Technology and computer science are the most rapidly developing areas of modern life. It is difficult to deny that technological progress brought both positive and negative changes. For me, it opened a world of opportunities and made learning and entertainment much more accessible. Simultaneously, it substituted live communication and led to the spread of hatred and fake information. In this essay, I will provide examples proving the positive and negative influence of technology.
Even though I consider myself a conservative person, I appreciate the opportunities provided by technological development. From my childhood, I was curious and willing to learn as much about the world as I could. In my early years, sources of information like Google, YouTube, and Wikipedia were unavailable for me. I acquired new knowledge from the school library and encyclopedias. Later, I became interested in fashion, traveling, and dancing and technology made self-development and entertainment much easier for me. Today, I can read travel blogs and watch dance classes, and follow the latest fashion trends with the click of a mouse. Moreover, I can easily do shopping online, work, and enroll in educational courses without leaving my house.
However, despite the multiple advantages of technologies, I feel that the social aspect of my life was negatively affected by social media. I have always been an extroverted individual; however, today, I mostly communicate via Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms and messengers. Social media addiction has become a serious problem in the twenty-first century (Agbasiere, 2018). Indeed, many of my friends prefer spending time online to meeting in real life. Another negative effect is that the Internet became a source of hatred and fake news and can even be used for criminal purposes, which makes me feel insecure (Agbasiere, 2018). Therefore, I am convinced that digital communication and the enormous amount of information on the Internet do not always bring benefits.
In conclusion, I would say that technology has both positive and negative sides. In my personal experience, it plays a significant role in my self-development and provides better access to the things that interest me most. However, as a sociable person, I feel detached from my friends, who prefer smartphones to real-life communication. Moreover, I find it difficult to navigate among the large scope of information. I believe that filtering content and controlling the time spent on social networks will maximize the positive influence of technology.
Reference
Agbasiere, V. (2018). Welcome to the world of social media. AuthorHouse.