Rodrigo Contreras
11/26/2012
Randy Ringen

Technology Dependence

Technology is the making, modification, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems, methods of organization, in order to solve a problem, improve a preexisting solution to a problem, achieve a goal and perform a specific function (Wikipedia). Technology generally speaking is the process by which humans adapt nature to meet their needs and wants. According to a study performed from May 2010 to May 2011, Google receives 1 billion unique visitors per month; from math homework to relationship problems. Google gives its users the ability to search on a variety of topics. Just an example on how humans have become too dependent on technology. By becoming too dependent on technology will give negative effects to our ability to think, our education, and we will become lethargic. Many people believe we are losing our ability to think because we now have computers to give us the answers and to even correct our spelling. The mere thought of having a helping hand called the "Internet" in situations that you can solve all by yourself, is the sign of dependence. I feel that technology interferes with our ability to think and work for one, by making information too accessible for us. We can simply look something up, the answer is there, and we don't have to think or explore the subject. Everything is on the internet. Technology, with games, Facebook on the go, and texting, provides constant distraction, so we cannot focus on thinking or working on small projects. ”It has not crippled our ability to think; it just created an atmosphere of laziness” (Robinson). Most people would definitely agree with Robinson because technology has found its way just about in every aspect of our lives, providing a sense of relief in having all the tasks performed. Every small work we do now is technology dependent. Technology devices such as smartphones and computers have alleviated for us the use of our brains for daily basics like mathematics, spelling, and even telling the time. Spell checks, calculators, and digital programs do simple tasks that used to be carried out by our own hands. This has certainly dulled our basic skills. “There was a time when we had to work to do almost anything, like finding the definition of a word to going to a relative’s house. We have things to do our work now, making us lazy and slacking” (Birch). Ultimately, we can say that, “living without technology is like living without air” in this world of today. Therefore, we so much dependent on technology. Dependence on technology is giving us a negative effect on our education. People feel anxious or uncomfortable when their cellphone and laptop with internet are not with them. According to a study conducted in America in 2011, from 500 American college students, 73 percent of them claimed they would not be able to study without some form of technology while 38 percent of them said they could not continue to study for more than ten minutes without checking their smart phone or laptop. How many hours do we spend studying compared to surf the internet in a day? For me, I spend at least 49 hours a week surfing the internet and about one to two hours studying a week. This would probably apply to most students in America. Students do not learn today as they did ten or twenty years ago. Today, they are influenced by technology, technology such as televisions, radios, iPods, computers and games which students use every day. Technology is also making us lethargic with little or no physical activity, obese and out of shape due to our easy access to mechanized transportation such as cars. Technology is what makes us be lazy. When television first came into people's homes, you actually had to get up to turn it on and off or to change the channel. Currently you can't even buy a television that does not have a remote that you operate from your chair or sofa. Most people under the age of 40 cannot conceive of an electronic device, including car stereos, without a remote that allows you to remain seated during the operation of the device. Another example would be elevators; they exist in almost every building you see in American and even in schools and most of us would prefer to take the elevator rather than climbing the stairs because it takes too much energy. But has technology only made us physically lazy? No. Our brains have become lazy from our dependence on the technology of today. Laziness leads to the number one problem in America which is obesity. Lots of things are making people fat; what we eat, how we eat, and of course, the lack of exercise. Technology such as TV’s and computers is what keep us sitting still instead of moving around. Technology doesn’t just keep people in their chairs and on sofas, according to a report from the Milken Institute, technology changes the way people eat adding even more pounds than the lack of exercise alone would. Laziness continues to grow as people, particularly teenagers, stop working for answers, but instead pull out their smart phones and ask it to solve all their problems. Technology is everywhere these days. Many people have their cellphones in their pockets the whole day because we feel the need to be on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, and tell the world what we are doing, when we are doing it, and where we are doing it. We are obsessed with the latest technology that is out there. Some people argue that new technology is affecting certain effects and abilities of the human race. Technology dependence can go so far that it can distract us from our time with family and friends in the real world. Trying to hold ourselves back from using technology is now difficult these days because technology advances have made it so easy to connect with others. However, people often feel the need to over connect and this is when technology dependency becomes a problem to the human population. Thus, it is affecting our ability to think, our education, and it making us lethargic or lazy.

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