Technology Blessing or Curse

Technology: Blessing or Curse? Imagine studying machinery that is becoming smaller and smaller every day. What will one discover? This is a hot topic that is on a lot of individuals mind in our society today. People are curious about how it is evolving, and ways to stay current with it. One will discuss whether or not this is a blessing or a curse for technology.

According to a recent study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 25% of respondents felt that their family today is closer than their family when they were growing up, thanks to the use of the Internet and cell phones. Only 11% felt technology had made them less close (Ahmad, 2011). Another study that is worth mentioning in regards to technology.

"The Pew study also reported that busy, tech-using families-who are more likely to be dual income households work longer hours-are less likely to share meals" as well as have the necessary family time (Ahmad, 2011). This has made technology a substitute for interacting with others, and this should not occur (Ahmad, 2011). One needs to discuss the concerns as well.

When using Facebook along with any other social networking site, a person can have a reduction in their skills by means of a lack of socialization by striving to maintain relationships with others (Pam, 2011). This is especially true for online dating (Kushner, 2010). However, "2% of marriages do manager to occur" and 3 million Americans had been successful" (Pam, 2011). Furthermore, one cannot exclude those that are already married who use these types of websites.

In regards to relationships, this is not a good or bad thing when it comes to using technology for it, but this is a matter of opinon and subject to change in the years following (Kushner, 2010). One will discuss technology further. Neville Holmes (2008), he discussed concerns with the use of technology by means of how people use it today, especially in regards to health.

Holmes (2008) expresses this by means of saying, "advances in technology are accelerating society's disintegration," or "what worries me about videogaming is that it occupies players' perceptions and reactions to the detriment of their contemplation and reasoning thus hinders self-understanding." One has to note that videogaming has become a huge success which can allow for visual stimulation, which eventually leasds to less reasoning for the individal (Holmes, 2008). In essence, technolgy is replacing reasoning with facts (Holmes, 2008). Holmes uses that schema that pesonality is a spectrum.

This demonstrtates that individuals who are younger are more engaged, while those who are older are not (Holmes, 2008). Another side of this issue is worth mentioning. "There is evidence that playing computer games has positive effects on certain decision making capability" (Holmes, 2008). The same is true for soap operas because they allow a person to grasp complex information that is so inter-twined and related in so many ways (Holmes, 2008). Nick Carr (2008) is another individual who discused technology.

He discussed that it is all to easy to not read texts that are difficult. Because of this, people choose to read snippets, instead of the full thing. However, Claburn (2008) views the matter entiredly differently. This individual did studies based on the brain itself, especially in regards to Interet usage. According to Claburn (2008), he said, "Our most striking finding was that Internet searching appears to engage a greater extent of neural circuitry that is not activated during reading -- but only in those with prior Internet experience" (p. 2).

Since one has discussed what others have viewed for technology, then it is imperative to make it as practical as possible. Here is the good for this particular issue. The education system transformed. According to the Washington Post, "their statistic states that 70,000 students just access their class online thru the nearest Internet-enabled gadget they have" (Stanislav, 2011). For example, anything phone related will stay near him or her at all times.

"They can enroll through the school online, interact with their classmates through email and chatrooms, listen to their teacher's lecture via podcast, etc." (Johnson S., 2006). This also does include that of submitting assignments and tests as well as getting grades (Johnson D.G., 1998). Education is not limited anymore with distance, neither does finance. Since the class is online, it eliminated the need for classrooms and other infrastructures, resulting to fewer expenses for schools. They can accept as many enrollees as they can manage by customizing the schedule.

If the students get stuck, the teachers will assist them online or just record the lectures they have made (Stanislav, 2011). Now it is important to discuss the bad and ugly sides of technology. This is important and worth mentioning because one becomes more self-aware through this process. Anything that was a new development became obsolete, especially anything that was one-year-old. As a result, they have to come up with upgrades as well as updates in order that issues do not arise in the future (Ahmad, 2011).

A number of studies have showed that by staying on a computer for an hour, one has a change in their brain cognitively. Somehow a person's thinking changes when on the computer for this length of time (Ahmad, 2011). "We have become more faster, more upbeat, and multi-tasker" (Ahmad, 2011). This means more dependency on technology, and that one cannot live without it.