Introduction

“Are we too dependent on technology?” is a popular question for debate. Many think
that people’s dependence on technology is becoming too much. Others believe that
humans are not dependent on technology and that reliance on automation has
mostly positive effects. This dependence on technology essay aims to answer
whether people have become overly dependent on technology.

Technology is a positive thing. The constant advancement in technology means that

the execution of duties is becoming easier. Notably, improvements in the use of
technology in the medical field have enabled doctors to save more lives.

How Dependent Are We on Technology?

Similarly, the automation of key processes at the workplace implies that the work
environment is not only safer, but productivity is also higher. In fact, it is through
technology that parents can stay in touch with their young ones studying abroad.
People are now globally connected as a result of using technology. As it is, every
action people have to carry out is dependent on technology.

However, the use of technology is raising concerns. First, technology has increased
entertainment platforms among particular demographic groups, especially the youths
who are constantly hooked on their gadgets for a long time.

Further, the over-reliance on technology is draining the healthy habits that people
once used to have, leading to numerous health issues. Under this premise, I concur
that people have become overly dependent on technology.
First, the use of technology implies that people are doing less thinking daily. One
study has shown that constant use of the brain hinders the development of diseases
like Alzheimer’s and dementia in old age. In fact, proper brain development
commences during early childhood when children engage in games like puzzles.
Unfortunately, people in this generation work their brains less than required
(Anderson and Rainie 2).

Reasons Why People Have Become Overly

Dependent on Technology
Dependence on Technology Leads to Less
Thinking
In fact, people take out their calculators even for the simplest of calculations.
Juggling one’s memory to remember a friend’s or relative’s number is a thing of the
past. People no longer do all the thinking when there are phones with the ability to
store contacts. As a result, people’s mental ability is reduced significantly, making
them prone to dementia and memory loss as they age.

However, the problem is not the technology; the problem is how people use the
technology. Technology is meant to aid processes, increase efficiency as well as
productivity, and make life easier. However, people exploit technology by applying it
even in simple tasks (Anderson and Rainie 5).

If technology would be applied as a tool other than a means of escaping reality, then
its contribution to society would be seen and appreciated. However, people who sit
and play video games all day make technology appear like a bad influence, yet
some people play these games for relaxation and do productive jobs.
Secondly, through the influence of technology, people have stopped having quality
communication with each other. Technology has invaded every aspect of life,
making it hard for people to have meaningful conversations.

Dependence on Technology Leads to Less

Meaningful Communication
Notably, technology seems so convenient that word of mouth looks pretty
unnecessary. For example, two friends in the same room will likely message each
other than directly speak to one another. Most people have taken up the use of
gadgets like iPhones and iPads, thereby spending a lot of their time on social
networking sites like Twitter and Facebook.

It means that even though people would initially meet and greet, it is no longer
possible as they can communicate over the Internet, consequently limiting physical
contact. Such an over-reliance on technology implies that most meaningful
conversations between people are lost, leading to poor family bonding (Saidam 4).

Nevertheless, reliance on technology is essential in this digital age. The world has
evolved into a digital platform, where anybody that has not joined the digital world is
left behind on new developments.

Essentially, technology makes communication among people easier and can impact
many people at a go without having to do bulk communication. Take, for example, a
company doing job advertisements over the Internet. The adverts will likely be
spotted and gain more audiences than when placed in a newspaper.

The primary reason for this phenomenon is that the world has evolved into a digital
age, where people are slowly getting away from traditional means of communication.
Further, social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter save people the costs and
inconveniences of traveling many miles to communicate, while it is possible to do so
online.

The belief that technology is an essential application camouflages the various

dangers associated with its use. It is believed that one way to stay afloat in the world
today is keeping with trends of technological advancements and being part of the
group. This way, one is kept updated and aware of what is happening worldwide.

Therefore, there is a need to join social sites like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
One downside of operating these sites is requiring personal information before
activating an account. Further, one has to link up with their friends and give personal
details like their date of birth and location, among others. While adults may exercise
dissemination of such information with caution, youths may not.

