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“Man is a complex being:  he makes deserts bloom - and lakes die. “ ~Gil Stern. It’s an incessant part of every human being to beautify, Improve or progress in life. It is this human that created fire out of rocks and paper out of trees. It is therefore this innate quality that distinguishes human race from all other species. Technology is one of the greatest achievements of man today. Today everything is accessible with a mere click of a button. Technology is an outcome of man’s own genius. Hence it is a man made phenomenon to facilitate a human being in making his life easier, but this is where man made things fall short of godlike perfection. Like every man made thing technology too has certain drawbacks.
            Technology is a tool to shape the world according to our convenience, and it has helped us in the development of civilization. Technology has made our lives convenient, but simultaneously it has replaced human touch, solving a few of our problems but giving birth to even more complications, consequently making life more complex.“The machine does not isolate man from the great problems of nature but plunges him more deeply into them.”(Saint-Exupéry, Wind, Sand, and Stars, 1939).
                 The greatest downside of modern technology is that it is replacing human effort and energy with that of a machine. We as a clan have become increasingly dependent on television, cell phones and various machines. In the olden times man believed in the survival of the fittest, he or she made his own life, but today we would rather ask our servant to bring us a glass of water or make us dinner. We have become lazy and inefficient. This is why harsher forms of slavery and child labor are more likely to be found technologically advanced societies rather than primitive societies. The replacement of man power with computers or robots has led to unemployment. Many of the jobs done in factories or even in offices are now done by machines. Poverty is persistently increasing due to unemployment. The rich are becoming richer as technology is for them where as the poor are becoming poorer. Poverty is creating frustrations and inferiority complexes which lead to more cases of suicides and crimes.
               As the world is becoming more technologically advanced it is morally, socially and ethically disintegrating. Moreover human beings stay within their homes rather than communicating or spending time with their relatives. Due to the fast pace world of technology there is a constant race between fellow human beings. People have become more materialistic, resulting in being self centered and selfish. Life has become isolated and mechanical. Thus technology is turning human beings into machines.
              Albert Einstein said “Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal”. Today technological progress is intervening in the normal course of nature and creating complications. Medical technologies, such as medicines, life support systems; dialysis and improved health standards have increased the average life span. At the same time it has increased the world population growth. Death rate has decreased and birth rate has risen considerably resulting in an upsurge in population. This constant increase in population results in various social and economic outbreaks including wars over resources. Technology innovations have created new diseases and disorders. It is said that cancer which is the growth of abnormal cells is also an outcome of technology. Diseases like HIV, hepatitis and diabetes are a product of technology.
                    New innovations in genetic engineering are causing genetic mutations and diseases. Other medical advancements such as test tube babies are creating social as well as moral problems where single women use this method to have children who later lead abnormal lives without fathers.  Cloning is a very good example of technology, it is no undoubtedly remarkable but it is directly in conflict with the existence and power of the almighty. In future these clones are going to create further problems in society. Other technologies in medical such as laser, cosmetic surgeries, implantations, and liposuction are examples of the misuse of technology.
                                       Transportation technology has made life a lot more mobile and has made the world a smaller place but has increased traffic congestion consequently creating pollution which is endangering our mother earth. Due to air conditioners and refrigerators the ozone layer is depleting day by day. Increased infrastructure and paper leads to excessive cutting of trees. The world’s forests are being cut at an alarming rate. Global warming, green house effect is affecting the environment due to which the world climate is changing. Due to technology and cars natural reservoirs of petrol and coal are also diminishing which will soon result in severe energy crisis all over the world.
                              Information technology is the greatest form of technology, computer being the greatest invention. It has completely changed the world making it into a global village, making things quicker but at the same time this computer has caused job redundancies and downsizing. The upper class has not been affected but the lower and middle classes have lost a lot of jobs due to these technological advancements causing more unemployment. Internet and computers have created privacy issues like hacking and viruses which can destroy a whole computer network damaging important files. People today have a lot of privacy issues due to these advancements.
                    Technology has also developed into a very effective entertainment system throughout the world. Television, radio and mass communication has reduced distances but has also created many social and economic problems. Some superpowers use television in order to brainwash and conquer the whole world. Today half the teenagers in the world are greatly influenced by the prevalent American high school culture. Technology today is being used as an effective tool to conquer nations especially the underdeveloped nations. Games, cell phones and play stations have become an integral part of children’s lives. Instead of playing they would rather play games on the computer. This not only affects the academics but has various social implications on the upcoming generations. Technology in entertainment has also had many cultural implications on societies. The west is culturally invading the whole world through this media war.
               Apart from all the above mentioned problems there are further forthcoming implications that arise directly from technology. Technological advancements in warfare have resulted in weapons of mass destruction. Nuclear tests in Nagasaki and Hiroshima are still facing the various side effects. New weapons, and competition based on more and better warfare has caused the birth of the most dangerous phenomenon of the modern world terrorism. Terrorism is a prodigy of technology. These terrorists use all these technologies like internet, aircrafts and hackers to attack the super powers. The main objective of these terrorists is to create terror which is done through television and news channels around the world. Furthermore weapons of mass destruction that are created by us humans to annihilate our very own mother earth. “For 200 years we've been conquering Nature.  Now we're beating it to death. “ ~Tom McMillan, quoted in Francesca Lyman, The Greenhouse Trap, 1990
                               Bill gates once said “We're changing the world with technology. Technology, for the better or worst; has drastically changed history, is revolutionizing the present and is reshaping the future. Man has used technology to change and mould the world but change is not always for good. The change is effective on a smaller level but on a broader level they have dangerous implications.
                  Even though technology results in progress but it is also evident of man’s own insecurity and distrust in his sole creator. Weapon technology is an inhumane creation. During World War II, an atomic race was started to create a new weapon of mass destruction. The atomic/nuclear bomb created is now a major threat for many countries. From tanks and guns, to bombs, grenades, air raids and missiles and nuclear weapons all these weapon technologies have changed the fate of this world.
                  According to Aldous Huxley “Technological progress has merely provided us with more efficient means for going backwards. “We as humans tend to believe that technology is a means of going forward but it is in fact the opposite we may be creating heaven on earth for ourselves, but are not realizing that in order to make life simpler we are further complicating it. Where technology is unraveling many mysteries and  problems, it is has entangled the world in a bigger mess.It is time to realize our role in the world which is to handle and use the created technology for the good of mankind and our very own mother earth. As Jacques Barzun said, “If civilization has risen from the Stone Age, it can rise again from the Wastepaper Age” (The House of Intellect, 1959).                               

Works Cited
"Answers.com - What Are the Disadvantages of Technology Today." WikiAnswers - The Q&A Wiki. Web. 15 Nov. 2010. <http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_disadvantages_of_technology_today>.
"Chapter 3: The Nature of Technology." AAAS - Project 2061. Web. 15 Nov. 2010. <http://www.project2061.org/publications/sfaa/online/chap3.htm>.
"The Pros and Cons of Technology Today :: Computers." Web. 15 Nov. 2010. <http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=30009>.                                       


Written By: Walid Munir                                                                                    

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