GRE/Issue/1

"As people rely more and more on technology to solve problems, the ability of humans to think for themselves will surely deteriorate"

The advent of technology in our day-to-day lives has been welcomed by all. Not only does technology bring with it a whole lot of task cutting and efficiency, it also eases the burden of mechanical input that otherwise would have been needed. As they say, change has been the only constant when it comes to technological development. But this development has come at a cost that has led to an encroachment of even the simplest of tasks.

Relying on technology brings with it a belief that it is indispensable  This belief stems from the habit of having an ease of access to technology. I can cite from personal experience that I seek the aid of a calculator for performing an easy calculation. Recent cellular phones come with a 'reader' that lets users read out messages. Reduction of human effort to such an extent merely makes man just another machine.

Albert Einstein once said that he feared for the day when humans would become slaves to machines. The internet phenomenon has caught the world by storm. Information ranging from sports, wildlife, thesis reports to just about anything can be accessed while cozily lying on a couch. The notion of having to work hours in factories and offices to get a practical feel of resources at hand seem to be somewhere in the distant past. One does not have to think twice before selecting the ‘copy-and-paste’ tool to fill an assignment. We are sure to lose out on creative thinking if this trend continues. Another aspect that is left out with the dependency of technology is practicality of doing things. The long lost pleasure of going to the library to read up a few articles or even the simple task of putting pen to paper is slowly fading away.

It is fair to say that technology has encroached in every aspect of our life. Though one cannot discourage the advancement  of it, one must keep in check that reduction in human effort must not be the sole criteria. People should learn to use technology only when needed. One must not fall prey to its ease of use with the cost of having to reduce one's own effort. It won’t be long before we get caught in a vicious cycle of technology fulfilling every aspect of life.