Thus, it is easier for anyone to get vital information about individuals, stalk them, and
manipulate the information for their benefit. Besides, sharing such information should
be a private business and not public, as everyone can gain access to you from
wherever they are located. Notably, privacy is an essential element of life that is
highly violated using technology.

The general population’s health is deteriorating with the advent of technology and
the technological age. First, technology is applied for many purposes, even for the
simplest tasks. Among the tasks are simple mathematical calculations that are
manually feasible.

However, people choose to use their gadgets even when unnecessary because they
do not want to leave their comfort zones. Not very long ago, children used to enjoy
outdoor games. They would go around playing with other children in their community
and, in the process, boost their stamina and immunity. Such interactions exposed
the children to social life and various challenges like solving conflicts.

Adverse Effects on Children Dependent on

Technology
As a result, these children were smart in life and grew up as better people. It is not
the case nowadays; the trend is that young children are exposed to games like
PlayStation, gamepads, and joysticks rather than communal games. In effect, the
children grow up with low self-esteem and communication problems as they are not
used to being around people (Anderson and Rainie 2).

Further, their thinking is limited to themselves, meaning they grow up with

selfishness, an inability to make friends, and poor behavioral characteristics.

Despite the negative impact of technology today, its contribution to making life easier
and more convenient, as well as its simplicity to use, implies that the role of
technology is crucial. One useful technological gadget is the cell phone. About 82%
of the United States population is estimated to have a cell phone (Campbell 3).

Positive Effects of Technology

Such ownership implies ease of access to information and convenience in
communication. Notably, pressing just a single button on the cell phone would
generate a lot of helpful information for the user. For instance, using smartphones
means that people can improve their linguistic abilities and ease of messaging,
which are now a big part of how people communicate.
On the other hand, all these developments in the world of technology imply that
human beings are losing their culture and reality with the world. Nowadays, it seems
like people cannot communicate and exist with all the available gadgets, as their use
has been extended from official to private. For instance, the use of computers at the
office makes work easier.

However, should all the data on official documents be lost in these computers, the
companies cannot operate. Secondly, people are so used to communicating through
the Internet and over the phones that should these gadgets not exist anymore, they
would have difficulty communicating or maintaining touch with each other (Saidam
5).

As it is, individuals have made it seem like life would end should these gadgets be
absent. On the contrary, people in previous generations would communicate and
maintain constant touch with each other before the gadgets were developed.

While people would use their thoughts, get into discussions, and convene to solve
pertinent issues, nowadays, people surf answers to every need. The dependency on
computers has made people highly vulnerable to losing their identity (Saidam 5).

Culturally, people lose track of who they are and what is acceptable for them. A lot of
cultural dilution occurs with the use of technology, like the Internet. Ideally, people
start to adopt what they see online and practice it in their daily lives (Anderson and
Rainie 5).

For instance, some people tend to envy the Western ways of doing things more than
their traditional outlook on life. Ultimately, individuals act and behave the same with
the proliferation of values.
Despite the convenience created by technology, people have become too
dependent on technology. Everyday life activities are managed through
technological gadgets and applications. People now rely on alarms to wake up.
Phones are used to check the time and for constant communication throughout the
day.

Conclusion
Once people get to the office, they log into emails, respond to them, and later log
onto social networking sites, where they spend the better part of the day. Ideally,
individuals check up on their friends and families through instant messaging on
Facebook.

Once they know they are fine, they hardly create time to visit them. In fact, the type
of communication between families and friends is diluted to fit social circles. Back at
home, children hardly go out to play because they are constantly engrossed in their
play stations.

The consequence is that the children have poor social skills, perform poorly in
school, and have limited problem-solving skills. People hardly put their brains to the
task because they mainly rely on technology to carry out simple arithmetic functions.
Individuals are growing old and suffering from memory problems, all because they
exploit the application of technology and become over-reliant on technology.