it would have this affect on a person driving ability. This is an example of technology that is beneficial in one area but negative in another.