Albertina200813081

Are we humans Becoming too Dependent on computers

Pros

Computers are really good for us and the more people learn to use them the better. They indeed make many things much easier and efficient. Computers have, without a doubt, had a vast positive impact on all aspects of modern society. Nowadays we can send and receive phone calls, email, faxes and text messages from anywhere in the world. Same with everyday things, as simple as, storing phone numbers and to do lists? I definitely cannot store everything in my head and papers will eventually get lost. Computers are much more reliable, Computers are the pen and quill of modern society, and they are as essential as electrical power and the telephone. If a tool is useful, people will rely on it. As humans, we make tools and use them to do stuff we would find difficult or impossible unassisted. The computer is only one of the latest tools we've invented. Things were meant are evolve and keep improving. The homo-erectus. Thought of a faster to get food home to the family before dawn, they made wheels. The Wright brothers had thought of a much better way to improve means of transportation, they created the airplane. Imagine in 5000BC someone complaining that everyone's got terribly reliant on this "wheel" thing?

We all know how exhausting writing on papers are, a bucket of an exhausted and painful wrist, especially if it was piles of work? Each and every single one of us is dependent on computer machinery, from ATMs and stock market machines to PC and personal organisers. Without them where would we honestly be? Would we have the standard of living we have today? Way back in BC is where we would be. Computers are now portable in all forms and they still offer us the exact same efficiency, right in the palm of your hand, everywhere you go. Now isn’t that tempting? I certainly feel that I rely on computers myself, especially with the Internet. But we do have alternatives; we can still withdraw money over the counter, use Filofaxes for our appointments and typewriters for letters. We are not over dependant on IT because we still have alternatives that allow us to do the same thing, just a little faster.

Computers have made people capable of doing everything in a more speedy and effective way than ever before. All kind of sectors and professions are getting benefit from it. In fact, this is another revolution through which we are passing for the time being. I believe widely use of computers will help develop the future of mankind not demolish it. Computer technology goes well beyond the personal computer. It saves lives in the operation rooms, flies our planes and can even drive our cars. Television removed people from the book yet almost all communication between a user and a desktop PC is done via typed words which are read. Many industries, financial services are moving to a paper-less office for 'improved efficiency'. It eases the problem of years of accumulated files and papers which supervisors insist are retained.

Cons

But then and again there is always a negative side of everything. We rely on computer technology just as we rely on many other technologies. There is nothing new in that! I fear that people and society in general do not realise the dramatic effect on how fast the advancement of technology is impacting humanity. The speed of human development has become far slower than that of technology and particularly communications technology such as the internet. It would appear that people are so dependent on electronics that they have lost the ability to think for themselves. If "the computer says XYZ", then with no doubt XYZ must be true. If you want to make a computer illiterate person believe you, just tell them "that's what the computer said”. At the present time we are not over-reliant on computers. Computers are useful tools. However, like any tool, they do present dangers - both now and for the future. Some Current dangers involve: o The misuse of technology; o Hackers; o The spreading of misinformation. Future dangers do include: o Over-reliance on computer technology that could lead to disaster due to system breakdown.

We hear reports on the news of banks and accounts being hacked, e.g. the recent Y2K problem illustrates that computer technology is not fool proof. Nevertheless, there are solutions. Computer users should be aware of and implement security measures; and a watchdog organisation needs to be set up to police software development. With more and more hackers bringing their "breakthroughs" I'd say that the industry should improve the technology that we.

It also becomes a greater problem when we all notice in an increasing number of kids becoming so reliant on computers at very young ages for entertainment, etc. It no longer requires creativity or initiative from kids to distract themselves when all they have to do is push buttons for whatever they want. I believe that this is going to start showing in a few years’ time. Computers make our lives easier but we should never rely on them completely. There must always be back up systems for when things go wrong.

Conclusion

With this conclusion at the end of the day Computers are tools, and as such are neither inherently good nor bad. Fortunately, computers were designed to simplify our lives! Occasionally they do crash, and can cause some minor or even major problems - but do we really want to go back to pen and paper? The one massive improvement that computes have over paper is backups. You cannot easily backup every piece of paper you own and carry it around with you, but you can if it is on computer. People forget the value of their electronic data and don't protect it with the same respect as they would a piece of paper, when it is so easily backed up. Information is only lost by stupidity. Internet, computers, technology, are all products of human's endless quest for knowledge, which is one of the basic parts of human nature. There are always individuals who can put a negative "input" on these acts. Man cannot get out of technology. It is a part of the human search. It is almost impossible these days to remove the technology element from everyday life, at business or at home. As technology improves and software becomes more stable and reliable, we in turn become more reliant on it. Whether you like it or not, we're stuck with computers! Computers have brought information to our fingertips. The best decisions are made by having the right information! How can we ever go back? Of course we're dependent on computers. They bring great benefits in one's work and personal lives. Without computers we wouldn’t have any discussion platforms, e.g. CNN and BBC online Talking Points with people from all over the world. For the most part, I'd rather have to rely on a computer than on a person. I'm not worried about being over-reliant on machines. They're the wave of the future, what humanity has evolved toward. By embracing technology and merging with it, we can become higher forms of life. . At least I get to look at new stuff on my computer.

Reference

1. http://voices.yahoo.com/are-we-too-dependant-our-computers-317536.html

2. http://createbusinessgrowth.com/marketing/have-we-become-too-internet-dependent --Albertina200813081 (talk) 12:01, 15 October 2012 (UTC)