. Is Technology ruining lives?

It. can be said. that in society technology is taking over our lives, wether through interacting with others through social media instead of face to face or through becoming reliant on technology to do our jobs. Through technology were are increasing productivity, creativity and longevity which is great, in fact it’s fantastic! Technological. advances are saving lives , they’re informing and entertaining us ,we’re evolving and growing as a species and due to communication advances our ideas , thoughts. and voices are being heard, we are now a global community.

The downside to the productivity, creativity and longevity that technology has produced is can we sustain this growth? The reliance of technology has seen an increase in health problems (both physical and mental health). Will eventually ( or is it already? ) put a strain on the Earths natural resources, electronic technologies require resources that can harm the environment due to being difficult to get. New technology in farming such as the use of chemical fertiliser and pesticides although may have the short term effect of increasing our food production is also killing species of plants , flowers and insects. Many bee colonies have collapsed due to climate change, pesticides called neonicotinoids and environmental changes all of which are. linked to our dependence/use of. technology.

So are we really sure that technology can impact negatively especially as it’s been a part of our lives since the day we were born or are we just blaming technology for anything negative that happens instead of actively looking for. solutions. Let’s take a look at a. tribe called the Oji -Cree also known as Anishinaabe a First Nation in the Canadian provinces , who in the early 20th century led a relatively simple but isolated life of hunting , fishing , surviving. Visitors to the tribe(s) during the 1940s. noted that “the people lived a rugged, rigorous life with plenty of exercise” it was also noted that no one in the tribe suffered from substance abuse or breakdowns due to their lifestyle at the time.

Everything started to change in the late 1950s /early 1960s when new technologies and industries started to reach the tribes. Industrialisation of the areas that the Cree tribe lived and hunted in resulted in a change of the ecosystem of the region they lived in which impacted on the animals they hunted /depended on. Roads were expanded , new towns were built where industries such as mining and forestry brought in an influx of non indigenous people to the Cree territory . Due to these changes the. Oji-Cree had to work for a wage , the advances technology had brought had disrupted and (almost ) destroyed their way of life . Yes technology has meant the Oji-cree no longer have to face starvation during the winter months , they no longer have to hunt for food they can import it. Dogsledding, canoeing and snow shoes have now been replaced by trucks and snowmobiles , life is now easier but a more sedentary lifestyle is having its drawbacks. Obesity and heart disease has tripled in the past 20 years , Type 2diabetes. in the Oji-Cree is the highest in the world and although a genetic mutation has been found, the change in the lifestyle of the tribe through the introduction of technology has surely got to be a contributing factor. The tale of the Oji -Cree can be used as a cautionary one against technology , reflecting in society how sedentary a lifestyle we now have. Technology has its benefits. yes but we. also need to realise that we have the power and the means to survive without it.