Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Technology and Us

Who does not love to, or at least compulsively use technology today? Everyone of us do, in some way or the other - be it for our education, our business, or for our pleasure. But what we expect out of technology is very astounding and strikingly different. This is coupled by what we expect from technology compared to what it could possibly cater to!

You ought to find sometime to take a look at this section in Wired which apparently hosts photos as "badges of honor for human freedom fighters around the globe". If you are not clear what this means, it shows the best ten pictures depicting some gruesome fate some of us have brought to technology from time to time - ranging from hammering down laptops, burning motherboards, thwarting computer monitors or cracking Blackberries! Yes, you read all this correctly, and trust me, some of us do really engage ourselves in such activities!

The point of this blog is however, not to criticize those people - they could draw any possible fate to their technological gadgets. What I am rather trying to point out here is much profound - our life's inter-twining with technology.

Man develops technology to find a servant to cater him better. Sometimes these endeavors strives to quench our intellectual thirst, nurture our intellectual curiosity. But time immemorial has seen technologies turning into vices rather than confining themselves to human virtues or the Earth at large. It is our responsibility; blaming the technology is simply wry.

In the article people have expressed dissatisfaction at compatibility issues or issues like certain gadget getting out of vogue. However, man who, today is so much dependent on technology possibly has lost a sense to think coherently that cursing the technology is lame, everything is subject to temporal evolution. Technology is meant to make us wiser, not to cringe our logic. It is in the benefit of Nature that technology is still made the servant and we the masters. Its vices are not inherent in it, but it is us who need to be more responsible.

If you have considered leaving Orkut or Facebook because you are annoyed with fake and junk profiles, and you curse the whole online social networking technology for that, whom would you blame those junk (or not-so-liked) people in the real world in the very first place?

Blame game does not make us wise; let us use our conscience to develop into more responsible and sensible individuals.

10 comments:

Uday Kumar said...

God creates humans...Humans pray to God ...Humans becomes intelligent...Humans creates computers...computers becomes intelligent...Computers destroys Human intelligence...Humans stop praying to God...God destroys Humans...Computers rule the earth... hehehe...Sounds good na?

Munmun said...

@ Uday
I am categorically against the whole "God created Man" idea - but yeah, a singularity of computers over-riding the human race seems inevitable!

Uday Kumar said...

I never said God Created Man...I said God created Humans...that includes males as well as females...[:P] ...and about God creating humans...I just put it in there so that I could end it well [:P]with computers ruling earth [:P]....But yes I strongly think that depending too much on computers and their intelligence does affect the way you think...and the amount of processing you do with ur brain...Computers are meant to be a tool to help your brain...but now-a-days its become the other way around...your brain is becoming a tool to operate computers more efficiently...[:)]...

Munmun said...

@ Uday
Lol, about the statement that God created men and women (dude, I am not 'that' big a feminist :D)

Uday Kumar said...

not that you are a feminist or anything...but I would have been disappointed if god created only men...things are difficult as of now...I cannot dare to imagine what would have been the situation without any females [:P]...hehe

Munmun said...

@ Uday
Lol, really funny :P

Nikesh Rathi said...

One more observation -->

Many people actually think on lines of technology controlling us, eg.the ones who haven't seen much of computer and they don't have much idea about how much it is capable of ... all they think is that apart from a little bit of work, it is just a waste of time!

Munmun said...

@ Nikesh
I know what you mean. There is thin line of different between some people thinking technology is a luxury and some others (like us ) to whom technology is a necessity. However, some of us do get to the point where they let technology take over our natural intellect and that is what is scary. Under all means, it is we who created the technology and so we better be aware of its pros and cons.

A.Jay said...

@ munmun
apologies for deviating from the topic
Just a thot
would be interested if u blog ur views on the 'God Created man '
[:D]

Munmun said...

@ A.Jay
Lol, okay done! Next blog on "Did God create Man ?" :D