We must look at Technology’s role in our lives with different points of view before we could hammer it down as something so devilish as causing “impoverishment of minds” . Technology impoverishes the mind to some users, no doubt; its excessive use has known to cause ill effects too. But looking at technology’s contribution to society over a broader context, it can be concluded that it has not only enriched minds, it has unleashed the full potential of minds.
Today we live in a world where technology is ubiquitous. Technology has pervaded practically every aspect of our lives. No day goes by when a new product doesn’t appear in the market, and in no time lines up as yet another in the range of technology products that are already integral part of our lives.
Mobile phones, PCs, Internet, Television have given us connectivity with the rest of the world like never before. Just a click of the button and we have the news at our fingertips from any corner of the world. Looking closely, are these technologies not related? How did these technologies evolve at the same time?
They evolved because one idea has generated many ideas. One brilliant discovery has spawned many different innovations. One brilliant mind’s contribution to technology has inspired and enlightened many other minds.
A new discovery by one brilliant mind after tireless days and nights of research would have spurred hundreds of other curious minds into contemplation of translating the same into a technologically innovative product for a greater benefit. The newly sparked minds would then work towards a paradigm shift in the way we live, work, understand and interact with each other. A new product, a new technology thus brings with it a host of related new skills and knowledge to be learnt by thousands of others.
When glass’s property of transmission of light over long lengths when drawn as optical fiber was discovered a few decades ago, some minds were already ignited into thinking of internet and broadband. Continued effort in this direction finally led to undersea cables being laid, making long distance telephony possible, not to mention least the multiple uses of broadband internet with PCs in this century.
Microsoft started off with one brilliant idea and spread out worldwide employing in its offices thousands of people with a range of different skills. People would have not developed software for Microsoft windows if windows operating system were not developed. Companies like Microsoft enabled new generation youth to learn new skills and knowledge and unleash their minds’ potential which otherwise would have been left untapped.
In the past it took one Galileo, one Newton , one Thomas Edison to come with revolutionary ideas and put forward their hypothesis .Today if they were present they would realize how much of time and effort they put in order to prove something which today is just taken for granted. But if they didn’t lay down the foundation then our world wouldn’t have come to this stage. Their thoughts laid the foundation for further thoughts, opinions and actions. Hence history has proved technology has only enriched minds.
Apart from connectivity technology has also contributed to developing world in terms of some basic infrastructure like drinking water, transportation, and housing.
If my great grandfather were to wake up today he would simply be delighted to find that electricity, water pumps and all other facilities are now so easily available for which he had to struggle all his life in the early twentieth century Indian village employing bullocks for working as a machine. To use the available resources of the time for one’s use and benefit has been human mind’s endeavor and each endeavor has led to a new discovery, a new invention.
Coming back to our age and taking a look at the technology’s contributions, we find it has made our lives easy but also facilitated our understanding of many phenomena which were not commonly understood in the past. Technology has assisted in knowing more and in depth causes of some of the most dreadful diseases and medical problems that afflict human beings. It is with the help of technology that heart has been examined in every part, brain has been studied, and new ways of surgery have been devised. Technology has helped mankind in such countless ways in overcoming the grey areas of the medical problems and find solutions.
Technology has also found ways in general of improving living conditions; made life much easier than in the past. With a plethora of machines and equipment many daily chores are made easy. Washing machine, dish washer, unlimited range of kitchen equipment have freed our minds of time and stress of carrying out such mundane activities and use our mental abilities instead in activities more meaningful and value added.
We find such innumerable examples where technology has invaded our lives and enriched our minds and not impoverished them.