Should Society Hold Back Technology to Protect Unskilled Workers?
This essay examines whether society should hold back technological advancement in order to protect unskilled workers who lack digital literacy and are increasingly displaced from the labor market. Drawing on definitions from standard reference sources and the theoretical work of economist Mark Sanders, the paper argues that restraining technology is neither realistic nor desirable. Instead, it contends that existing technologies should be redesigned and unskilled workers should be retrained to participate in a technology-driven economy. The essay also addresses the counterargument that curtailing technology could preserve jobs in developing nations, ultimately concluding that globalization and technological momentum make such restraint futile.
- Introduction: Should society limit technology to protect unskilled workers?
- Definition of Technology: Standard definitions of technology from reference sources
- Argument Against Holding Back Technology: Why restraining technology is unrealistic and counterproductive
- Opposing View and Rebuttal: Counterargument addressed and refuted with evidence
- Conclusion: Globalization and technology are inseparable forces
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper takes a clear, debatable position from the outset and maintains it consistently throughout, giving the argument a focused and readable through-line.
- It incorporates a named academic source (Sanders, 2005) to ground the policy discussion in scholarly analysis rather than opinion alone.
- The inclusion of an opposing viewpoint — followed by a direct rebuttal — demonstrates awareness of counterarguments and strengthens the essay's overall persuasiveness.
Key academic technique demonstrated
This paper demonstrates the classic claim-counterclaim-rebuttal structure of argumentative writing. By conceding that technology does disadvantage low-skilled workers before pivoting to a policy-based solution (retraining and redesign), the author avoids a one-sided argument and adds nuance without undermining the central thesis.
Structure breakdown
The essay opens with a framing question and a two-part thesis. It then defines the key term (technology) using standard reference sources before developing the main argument with academic support. A distinct section addresses and refutes the opposing view. The conclusion uses an extended metaphor (the Amazon River) to reinforce the inevitability of technological progress. This five-part structure — introduction, definition, argument, counterargument, conclusion — is a reliable model for short persuasive essays at the undergraduate level.
Introduction
The central question addressed in this paper is: should society hold back technology in order to protect unskilled workers? 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 even when given the opportunity. Should technology therefore be somewhat scaled back so that unskilled workers are not left out of the economy and denied the opportunity to earn a livable wage?
The answer is no. There can be no holding back of technology, no matter how just and fair the reasons for doing so might appear. Technology has done so much to enhance communication and the flow of information worldwide that it would make no sense to attempt to restrain it. Furthermore, the growth and development of technology carries its own momentum, and attempting to slow or halt that momentum would be an exercise in futility. What should happen instead is that unskilled workers should be trained to use technology. That may not be an easy task, but a society capable of producing incredible technological advancements can surely find ways to train unskilled laborers in at least rudimentary skills, and provide them with 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 Technology
Technological change is "biased towards high skilled labor, either by design or by nature," according to economist Mark Sanders (Sanders 28). When the rate of innovation accelerates, that bias is intensified, and with ongoing technological advances, low-skilled workers "compete for less and less jobs" (28).
However, Sanders continues, because of the growing wage gap between skilled and unskilled workers — a gap driven by technological innovation — policies should be developed to address this disparity. Sanders argues, and this paper agrees, that rather than a policy focused solely on developing new technologies, some existing technologies should be redesigned in ways that allow unskilled workers to learn and remain in the workforce.
Beyond the labor market, the very idea of holding back technology is unrealistic on a broader scale. Nations depend on technological innovation to fight disease, help restore damaged environments, provide children in developing countries with better educational opportunities, and find new ways to address social problems — including preventing the spread of deadly diseases. Restraining that progress would impose enormous human costs far beyond the labor market.
Conclusion
The onrushing globalization of the world's societies goes hand-in-hand with technological innovation, and attempting to slow that process would be like trying to stop the Amazon River from flowing to the sea. The more productive path is to invest in inclusive policies that bring unskilled workers into the technological economy, rather than attempting to hold that economy back.
Works Cited
Business Dictionary. "Technology." BusinessDictionary.com, 2014.
Oxford Dictionaries. "Technology." OxfordDictionaries.com, 2014.
Sanders, M. Technology and the Decline in Demand for Unskilled Labour: A Theoretical Analysis of the U.S. and European Labour Markets. Edward Elgar Publishing, 2005.
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