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TechKNOWlogy

Over the years people have been creating methods to make living life easier, and one method is the use of technologies. Have you ever experienced going to a library to skim through books just to look for something? Ever experienced writing a letter and sending it through post mail? If yes, well you’ve lived even before technology became widespread. Here in the 21st century, we don’t go through all the troubles of going through a lot of things just to do something simple because we have "TECHNOLOGY”. 

But what is technology? According to Merriam-Webster technology is an “Application of knowledge to the practical aims of human life or to changing and manipulating the human environment. Technology includes the use of materials, tools, techniques, and sources of power to make life easier or more pleasant and work more productive. Whereas science is concerned with how and why things happen, technology focuses on making things happen.”. Well that’s a mouthful, to give further background about technology, it came from two Greek words, ‘techne’ which means art, craft, or skill and ‘logos’ meaning ‘to speak of’; combined these two words mean “application of art”. Aside from all these bookish meanings, we all know that  technology is there to make life easier. Let’s be honest the world slightly became a better place after the discovery of technology. We had the ability to have higher standards of living. Through the spread of technology thru social media we destroyed stereotypes, we broke down barriers, and even provided a platform for livelihood and wellness. Through technologies also we became am even more productive world, we’ve saved time and effort and well, even money. It also gave us an advantage to connect further, we’re not closed by distance anymore, we can connect even if we’re miles away and it became an opportunity to educate, to relate and to understand things more. Just like what the inventors of technology dreamed of, technology could be a solution to all of our problems. Or... could it be the source of our problems? 

I’m sure some of y’all have heard this from your parents (your mom to be specific) “Those phones are rotting your brains” and when you’re sick and you tell them about it and they respond to you with “kaka- computer mo yan”. I mean they aren’t wrong it is true that technology is rotting our brains. 

We became overly-dependent on them to the point that we no longer have to think. The invention of calculator is a good thing but we no longer make mental calculations, making our brain work less. Machines are also replacing people’s jobs, adding up to all the unemployed individuals-promoting poverty. Technology also have a large impact on our mental and physical health. Being overly connected can cause psychological issues such as distraction, narcissism, expectation of instant gratification, and even depression. Beside affecting users' mental health, use of technology can also have negative repercussions on physical health causing vision problems, hearing loss, and neck strain. It could even bring us social issues, like deficits in social skills, sense of isolation and depression. We all know the famous Instagram-an app where we could upload photos. Sounds like nothing harmful right? Yes it is, but since we’re humans capable of feeling emotions and of course we want to be just like the others, we want to follow trends that we become so caught up with these things that we truly lose what’s important in life, which in turn leaves us to nothing making us depressed. Technology also opens us to a lot of things, anyone who has access to technology, even kids, has access to almost everything there is in the world. Which makes them more vulnerable to violent stuffs and unhealthy things for their development. We all know that kids follow everything that they see right. Technology can impose a threat to their well-being and could even make kids violent. Social media also place a lot of pressure on us, we broke standards but built other ones. Social media made people so stuck up with the idea of impressing other people and gaining praise through likes and shares. 

Just like what Sydney J. Harris said  “The real danger is not that computers will begin to think like men, but that men will begin to think like computers.” 

So before you click anything, make sure to control your thoughts. Think and Know the right ways of using power- which is technology. 

-XOXO-