Is it Possible to Slow Down Technological Innovation?

Technology The question to be addressed in this paper is: should society hold back technology in order to protect those workers that are unskilled? It is true that many unskilled laborers have no opportunity to learn digital and other kinds of technology, and indeed many workers who lack skills in modern technology struggle to learn when they are given the opportunity.

Hence, in order to protect unskilled workers and their potential, should technology be somewhat scaled back so those unskilled workers are not left out of the economy, and basically denied the opportunity to make a livable wage? First of all, there can be no holding back of technology no matter how just and fair the reasons might be for doing that. Technology has done so much in a positive light to enhance communication and information worldwide, it would make no sense to attempt to hold it back.

Secondly, the growth and development of technology has its own momentum and attempting to slow or halt that momentum would be a venture into futility. What should happen is unskilled workers should be trained to use technology. That may not be an easy task, but a society that has created incredible advancements in technology can surely figure out how to train unskilled laborers in at least rudimentary ways, and give them greater opportunities in the meantime.

Definition of Technology According to the Business Dictionary, technology is "The purposeful application of information in the design, production, and utilization of goods and services, and in the organization of human activities." The Oxford Dictionaries defines technology as "The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry: 'advances in computer technology' -- 'recycling technologies.'" Argument against holding back on technology Yes, technological change is "biased towards high skilled labor, either by design or by nature," according to author Mark Sanders (Sanders, 2005, 28).

And when the rate of innovation is stimulated, the bias is increased, Sanders explains, and with ongoing technological advances and innovations, low skilled workers "…compete for less and less jobs" (28). However, Sanders continues, because of the wage difference between skilled and unskilled workers (due to technological innovation) -- and the fact that unskilled workers are being left out, policies should be developed to address that issue.

Sanders believes, and I agree with him, that rather than a policy of only developing new technologies, some existing technologies should be redesigned in a way that allows unskilled workers to learn and hence keep them in the workplace.

Meanwhile the very idea of holding back technology is not a realistic idea at all; nations need technological innovation to fight disease, to help heal the environment where it has been harmed, to give children in developing countries hope through a better education, to innovate new and better ways to solve social problems and prevent the spread of deadly diseases like the Ebola virus.

Opposing view to my own -- and rebuttal to that view Certainly there is an argument to be made that there should always be employment for unskilled workers. In some developing countries, advancing technologies are taking away jobs and that technology should be curtailed so untrained, unskilled.