Now if we take a look at what the word means today, we’ll
find that it has progressed into meaning something that is of different usage.
From my understanding technology today means equipment that is generally used
in form of arts, communication, science and, maths which helps or assists human
beings with tasks they need to accomplish. It is clear to see though that the
word has expanded very much to its current meaning today, which has a
correlation in how technology now is rising with many new devices that can operate
many different features, such as; Aeroplanes, mobile phone and even, the
internet. Technology is also considered to be the creation of gun, missiles,
bow and arrow & bombs so, further in this blog I’ll look at the elements where
people are against many forms of technology.
Many Humans today are very openhearted when it comes to
owning technology. We seem to be very close to technology during all parts of
the day even when we sleep. I say this because; in a lecture a show of hands
were counted to see how many people sleep with their mobile phones at least a
foot away, and the majority of the class put their hands up agreeing that they
do. Although this wasn’t a full research, the results gives you the knowledge
of our generation has adopted technology in our everyday lives’. We humans have
incorporated an emotionally attachment with our devices which, seems to be
adapted by all cultures in the world. This happens to be unique as in the world
today there are so many differences i.e. beliefs, values, languages and ethics
but the way we use our technology seems to be generally approved by mostly
everyone in today world.
Though there is a small group of people that intentionally
avoid using new forms of technology like the Amish communities. They refrain
from using all types of new modern day technology such as; cars, telephones,
internet and computers. All those I said play a major part of our lives today
as they enable us to communicate with one another and allow us to maintain
relationships with our friends and family. So this makes me question do we actually need
all this technology we have in this world if, the Amish seem to get along with
their lives without it why can’t we? Well I say that today most people view the Amish
communities as being outdated and, basically behind us, those who comply with modern
technology today. Nowadays we link technology with progress, evolutionary
things that we enjoy using and, have the comfort of knowing the signs of new
technology relatively mean we are heading towards the future.
The view of technology enhancing the world and making it a
better place obviously isn’t shared by everyone. Two famous views of this are of
Ted Kaczynski aka “The Unabomber” and Martin Heidegger, these two men question
the use of technology and how it is destroying our World. I think that Martin
Heidegger concept of technology was that it was dehumanising us in a way that: “Techne
is the name not only of the activities and skills of the craftsman, but also
for the arts of the mind and the fine arts. Techne belongs to bringing forth,
to poiesis; it is something poetic” A
quote from his book: The Question Concerning Technology and other essays page
294. From my understanding he is saying that we are not using the word
correctly and, we destroying something which actually beautiful i.e; skills and
the perfection of a carpenter making a wooden chair to now, many machines making
it without thought. He also thinks that technology could lead into the
corruption if the human race, when he queries that “its essence is mysterious”
A quote from his book: The Question Concerning
Technology and other essays page 309. He has made some relative points as
today we can’t consider all forms of technology as good for instance; The use
of calculators in an maths exam would be bad because, it is just telling us the
answer which isn’t helping us learn or develop new skills. And the thought of
Technology being mysterious is reasonable as we don’t really question why, all
of a sudden we are bless with so many intelligent devices now but, still
harming our environment greatly for example; pollution levels. Then The
Unabomber argument goes on to be one that is talking about “The stronger that
technology makes society, the less freedoms.” I agree with that quotation as it
is very true because, in today’s life we have Facebook accounts, upload images,
write about what we currently doing or talk about our favourite interests which
is in turn removing all our privacy. So in the future if there was to be a rule
saying we are not entitled to any privacy we really don’t have an argument as
we have been, gradually living in a world without privacy for some time now. He
also says “Technology destroys nature, which strengthens technology further.” Although
I do not agree with the murders and the ways he put his ideas across I agree
that, in order to build new builds or factories we destroy land or rain forests to strengthen our need of technology in the world. Unabomber quotations from: http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2009/02/the_unabomber_w.php.
The Google glasses is a revolution device which enables the
user to interact with multiple technological features, just like a smartphone but
is eyewear that functions as a hands-free device. The glasses will work as an
augmented reality, head-mounted display (HMD) which will enable us to use it
anywhere we would like to.
I would like to go into to detail on why I think Google
decided to make these glasses and what effect it will have on the population on
a whole. Firstly I think that the reason why Google decided to make the glasses
is because; they are a well-known and respected company. The progress that Google
have made in the recent years against all its competitors is extraordinary. It
is the World’s most popular search engine by a distance and continues to
adventure into different type of agendas such as; YouTube, Android Mobiles and Google
Chrome web browser. So when I first heard that Google had been developing a new
revolutionary device which works all by augmented reality and, is HMD function I
did not write it off as I would of done if it was another company that was
looking into making it. We all feel that
in the future we will be using technology like this on a regular basis so, for
a company like Google to be making it now, it shows them as having initiative
and the resources to make such ground-breaking and futuristic technology.
Another reason why I feel Google are making these glasses
are to make money when they have been finished to sell advertising slots to
companies to buy them. With such technology companies will pay a great amount
of money to, promote their products to you which will probably be as big as
television’s advertising. This also leads into collecting data about the user,
as the amount of data which is collected would benefit the companies majorly. I
say this because with enough data collected about us they will be targeting the
right products to the certain customers they want. For example Google make a
deal with facebook and the app is available on the Google glasses, the information
we hold on facebook would be benefit the companies as, they would get to know
us without getting to know us. This is all a marketing ploy as essentially Google
would just be selling us in order to receive more money from marketing our
information.
The glasses are really state of the art and different and, although there are products that can perform what the glasses can do, there isn’t any product in the world that works like the glasses do. So I think people will embrace theses glasses just as how people buy the latest iPhone as soon as it is released because, they just assume that they will need it and the world is progressing into a new phase of technology. The glasses could in a few years’ time be the replace for the mobile phone as it could do everything it can but, wirelessly.
In a vote in my seminar group we were asked what we thought of the glasses? Everyone in the class’s thoughts of them was negative including me but, I said that I thought that the public would still welcome it. I am pretty confident that people all over the world would buy the glasses because, even though the reviews in the class were bad. I say this because right now we have grown up with use or the need of the Google glass, so therefor we feel we will never need them. But the generation which are going to grow up and seeing this in shops and TV adverts will definitely see the need of buying one because, so far it can do everything mobile phone or even a computer can do on the move. So they will view it as being more practical than a PC and more convenient then a laptop. So that is my reason why I think it will work regardless of any negative feedback it may receive now. Once it is released people will question how they ever lived without them. The reason why I feel negative towards the glasses is because it is dehumanising making us much more lazier as a result and more reliant having to use technology in ways were we did not have to 10 years ago for example; Reminding yourself to buy concert tickets normally you would write it down on a paper or, people my age would just write it on your phone as a reminder to buy the tickets. But with the glasses you can instantly tell it to reminder you which in my eyes will become a very lazy trait. Eventually people will seclude from using their memory in exchange for the glasses reminder system being so easy to use. This could lead to a chain reaction of all humans having brief memory capacity and being fully reliant on the glasses.
On a whole I think that new technology should be welcomed
but humans should not rely heavily on it. We should allow it to benefit us in
many ways such as; use of communication with loved ones around the world but,
when we have to start submitting our own privacy or even human right just to
use a piece of technology we should step back and, examine the situation as
maybe it is getting out of hand.
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