Introduction
For a considerable period now, the United States has been among the world’s most developed countries. Majority of the industrial machines originate from the U.S. The medical industries developed rapidly due to the creative skills of the American men like Charles Darwin and Francis Galton among others.
Regrettably, the rate of creativity, especially amongst the youths, has rapidly declined due to the emergence of technology in contemporary times. Most youths, especially those at the school going age, are techno-savvy; thus, they cannot survive without the use of computers, mobile phones, and other gadgets in their daily routine. With the extinction of the old creative generation, the US is yet to face the worst of intellectual disability.
Although the use of technological devices like computers, robots, mobile phones and other machineries has made life simpler, the youths have not only become redundant or ignorant but also have lost the power to create. Technology might be a new form of literacy; nevertheless, its uncontrolled use and misuse has pushed the US into ‘intellectual quagmire.’
The United States’ Woes
The emergence and development of computers led to a breakthrough in the communication, manufacturing, education, social, and medical industries among others (Mackenzie and Wajcman 2). With computers at hand, the internet has also come in to the rescue of communication and research sectors (Guston 15).
Unfortunately, youths, especially those in the universities and high schools, rely heavily on these machines. Therefore, the education sector has become useless because students cannot pass their exams or assignments without using computers. Personally, I see my fellow students using Google to download their assignments and other research papers needed in the course work.
Thus, nobody uses his or her mind to produce original assignments; regrettably, the class assignments are full of plagiarism. Furthermore, during classes, students concentrate heavily on their mobile phones, surfing the internet instead of listening to the lecturers. I hold that, if a survey was conducted today, most students would advise institutions to invest more in the Internet than in library resources. Therefore, the current education is not only producing poor non-intellectuals, but also ignorant people.
Sciences, especially mathematics, are one of the difficult subjects to the youths or students in the US. Scientists have resolved to use the robots to solve problems. Although the innovative scientists are old, the younger generations should use their skills. For instance, if a student uses the computer/internet service or a robot to solve his or her sums, s/he decreases the level of his/her intellectual capability. In addition, due to ‘copy pasting’ of class work from the internet or fellow students, the rate of knowledge in the US is on the declined.
For instance, the number of innovations in the twenty first century is very low compared to the innovations of the nineteenth or eighteenth centuries. One wonders, does it mean that there is nothing to discover or is it that the current generation cannot think? I think the latter makes some sense. Therefore, although students may end up in universities, most of them are not only ignorant, but also present themselves as illiterate or morons in the employment sector.
Communication is one of the vital aspects needed in the progression or advancement of a nation; unfortunately, technology has ended up being a social barrier not only in the US, but also across the world. With the emergence of mobile phones, people interact less (Morino par.7), and even some employers carry out interviews using computer packages like Skype.
With constant interaction, people discuss ideas, which later lead to valid or outstanding skills helpful in building a nation. Currently, in corporate meetings, educational forums, and other social gatherings, people do not draw their attention to the speaker; no, they are on their phones or laptops.
Therefore, in social forums people discuss fewer ideas and interact less due to the divided attention. During the nineteenth century, most intellects or youths converged to discuss the way forward in solving emerging social problems in their vicinity. Nowadays, if the youths are not listening to music or watching a film, they are on Facebook or twitter among other social sites.
Therefore, the lack of computers and handsets in the old generation produced not only intellectuals or scholars, but also innovators, which is contrary to the current generation. The current children/youths can neither think nor use their minds to solve a classical problem in class. The result of this ‘intelligence’ catastrophe is ‘half-baked’ graduates who cannot even write a resume or a cover letter.
Is Technology that bad, after all
Technology has improved the lifestyle and lifespan of Americans. Due to the availability of Internet services, education has become achievable, especially to the middle class or busy people. Students are able to learn through online, they also submit assignments and other course work details via the Internet.
Moreover, job application or submission of vital documents is available through the Internet. Therefore, although computers have led to the emergence of a lazy generation, life has become easier and inexpensive because of less movement. Besides, being fast and efficient, the Internet also connects the world into a global village. Everybody can be updated with the current news around the world by using the Internet. Thusly, youths or children become aware of the events happening all over the world without moving around.
Additionally, due to availability of sophisticated machineries like the polymerase chain reaction machines (PCR machine), the rate of solving social crimes has declined. With the application of seasoned knowledge, the current generation can now arrest rapists or robbers by matching their Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) on the items or rape victims with that in the database.
The PCR machine can clearly produce the DNA of all individuals across the world. The American security personnel stores the DNA of its entire citizens, thus, the DNA of each person is traceable. Therefore, due to technology, the youths are cautious of their social events forcing them to be obedient citizens.
Conclusion
The US has the best experts in all sectors especially in the medical industry. Unfortunately, with the emergence and improvement of technology, the youths have not only become ignorant, redundant, or unknowledgeable but also uncreative, antisocial, and lazy. The education sector in the US produces poor scholars without innovative skills, with poor reading, writing, and observation skills.
Students cannot think of their own; they rely on resources availed by technology to solve the simplest of issues like completing a simple assignment. Computers and mobile phones have produced a generation with poor listening and communication skills. On the other hand, the use of technology like the application of the PCR helps the current generation to solve many social problems like rape and other crimes. Therefore, technology in itself is not ‘bad’; however, people make it ‘bad’ through misuse or overuse.
Works Cited
Guston, David. Between politics and science: Assuring the integrity and productivity of research. New York: Cambridge University press, 2000.
MacKenzie, Donald, and Watchman, Judy. “Introductory Essay” in The Social Shaping of Technology. Buckingham: Open University Press, 1999.
Morino, Mario. The Impact of Technology on Youth in the 21st Century, 1997. Web. <https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED411779.pdf>