With all of the new technological advances in the last century, you would think that our lives would be close to perfect. Such is not always the case. For all of the advances we have made, there are many areas where we have actually lost more than we have gained. We need to have a clear understanding of technology in order to respect both the good and the harm it can do.
Technology has taken us from a society where only the rich can travel to one where a large percentage of people have been able to travel outside of their home countries. Travel is so much more affordable and can be booked online with the click of a mouse. The internet provides details and testimonials that make picking a travel destination so much easier.
Technology has afforded us new drug therapies for previously untreatable diseases. The ability to research and discuss diseases and therapies online has given medical practitioners access to information previously only found in libraries and through phone calls or letters. Surgeries can actually be performed via remote viewing. For certain life saving procedures, the doctor and patient do not need to be in the same room.
Families are able to connect with one another using cell phones and web cameras. Mothers no longer have to wait for the mail in order to find out how their children are doing. A picture can be downloaded from a phone or digital camera and sent within seconds via email. As businesses can scan and send documents in moments, quotes and legal documents can be sent immediately therefore reducing some of the costs of doing business.
The advent of Paypal allows you to send money via the internet. No more standing in line for a money order or having to mail a cheque and wait weeks while it clears. Employers are able to pay their employees using direct deposit eliminating the need for a trip to the bank on payday.
Crime enforcement agencies are able to easily communicate with each other leading to arrests that would otherwise never have been made. Criminal profilers are able to use databases to compare the characteristics of serial criminals.
With online shopping, you never have to leave your home. You can order groceries and prescriptions online and have them delivered to your door. If the weather is inclement or you just aren't in the mood for the mall, you can do all of your holiday shopping online. You never again have to speak to a rude sales clerk or stand in line for hours to get the things you can't live without.
Online banking means you never have to stand in line again. If you like to get out of the house once in a while, you can always visit an ATM. You can even apply for loans, mortgages, savings, chequing and investment accounts online. The days of being at the mercy of a cranky teller are over.
Online dating has provided many lonely people with a way to meet others who are seeking the same type of relationships while allowing them to remain somewhat anonymous until they are comfortable with a meeting. Many marriages have started out with online dating.
It's hard to reconcile the fact that even with all of the advances in technology, there can still be a downside. Technology, particularly computers and the internet, can cause many an unwary soul a lot of grief.
Thanks to the popularity of sites such as Facebook and My Space, many children that are bullied at school can now be bullied on the computer as well. Embarrassing moments can be forever recorded on cell phones and posted on You Tube for the world to see. Although you can meet people from all over the world, the truth is you have no idea if the person you are chatting with is who they say they are. There are so many predators online that it is difficult to determine what is safe and what isn't.
While online shopping can be a lot of fun, there are dangers out there as well. Although Paypal is a safe, secure site, not all forms of payment provide this security. Leaving your credit or banking card information on a website could lead to thieves cleaning out your bank account or running up astronomical credit card bills. Identity theft is on the increase and because it is so difficult to catch the culprits or clear your credit rating, many people's lives are destroyed by it. It is terrifying.
Online shopping can also be very addictive. It is very easy to lose track of online spending. It is not like going to a mall and coming home with several parcels. You make your purchase but the evidence doesn't show up for weeks. It's almost like you never spent a thing. Until your credit card statement arrives, you may not realize the extent of your online shopping. Auction sites like Ebay can also cause you spend indiscriminately. Many people bid on several items at a time, never expecting to actually win every auction. Many impulse purchases are attributed to auction sites. When the auctions close, you are committed to go through with your bid. Bidding on several small items throughout a month can add up us well. Shopping online does not have to be a negative, terrifying experience if we understand the situations that can arise and avoid the pitfalls.
An increase in travel out of the country by land or air has allowed previously unseen diseases to spread throughout the world. The transport of foreign animals and produce from countries that don't adhere to the same policies as we do, has brought about an increase of parasites and toxins. Although new technology has offered advances in medicine, we are finding ourselves becoming ill from little known diseases in other countries.
We have come to rely on technology so heavily that our daily lives can go into a tailspin when it fails. We count on our phones and computers to keep in contact with family, friends and business associates. In the case of a power outage or computer crash, many of these interconnected systems will crash and we left with no connection to the outside world. Technology is only great when it works. We just need to make sure that we can carry on should it not.