Saturday, January 7, 2012

Creative Disruption

Developing technologies that solve the right problems can be enormously challenging as well as bringing technology to the people who need them the most.  
Pros: Our lives have become very comfortable because of technology. Cell phones, computers, even my new coffee press has made modern society more efficient. Not only that, but technology is fun to use. I am often baffled by how far we have advanced. Had we ever thought that a single chip would replace an entire assembly line of workers? This has helped in eliminating human errors and made work faster and more efficient
There was a time when a person diagnosed as HIV positive was ostracized from the society as people thought that they would be infected too if they even touched the infected person. But thanks to the advancements in the field of medicine and health, now these people are treated with love and care and have a hope to live. I remember in the beginning day of HIV/AIDS, there was one medication to treat every strain of HIV, which was highly toxic and as dangerous as the disease itself. Now they have many anti-viral medications and can cocktail them after identifying what strain of HIV the individual has been diagnosed with. It is mind boggling to see the advancements made.
Other positive affects of technology in the work place include the improvement in peoples' daily lives, the expansion of transportation to get back and forth to work, and the various fields of employment we enjoy now.
Cons: I feel technological advances are also widening the gap between the various classes of the society. I fear that this might cause unrest amongst the underprivileged or the less privileged section of society and could lead to class war (something that I feel may not be a bad thing considering the amount of corporate bailouts and the shift away from workers rights).  
 The question that comes to my mind is just how far will we go? Will we use technology to feed to hungry? There should be no reason there are hungry or homeless people in this country. Or will the status quo cling to the technology to further their strong hold on this Earth’s resources?  Some of the other negative effects of technology include environmental damage (undeniably), exploitation of workers, and political corruption.
I feel very lucky to have been born in this time period. I just hope my grandchildren can see their lives blossom and reach old age without the struggles past generations have endured.