F the human race driving
itself into a technological

ice age? Shooting through
cyberspace are concerns of
whether or not humanity’s
desire for technology is hurting
society at its most basic
level—communication. Are
futuristic adaptations such as
Disney’s WALL-E predicting
how humanity is set on a direct
course for a future with little
physical communication and
more artificial relationships?
The Disney Pixar
animation movie, WALL-E
depicts a young robot as he
searches for love but also
illustrates a larger concern
that involves humanity. In this
future, humans are confined to
chairs—not out of necessity,
but by choice. The technology
available in this space and time
allows people to carry out daily
activities from the comfort of
chairs, and human-to-human
interactions are rare at best.
Could this be an example of a
realistic future?

Despite this, technology

is also shown to aid humanity
in ways that past generations
could not have dreamed of.
Recently, NBCNews.com
published a story about a
Pennsylvania student, Cole
Fritz, who was injured in a car

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How does humanity coincide with technology?

—

By Koy Tayler, Contributor

accident, which prohibited him
from attending school. With

A { h | a [ 7
the help of technology he was people around the world and

able to be present in classes;

a robotic device (basically an
iPad attached to a Segway)
allowed him to freely move
throughout the hallways of
his high school and interact
with teachers and friends
from the comfort of his home.
It is technological advances
such as this that have allowed
humanity to develop and
improve how it communicates
and serves its needs.

Technology such as this
could be utilized in other areas
of life such as in homes or at
work when individuals are
unable to be present. Similar
situations to this are already
seen through applications
such as Skype and FaceTime,
which strengthen relationships
between individuals who are
separated by vast distances.
Should society start to look at
technology with a less critical
eye and appreciate how it has
positively affected the way we
live and communicate?

On May 5, 2014, the United
Nations estimated that by the
end of 2014 there would be
nearly 3-billion people around
the world with access to the
Internet. This is an astounding
number, allowing for large
amounts of information and
data to spread around the
world far faster than ever
thought possible. Technology
has allowed the human race to

P

convene, collaborate, imagine,
and create relationships with

develop machines that improve
the lives of so many. Examples
of this are robotic limbs,
computers that allow speech,
and phones that can improve
our minds and overall health.
Yet is the convenience and
speed of technology replacing
the need for our physical selves
when connecting with others?
The world’s current
adolescents are suspected of
having a slight case of cabin
fever with all of the time they
spend at home on various
devices—at least this is the
view of a small majority.
Teenagers are the main topic
when discussing how much
technology people should be
using on a daily or even weekly
basis. With applications such
as Facebook, Twitter, and
Snapchat, it is hard to goa
day without seeing a young
person’s face inches away from
the screens of their phones,
barely escaping running into a
pole. Comical in one aspect but
is this the precursor for how
society will one day function?
Gone are the days when
you had to call and let people
know how you are feeling.
With Apple’s new watch, as
seen on their official website,
individuals can place two
fingers on the screen to send
their heartbeat to someone,
letting them know how their
heart races for them. Will

 

—
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