Social Commentary

“The world is flat!” proclaims globalization guru Thomas Friedman. Indeed, our contemporary era has been characterized by unprecedented rates of integration across borders, so much so that I could be in Singapore and video-calling someone in New York at the same time. Such a scenario is only possible with the proliferation of and rapid advances in technology. This has led to concerns that the ease and speed at which technology aids us is ultimately to the detriment of the human race since our own inborn, finely-tuned faculties will slowly fade to grey from lack of use. Prophets of doom are even clamouring that our reliance on technology has mutated and morphed us into robots, mechanical, unfeeling and without virtue. So, is technology a boon or a bane? While I believe that technology is not the Frankenstein that some critics make it out to be, there are downsides which an over-reverential treatment of the wonders of technology could result in if we are not careful.

Technology skeptics fear that it will reduce our abilities to relate on a personal level. This is because technology is faceless, yet is a marvelous tool in forming new camaraderie. It is ubiquitous to see of people who have a few hundred friends on social networking websites such as Facebook, with their “bosom buddies” living in countries even as distant as South Africa. Bryan Appleyard, a renowned columnist, has written eloquently on the issue: “Join Facebook, MySpace or Friendster and you suddenly have ‘friends’ all over the place. Of course, you don’t. These are just casual, tenuous electronic pings. Nothing could be further removed from the idea of friendship.” People are being groomed to think others can be picked up on a whim and dropped because of a mood or slight offence, as adding or deleting friends can be at the click of a mouse. The idea of sticking with each other through thick and thin, which is the very essence of friendship and love, might even be viewed as absurd or meaningless. This would be a severe blow to one’s social skills. More tangibly, the increasingly “real”, graphic worlds of video gaming, complete with the inherent violence, can potentially skew one’s perception of reality. Having such a warped mindset might cause one to be dysfunctional in society, and be alienated and ostracised. As such, the downsides of technology might destroy our social skills.

With such fatalistic misgivings, it may be hard to see the big picture with a clear head. On a basic level, technological advances supplement our abilities by making our lives easier. Not only do they increase our productivity at work, they also help people separated by geographical boundaries to connect and communicate with one another. At home, we can celebrate one’s birthday together with the emigrant aunt and uncle in Toronto though the use of the webcam and the Internet. Business-wise, busy businessman can conduct conference calls with their clients in Canada through webcam or video-calling, instead of painfully flying there personally.

Technology could also potentially help jobs become more humane. Consider the plight of sewage workers, who not only have to endure the stench and repugnance of handling human waste, but also suffer from the ravages on their health through their exposure to such environment hazards. If robots could be used instead, with these workers instead trained to operate them remotely, they (the workers) would still have a job, but one with far fewer occupational hazards. It seems to be an unanimous opinion that with the modernization of the world, many job opportunities would be lost. However, I beg to differ, as these people who are being replaced by machineries can instead be trained to operate them, and maintain a steady source of income. This is but one advantage of technology, and already once can see that the possibilities it proffers are vast and endless.

It is clear that the proverbial “double-edged sword” applies to the realm of technology. There are ramifications from worshipping and idolizing technology, as this could debilitate that human condition. However, it has enormous potential for aiding and augmenting the human condition and human progress without it is inconceivable. We would do well to remember the words of Omar Bradley, “If we continue to develop our technology without wisdom or prudence, our servant may prove to be our executioner.”