Negative effects brought by technology - Essay Example

Industrialization led to quick and sustained economic growth and a huge increase in consumer goods. But to the contrary, it meant a thoroughly unpleasant work environment to some people. As technology progress we increasingly become out of touch with the world we live in. The notion that human being will create something that cannot control, which will lead to humanity downfall, is a worrying real possibility in this era of increased innovations(Carr, 2008). And according to Paul Goldberger author of "Disconnected Urbanism" the first assault has already been initiated by the machines, and it's probably sitting right next to you (Goldberger, 2007).

This article talks about the negative effects brought about by advancement in technology which have had a great impact in the way we think, react and perceive our security, this technological progress includes key among others; Google and security machines. People are now becoming disconnected from the world due to the fact of cell phones existing and always being accessible and usable no matter or who we are with. As per Paul Golderberger, people are becoming disconnected from the urban world around them and are being sucked into a virtual world of just communicating through a phone (Goldberger, 2007). . When walking on the streets and talking on a cell phone, then you are not sharing the experience of urban life.

You are at the other side where the person you are talking with is. You are only physically there but not really there. Google is also another technological advancement that has greatly changed the way we do things. Internet might have disastrous effects on cognition that destroy the capacity for concentration and contemplation. Nicholas Curr said “A few Google searches, some quick clicks on hyperlinks, and I've got the telltale fact or pithy quote I was after” (Carr, 2008). According to science “we're not necessarily losing our ability to remember things.

Rather, the internet is changing how we remember” (Carr, 2008). Things also took a drastic turn after the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001; officials at the Orlando international airport began testing a remarkable new security device (Goldberger, 2007). It is a machine that uses microwaves and millimeter waves to bounce off the human body. This machine produces a three dimensional naked image of everyone it scrutinizes. Though the machine guarantees high security it demands high sacrifice of ones own liberty and privacy.

Sociologists have also said that the crowd personalize risk and exaggerate the probability of its occurrence (Goldberger, 2007). It calls for high level of security while assigning less weight to values like liberty and privacy. The sociologist Anthony Giddens has described modernity as a “risk culture “in which individuals, no longer able to rely on traditional sources of identity such as tradition and family and religion (Kernan, 2000). Citizens In addition to embracing technologies of identification, they also face increasing pressure to