Musings: Technology’s Unintended Negative Consequences

Having been myself tethered largely to computer technology for almost three decades, it is both amazing and disturbing how technology affects our lives, both good and bad, in both work and personal, at present.

Connected yet separated – today’s technology can connect us to people from just about anywhere; heck, even from outer space. We now have the convenience of meeting somebody without moving our bodies. And this seems to be a major culprit in obesity. Who would have thought when the Internet was invented that it will make people fat? An unintended consequence for sure.

Anonymity – in the Internet, anyone can be anonymous and can as easily don a mask. Would you want to be talking online with somebody who is not, in reality, the person s/he really is? Alternatively, would the cover of anonymity bring the real person out of us? If so, would you want to talk physically to a person who, in reality, is not the person s/he really is? Looks like the societal effects of civility taught to us since we were young is now being turned on its head.

Information overload – how many emails, voicemails, and text messages do you get each day? The amount is out of hand and bordering on crazy — and I know it’s not just me. But is it? Not contented we watch TV, we listen to the radio, and we surf the web. Is it the natural tendency of humans to make their brains ever bigger? We look at everything but seldom focus on something.

Counter-productiveness – How many times have we been promised greater productivity at the hands of new technology? And how many times do we find ourselves spending more time learning the technology instead of productively using it? Unfortunately, new technology requires a learning curve. It is a tool that you can use to your advantage if you know how, much like using not the claw but the hammer head to drive down a nail.

News for and from everybody – before the advent of the Internet, news, before it hits the streets are factually checked and verified by people learned and studied in reporting. Now, just about anybody can report or blog away news but usually with less care and on a less thoughtful approach. While people usually acknowledge as truth what are aligned with our preconceived notions, do we simply take what we’re fed or should we read news with a grain of salt?

Plundering the environment – we have abused mother earth, and we all agree. But is the earth’s degradation due more to population or progress in technology? Sure, we are also using technology to improve the environment. But are we doing enough and are humans consuming the earth’s resources to live and survive, or to live comfortably? Is Agent Smith correct? Is humanity a virus that would replicate uncontrollably, eventually destroy their environment, and move on to other hosts? I hope not. For a technology to be successful, it must take the environment into consideration, for Nature cannot be fooled.

Culture eliminated – will the Internet enhance our individual cultures or will all cultures converge into one in the near future? Just as the European culture influenced the American culture, just as the Spaniards and later the Americans influenced the culture of the Filipinos, the social shifts introduced and assimilated through the Internet can alter social dynamics and can promote new cultural models. Is this not a possibility? Are our cultures, in the eyes of our elders, going extinct?

Technology drives progress. It drives our personal lives. It drives business. It is already changing our lives behaviorally, socially, and physically; politically, culturally, and environmentally. Although it has negative unintentional consequences, the progress derived from it more than makes for the drawbacks. For now. It is a tool and must only be our servant. If we must embrace it, we must not lose control. We must, therefore, make certain that we use it with more perspective and forethought; with wisdom and prudence. Otherwise, our servant may prove to be our executioner.