In the futuristic short story Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut, the people of 2017 are handicapped by electronic devices that keep their intelligence at an average level in order to establish a sense of equality. This concept of a world of “equality through technology” is not too far in the future as the technology of today is doing more harm to our society than good. Technological devices such as phones, tablets and iPods keep younger generations from interacting with each other and the outside world. They also distract students from their studies and prevent them from actively thinking.
New technology keeps individuals from interacting with the outside world and other people, paving the path for an undereducated and underdeveloped future. According to Corporate Eye, the use of social networking sites has increase by 15 percent in the last four years. People have lost their connection with society, primarily because students spend more time on their phones, Facebook and Tumblr than socializing “face-to-face”, which leads to a decrease in needed social skills. Because the Internet does not require good conversation or speaking skills, it is harder for people to acquire jobs that use these elementary abilities. –
“I can’t even imagine how my life would be if I didn’t have my phone or my computer,” said CHS sophomore Hannah Lewis.
In addition, the Internet and other technologies have caused people to lose touch with what is occurring in the world. Teenagers, for example, tend to have no interest in current world issues, and prefer Facebook and Twitter to pressing current events, leading to a society with uniformed people.
“[Technology] created an environment that we live in where the learning of academic skills, like reading comprehension and writing face a lot of distraction,” said U.S. History teacher Jon Palarz.
New technology also distracts younger generations from their studies. Instead of focusing on receiving a good education, teenagers are more concerned with their music, phones and online life. This has directly caused a decrease in education. One effect modern technology has on education is reading and writing skills. According to the Broad Foundation, 70 percent of eighth graders cannot read proficiently. Students have turned away from proper writing and reading skills and have taken on a new language: text talk. This new abbreviated form of communication dampers spelling and grammar skills and reduces students ability to effectively express themselves. Furthermore, websites such as Sparknotes and Cliffnotes make it easy for students to use another’s opinion instead of their own. This prevents students from thinking for themselves and truly understanding the material.
Though technology proves to be beneficial, it has isolated students from the outside world and it proves to be a deterrent for learning. It is important that in a world of rapid progression, individuals should still be aware that too much dependence on technology can be detrimental to society.
