Almost everybody on this planet uses Google every day. In day-to-day lives, people usually come across information that makes no sense to them. Then they use the internet to find out the meaning of it. And that’s it. In a matter of only a minute, their brains gained new knowledge. But, in a way, it's making humans dependent on web browsers such as Google and Microsoft Edge. Others argue that the access to such simple things allows our mind to think more in-depth about that topic and saves time that is spent to just figure out the meaning itself. The internet allows humans to explore less on their own and just take information off of a web browser.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, people have been working from their home all day in front of a computer. This allows more access to the internet and less usage of rather intelligent brains. For students who are enrolled in school virtually, the internet has become a cheating source. They can easily search up a question they can’t answer. The answer’s right in front of them and they get marks, for cheating. Teachers, obviously, don’t want their students to cheat, but they are helpless. They cannot control what the child is looking at and even if they are doing the work. The thing is, if the internet was to be removed right now, the world would fall apart. Simple actions such as updating data on a spreadsheet wouldn’t happen. That would cause companies to be less efficient in their work and would lose clients.
Machines are making us so reliant on them that we need them even for small things. Think about a calculator. Majority of people use a calculator for the smallest calculations which can be done through mental math. Nowadays, people are even using graphing calculators for advanced math courses. This prevents students from getting graphing practice which can help them a lot in cases where calculators aren’t allowed. Virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa contribute to this problem as well. People can send a text message by saying something like, “Hey Siri, Tell John, ‘See you at 5’.” Sending a text message to a friend or loved one can only take 2 minutes (maximum). For that simple task, humans require an “assistant” to do it for them. Messages, even text messages, should be sent with empathy and kindness. That comes when you write (or type) yourself. Some people think doing these types of things is ‘convenient’ and ‘saves time’. But everyone knows they are being lazy. These people don’t realize how much time they do waste when they are scrolling through Facebook or Instagram. Yes, keeping up with other’s lives is important, but it isn’t the first priority. While doing these things, people don’t care one bit about being efficient or time-consuming.
Because of our reliance on machines, their developers are taking advantage by spying on us. Yes, you read that correctly. Virtual assistants such as Alexa, especially, and your phone are always listening to us even when we are not speaking to them. Suppose if you are talking about the latest smartphone that just came out with your parents. You’ll see an advertisement of it within seconds on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube. Some may think that this makes their job easier and they can order it right off the bat. But, if, instead of a smartphone, you are, suppose, dictating your credit card information to someone in your household, your hard-earned money is at risk.
While in some ways, machines can be so lovable, in other ways, they are life-threatening. And, we, as responsible digital citizens, ought to be careful of them. Don’t use technology when you don’t need it, it might harm you.
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