Larger Portfolio Essay

English 2010
Ceami Passey
March 16, 2016

The Downfall of Our Society

Imagine what it would be like to live in the time period when the first
phone was invented. You no longer had to save up money to send a
telegram, and then wait days, and sometimes weeks for a reply. Now you can
type in a number and call your cousin who lives way out in Europe or South
America in a matter of seconds. The phone is not the only advancement
known to man; there are cars, counting systems, shoes, kitchen appliances
and more (Technology Through Time, 2016) With these inventions, life has
become a lot easier, and things tend to happen more quickly. Many are
beginning to speculate if technology is really helping us, or if it is ruining our
lives. Families are feeling it, too. Ask any parent. Many teens seem to have
fallen into a tech sinkhole. And their constant texting and abuse of social
media may even be holding them back from attaining social and
developmental milestones. (Newman, 2013) How often do you hear
someone say Google it? In this day and age, many people are depending
on the internet or other forms of technology to help them get through life.
Teens and even some adults are starting to lose the capability to know how
to interact with people without typing on a small screen, or computer. Not
many people get enthralled in a book, instead they sit on a couch waiting till
their favorite TV plays. Are technology advancements stunting our growth, or
are they helping us progress in life?
Take a moment to think of all the technology you use in a day; it can be
your phones, your cars, your coffee machines, your radio, etc. For some, you
may not use a lot of technology, but for others it might seem like you are
very dependent on it in your life. Now imagine what would happen if all the
types of technology you used began to decrease. Back to telegrams, and
Ford Model Ts; no more coffee machines, and hair straighteners. Do you

think you could survive, or would you be yearning to have what you were so
used to back? There are three ways to define technology, 1- The application
of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry. 2Machinery and equipment developed from the application of scientific
knowledge. 3- The branch of knowledge dealing with engineering or applied
science. (Moore, 2016) No matter what technology or machine is being
used, humans are becoming more and more dependent on them, so much
so, that sometimes they dont know how to function without it. Sometimes
this dependency can also be seen as an addiction, but that is not the case
most of the time. A form of addiction can be seen in teens, in that they are
always checking social media to see if someone has posted anything new.
What makes teenagers and some adults so obsessed with social media? The
reason they are obsessed is because they have become dependent on it.
These would be the type of people who would not be able go through a day
without their phone, or some kind of technology nearby. How can someone
gain knowledge about the real world, when all they learn is that their friend
just bought a cup of coffee at Starbucks? People need to take time away
from technology so that they dont become dependent on it, and so that they
can grow in different ways.
It is often heard of that teenagers come home from school, or some
other event, and go straight to their room. It is rarely known for them to do
their homework, unless it is last minute. Most of the time these teens spend
their time texting friends, browsing the internet, or playing games. We
think cellphones are connecting us, but they are turning us into a society of
rude, impatient, stressed out, aggressive, and isolated individuals.
(Abramovitz, 2015) I have seen a friendship where two individuals were able
to communicate smoothly and normally over text, but whenever they were in
each others company, they would shy away from each other, not know what
to say, or how to say something, and they would just be awkward.

This same scenario is happening around the world. People are losing
their social skills as they use their phones more and more. It is not just teens
whose world revolves around technology; it is also beginning to be seen
more and more in children. Children no longer let their mind run free, as they
come up with imaginary friends and creative places, instead they wait their
every waking hour for the moment when they get to play on a cellphone or
iPad. Children now rely on technology for the majority of their play, grossly
limiting challenges to their creativity and imaginations, as well as limiting
necessary challenges to their bodies to achieve optimal sensory and motor
development. (Rowan, 2014) Not only is a childs creativity withering away,
but their bodies begin to grow differently than they should, which can be
harmful as they get older.
Generations now know how to work a phone as young as five months
old, while there are adults who need to go to classes just to learn how to
work the basics of a phone. This type of situation is causing humans to get
trapped in technologys grasp, and the more it grows, the harder it will be to
get out of it.
There is the argument that technology is admirable as well. Lives have
been saved because of technology advancements. Hospitals have better
equipment that they can use on their patients. Technology is being made so
that it can better suit those that need help. Some health care related
technology has been made more home friendly, so that those who want to
reduce costs can stay in the comfort of their home. At the end of 2012, 2.8
million patients worldwide were using a home monitoring system, according
to a Research and Markets report. Monitoring patients' health at home can
reduce costs and unnecessary visits to a physician's office. (Jayanthi, 2014)
Another home use of technology and different kinds of machines are the
ones seen around a common household such as: computers, chargers,
microwaves, hair straighteners or curlers, lights, etc.

Through technology people are getting jobs that they never thought
possible. A person with a camera and a magic act, or funny accident, or any
other form of entertainment, can make a career as a YouTuber. (Thompson,
2013) There are TV shows and movies that teach numerous types of lessons
for those that cannot leave their home. Those who cant leave their home
can also benefit from online schooling. Clive Thompson, a writer for the New
York Times Magazine, gave this argument about technology, If you complain
that todays technology is wrecking the culture, you can tell yourself youre a
gimlet-eyed critic who isnt hoodwinked by high-tech trends and silly popular
activities like social networking. (Thompson, 2013) Many of these things
make life a lot easier, and everyone is about making life simpler, but what is
the point when too much simplicity stupefies society on depending too much
on technology?
Depending on the way you look at technology, it can be seen as
helpful, or as something that is slowly ruining lives. People can become
addicted and lose creative skills, but it can also make things go faster and
give creative ideas. Do you think you could ever survive in the times of
pioneers when there was very limited technology? Pioneers would probably
wish to be in our times, when things are done better than the ways they did
things. Pioneers would also mock us for how dependent we have become on
the technology we use every day.
No one will admit to the devastating fact that society no longer knows
how to function without some form of technology within hands reach. Stated
in the most dramatic terms, the uncontrolled growth of technology destroys
the vital sources of our humanity. It creates a culture without moral
foundation. It undermines certain mental processes and social relationships
that make human life worth living. (Abramovitz, 2015) Do we really want to
be known as a society with no moral foundation? Do we really want to
destroy our humanity? Do we want technology to be the reason for our

downfall? No one is saying to go back to the times of no technology, but to

lessen our usage of it before it is too late.

Works Cited
Abramovitz, M. (2015). How Are Digital Devices Impacting Society? San Diego, CA:
Reference Press Point.
Jayanthi, A. (2014, January 28). 10 Biggest Technological Advancements for
Healthcare in the Last Decade. Retrieved from Beckers Health it and CIO
Review: http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/healthcare-informationtechnology/10-biggest-technological-advancements-for-healthcare-in-the-lastdecade.html

Moore, T. (2016, March 18). History of Technology. Retrieved from HSTRY:

https://www.hstry.co/timelines/history-of-technology
Newman, S. (2013, April 5). Is Technology Ruining Our Lives? Retrieved from
Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/apologiesfreud/201304/is-technology-ruining-our-lives
Rowan, C. (2014, May 29). The Impact of Technology on the Developing Child.
Retrieved from Huff Post Screen Sense: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/crisrowan/technology-children-negative-impact_b_3343245.html
Technology Through Time. (2016, March 16). Retrieved from Grogan Timeline:
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA99/grogan/thesis/Timeline2.html
Thompson, C. (2013). Smarter Than You Think. New York: The Penguin Press.