Technology Promises

I have spent my career working in the technology field.

I've written code, I've managed technology projects and nationwide IT programs, I have developed and implemented emerging technology and now I work in technology sales.  Yet I often wonder if the promise that technology would improve our life and make living easier has come true.

Let's take a look...

I always expected technology would be part of my life. Science fiction presented a future of flying cars, moving sidewalks, bionic implants, information at my fingertips and on my wrist, as well as instant access to virtual worlds to explore and learn how to create a brighter future for Mankind. 

Blind spot detection is a great example of technology we use and often take for granted. And something that didn't exist until just a few years ago. Blind spot detection provides 360 degrees of electronic coverage around your car, whether you are at speed or moving slowly. This "circle of safety" also includes adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, rear and front parking sonar, the rear traffic alert, and parking cameras (ranging from rear-only through four cameras providing a birds-eye view of the car as you snake into and out of tight spaces). Some driver’s aids make you safer, especially late on a long drive, and some earn back their cost when you don’t crumple a fender or worse. Today, driving is much more dangerous as roads carry increased traffic and drivers are more distracted while behind the wheel. Clearly, tech is helping keep us safer.  

Science fiction also warned about the dark side of technology, and sadly those predictions are also being realized.

“These days we have Smartphones, Smart cars, Smartboards, Smart everything, but consider this: if the technology is getting smarter, does that mean humans are getting dumber?”

Rebecca McNutt

Doomsayers decry technology as being evil and surely the downfall of modern man. Some studies have learned that excessive screen time is bad for your mental health and sleep patterns. But, other research says cellphones are good because using them stimulates the brain. Until recently, it’s been hard to draw concrete conclusions. 

The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) conducted the first formal study focused on digital addiction (DOI 10.3386/w28936 / ISSUE DATE June 2021.) This study explored people’s ability to maintain and reduce screen time usage to determine whether technology is indeed habit-forming. People have long speculated that the internet is addictive, and this study seems to confirm those fears. “Our data is consistent with social media having characteristics of addictive goods. [Social media sites are] habit-forming and we find ourselves using them more than we’d like to,” Allcott said. “That suggests that we would be better off if there was a better way to control our use.” Smartphone or Internet addiction can also negatively impact your life by increasing loneliness and depression. 

The good news is there is an app to help you measure and control your screentime! 

Technology promises great things ahead. But, humans need to apply common sense and think for themselves instead of letting our devices take control. I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on where we're heading.