The Harmful Effects of Modern Technology

By Apolinario Villalobos

There is no question to the purpose of man in continuously discovering new conveniences to make life more and more comfortable which is a noble quest. It is a pursuit that resulted to the fabrication of bullet trains, jet-propelled aircraft that defy speed, synthetic drugs that prolong life, long lasting gene-modified vegetables, and many more.

But because of the universal principle of negative and positive, the modern technology has likewise, brought forth harmful effects. The convenient “plastic money” – ATM and credit cards have become tools of the fraudulent in sacking bank accounts of the hapless. System-generated communications of banks that contain confidential account status, complete with figures and speedily printed for distribution to their clients via mail or courier service, oftentimes land easily into the hands of hackers. The latest scheme in the unscrupulous emptying of bank accounts involves the bold “skimming” of ATM cards.

The computer and internet shops have become the scourge of families and schools, as juveniles splurge their allowance at internet cafes and skip classes to be with their buddies in such hangouts. Instead of browsing their books, they become engrossed in exciting and violent internet games. They have also developed the habit of talking back to their parents who think twice before giving them hard-earned money to be spent in internet cafes. Meanwhile, social networks have become the venue of people with deteriorating values in lambasting online, unsuspecting people who do not deserve such treatment.

The governments, private institutions and individuals are not spared by the waylaid IT geniuses with their sporadic hacking activities – just for fun or for a fee. Some hackers earn by rumbling sites, although, some do the act just to prove that they can do it. On the other hand, some countries use hacking as a tool in sending warning to their “opponents” to behave or suffer more damaging actions.

The worst effect of modern technology, however, is the invention of grossly damaging tools for warfare that could swiftly annihilate lives in minutes. For instance, a single lethal bomb may just be enough in obliterating several adjoining cities from the face of the earth, with ease. The suffering of the population can even be prolonged by using cultured viruses released into the atmosphere of a country.

There goes our free will. The extent of our life, practically, depends on us. God gave us the freedom to choose, which is tantamount to saying that He cannot be blamed for anything that happens to us on earth.  We are intelligent enough to know what is good or bad for us…but do we give such thought even just a few minutes of musing?