Good technology and bad technology

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I just wrote a paper on the movie "Wall-E" and the overall theme definitely poses an interesting question. Are our technological advances for the better or ultimately worse? I thought about it, and I've concluded that technological (or scientific for that matter) that aid in or completely perform tasks that we can physically or mentally complete, is bad and is causing us to become less and less independent. With more and more conveniences, human function becomes less and less bring us to a state where we need not worry about our very survival that help characterize us as people. I really cannot believe the direction our society is going in, and it is frightening. we're consuming and becoming addicted to convenience. The advancements that come out today serve one purpose, to make life "easier for us". But we must ask ourself, is this what we really want? Will this bring us happiness? Interesting questions... Now to the part where i tell you that i believe not all advancements in technology are bad. I believe advances that accomplish feats and tasks that humans are unable to perform, can be very optimistic. This is the kind of progress i welcome and am curious to see what the future brings. But if we keep heading the way we are, with the wrong type of advancements, things could get ugly. Not to say that i don't believe good advances are out there but i'm finding the majority, and most popular advancements are to do the mental and physical tasks that are need to maintain healthy.

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@Yogi DMT,

'Tis the gift to be simple,
'tis the gift to be free,
'tis the gift to come down where you ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
It will be in the valley of love and delight.

'Tis the gift to be loved and that love to return,
'Tis the gift to be taught and a richer gift to learn,
And when we expect of others what we try to live each day,
Then we'll all live together and we'll all learn to say,

'Tis the gift to have friends and a true friend to be,
'Tis the gift to think of others not to only think of "me",
And when we hear what others really think and really feel,
Then we'll all live together with a love that is real.

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@Yogi DMT,

I remember watching this in my Environmental Science class in high school, but we didn't have to write a paper on it. We also had a similar discussion though. In the movie, it would seem as if the growing technology was not good for our future. All the humans are overweight, not to mention lazy, and our planet is heavily polluted.

The humans rely so heavily on technology for everyday task that they once could do without that kind of help. It seems that these days we are headed in the same direction but I feel our generation won't get to that point.

I feel we must learn how to control technology and not let it control us.

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@Yogi DMT,

Yogi DMT;117527 wrote:

I thought about it, and I've concluded that technological (or scientific for that matter) that aid in or completely perform tasks that we can physically or mentally complete, is bad and is causing us to become less and less independent.

I think that's a bit broad. Calculators are bad under this rule, since we can do arithmetic in our head. Novocaine is bad because we can endure dental surgery without it.

And there are things that some people do that other people can't without technological aid.

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@Jebediah,

Jebediah;135694 wrote:

I think that's a bit broad. Calculators are bad under this rule, since we can do arithmetic in our head. Novocaine is bad because we can endure dental surgery without it.

And there are things that some people do that other people can't without technological aid.

Calculators, aid us in arithmetic we cannot do. Though many of a calculators functions help us in what we can do mentally, precision of dealing with certain functions can't be achieved by a human. And novocaine assists us in something we cannot do, alleviate the pain.

I'm talking about technology that assists in convenience and technology that eliminate tasks so that we do not have to perform them.

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@Yogi DMT,

Yogi DMT;136433 wrote:

Calculators, aid us in arithmetic we cannot do. Though many of a calculators functions help us in what we can do mentally, precision of dealing with certain functions can't be achieved by a human. And novocaine assists us in something we cannot do, alleviate the pain.

I'm talking about technology that assists in convenience and technology that eliminate tasks so that we do not have to perform them.

I think you are on tricky ground here though. Isn't television ok now, because it assists us in something we cannot do, "see live images of sporting events occurring on the other side of the globe"?

Why not divide up in the way that the Amish do. Instead of basing it on whether the technology does something that we can't do on our own, you could base it on whether the technology promotes or discourages something you value. They go by community I think, you are going for independence.

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@Jebediah,

There is no convenience, no "advance" and no gadget that with its benefits doesn't have a flip side. These things aren't bad; but there is a price.[INDENT]Cars are great and give us unparalleled independence to travel, but walking has benefits not realized by driving, add in oil, gas farming and refining, traffic deaths and as an example: There is ALWAYS a flip side. [/INDENT][INDENT] Cell phones; attention span, living in the moment, interracting with those around you, keeping your eyes on the road, etc. Balance these with convenience, communication, safety, etc.

Televisions: Zombie-ing out, cough potatoes, skewed ideas of reality. Yet look at all the entertainment, news and knowledge gained!

Fast Food: Fattening, expensive, resource and packaging wastefulness balanced against increased access to needed calories
[/INDENT]The list goes on and on - Yes, all these things bring us benefits. My worry - my concern - is that we've not stopped to think of what we lose with these gains. Rushing headlong into toys - for the empowering thrill of technology - no one's contemplated the effects of such things.

So yes - its' a good point. Let's not demonize the hammer for what got it, but for the actions (and perhaps lack of foresight) on the part of the wielder.

Thanks

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@Yogi DMT,

Well said Khethil, this is what i'm getting at. The assistance is not always good. We are too shortsighted when it comes to an effect on the human race.

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@Yogi DMT,

Technology often has mini-effects through history. The overall effect is what tends to matter. In the 90's there was a treatment used to induce labor and it wasn't for five years later that the effects were shown to be ill. For many this treatment I'm sure had positive benefits despite the *fact* as a general tendency it was a malfortune for western america.

When dealing with technology is very tricky to classify whether *all* good or *all* bad. The existence of these things generally can be quantified and if the distribution points towards bad then law and social policy should follow.

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@Yogi DMT,

I agree with the OP. Technology has many uses, including me writing this, oh and not to mention my employment, which is obviously important to me. But the modern world is also besotted with technology, in love with it, often without asking this very simple question that you are raising. I posted a piece in the discussion forum the other day about a Korean couple who were arrested for letting their 3-month old baby starve to death while they obsessed over a game like Second Life. It is an extreme example, but sadly emblematic of the modern world.

People should always remain close to nature in my view. If you are happy being in the country and surrounded by nature, then you have the fundamental sanity to use technology without being taken in by it.

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@Yogi DMT,

All powerful technologies can be applied for "good" or "evil" purposes. I do not think knowledge or technology itself is inherently good or bad only the purposes or goals for which it is used.

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@Yogi DMT,

yes but the possibilities for evil are greatly enhanced by technology. I am thinking of the defense industries of the world, and the missile industry. Wouldn't the world be objectively a better place without nuclear weapons and WMD's?

And why develop some technologies, and not others? The pursuit of weapons technology is in itself an objective evil. You can justify it by saying it is defensive, but it still leads to the existence of objective evils which would never exist, were it not for technological skills.

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Good technology and bad technology

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