Technological Evolution: Boon or Bane?
Today, in the 21st century — we are living lives where we are surrounded more by technologies than humans around us.
On one hand, there is an unceasing pitch about how technology is making our lives easier in terms of availability, accessibility, affordability, and utility.
On the other hand — there is an integral standing question still digging answer :
At what cost?
If I were to answer this question — first and foremost, I would not deny the fact that indeed yes, technology has made our lives easier.
I absolutely stand by the belief that it has not only helped us evolve as a race but also enabled survival.
To support the argument, I would take the recent example of 2020–2021, when the whole world was grappling for a solution to fight against the SARS-19 virus to save humanity, we were rescued by the support of technology.
Imagine the situation, if businesses like Blink IT, PharmEasy, etc. were non-existent or currency digitization with UPIs was not explored meeting placeholders like MS Teams, Zoom, Slack, etc. were alien to us, or social platforms like WhatsApp, and Instagram were not discovered.
I bet we would not have been able to hold up and get past the pandemic without the contribution of technology at that time.
Exactly, my point — technology plays well by doing the job it is designed for the sustenance of humankind, a space where we consume technology to the best of our advantage.
However, now — we have come to a point where we are being consumed by the same technologies.
Each day we are choosing to pay extra for comfort. In the name of convenience, we are ready to compromise daily movement, thereby our physical health — we are looking for everything at our doorsteps, groceries, clothes, medicines, etc.
This kind of consumer behavior at large is making us lethargic and soaring diabetes, cardiac arrest cases are no surprise.
I am afraid, we are very close to the day when the demand for things on the bed would be justified.
Technology has given us hope, which is a good thing. But in hindsight, too much of anything is dangerous.
When was the last time you heard someone telling you, “It can’t be this difficult, I am sure there would be a shortcut, an easy way out to this.”
Gradually, we are forgetting to appreciate the effort. We want things easy & quick and with that intention, we often skip to the question, how?!
I am sure that while enjoying immediate money transfers with currency digitization, you must have come across cases of financial fraud, illegal hacking, looting, etc.
If I neglect everything above and try to see things holistically; the biggest threat is that we are failing as a community — let me explain how.
As humans, we have been thriving with real, authentic, meaningful connections.
Today, social, or professional platform-based technologies have robbed us of the skill and need to build those meaningful connections and the void of these is shoving us to a very dark place, mentally.
As a generation, we have come to a place where we are yearning for shot-lived, false dopamine by gratification, and validation on these platforms. We are considering these platforms as a substitute for true, real human connection.
Isn’t that scary?
All these exemplars are evident enough to answer the initial question.
Unfortunately, technology evolution is proving to be a bane because it is no longer serving the causation it was created for and today human race is using these technologies by spending themselves.
So, yes long answer short — at the cost of our well-being & mental peace.
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