Advancements in technology are generally met with great praise and support. Over the years, our society has gradually morphed from one that seeks such changes out of necessity, to one that desire them for personal gains. For example, such personal fulfillments are viewed when people purchased newer modeled cell phones to replace the older models that they believe are “outdated.” Since the creation of the cell phone was inspired by the lack of efficient communication tools for those on the go, unnecessary updates to it does our society more harm than good. The same goes for all manufactured goods that are constantly upgraded or improved to place newer models of products on the market.
I know too many people who have replaced certain products just because they wanted to upgrade to newer or different model. One of my good friends actually did this with digital cameras. She was unable to hold onto one for more than 6 months because she always discovered a “cooler and more efficient” camera to use instead. Such a discovery would cause her to toss her relatively new, error-free camera away as if it was a bad habit. It would not end up in the hands of someone who could use one, or at an organization that would either recycle it or give it away to such a person. It would simply be disposed of and delivered to a landfill that is packed with good products that met similar fates.
If we expect to get the most usage out of our natural resources, we must reevaluate our needs and necessities. The outcome of their power struggle has a bigger impact on our environment than one may think. Sure, advances in technology are necessary to improve our standard of living, but if they are supplied or purchased for the personal gain of the individual rather than the collective group, they may pose potential problems over time. As we have already seen, nature can only tolerate our fascination with technological advancements for so long before it begins to crumble.
I don't think updates in technology are necessarily doing more harm than good. I mean constantly updating your phone or camera does waste a lot of money that could be spent better, but new technologies can be better. Those Zach Morris cell phones in the early '90s really weren't good for much. I remember my family's first cell phone... it was huge, and we kept it in the glove compartment of the car. We couldn't receive calls because it didn't stay turned on, but we could call other people. Phones now are so much more efficient, and I think technology is really a positive in this case. But I do agree with you when you say constantly buying bigger and better is extremely wasteful in the end.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest problem here seem to be that people buy new technological things not because they neceserally need them, but because they have the money to. Without the extra money people would hold on to one technological thing until the conditions in a society made it absolutely necessary to switch to a new one. Since humans as well as animals try and benefit themselves throughout life, buying a new piece of technology as a result of having extra money only seems natural. If the person is able to provide a benefit for themselves why would they not? Yes, it is excessive and in way dangerous. But is it not engraved in our character?
ReplyDeleteI agree with this post, Shonda. Advancements in technology, in general, are really good for furthering our advancements and making life easier. The only problem is, these advancements usually require a complete replacement of their older version. The reason for this is because it makes so much more money for the people behind the latest technology. Having to produce a completely new product instead of creating, say, a small disc that can equip an old piece of technology with newer technology. These days, many products (even those that aren't a part of technology) are 'built to break' within a year to keep the economy stimulated!
ReplyDeleteEvery old piece of technology that gets replaced is (typically) thrown in a landfill. Many of these contain mercury and other toxins that should be specially disposed of.
I also believe that this new technology craze has the potential to be very dangerous in the long run.
I don't know if the constant advancement in technology is causing major problems with landfills, but more our (esp. Americans) frivolous habits of consumption. Americans throw away more than 100 million computers, cellphones and other electronic devices that end up as e-waste and is extremely threatening to our environment. Not only does this e-waste contain large amounts of hazardous chemicals and metals that take a long time to decompose, but it is also wasteful of precious metals. Coltan, a major element in cell phones is found in the Congo and is causing major turmoil amongst rebel bands who mine this ore. Since they are in the jungle without food, they resort to killing gorillas for food. The population of gorillas have decreased 90% within the last few years. This is one of many examples of how are wasteful habits is affecting the environment. Some organizations have started up to promote recycling of cell phones and other potential e-waste: http://www.eco-cell.com
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