<p>Does the cost of technology sometimes outweigh the benefits?</p>
<p>Technology is all around us. My generation in particular is addicted to it. It helps people connect from all around the world and makes our busy lives easier. However, technology does have its downside.
Broadband internet has made everyone’s life extremely comfortable. We are not able to gain access to most things from one click of a button and it truly is luxurious! I love being able to connect with all my friends around the world whilst simultaneously streaming a live event that is happening 1000s of miles away. However, it does have a downside. The internet has most definitely made the world a little less safe. Young children, especially girls, are being targeted on sites such as Facebook and twitter. Their children are being tricked into talking to people on the internet and then being raped/sexually harassed. This is appalling and is a major concern. A lot of parents are afraid of letting their children use the internet as they are unsure of their childs safety. This is why cyber education is being introduced in the school curriculum all across the world. Thanks to the internet, privacy has died down. By connecting the dots, you could eventually find out where someone lives. YouTube has recently taken off as a social platform where young people are idolising ‘YouTubers’ who post videos on the website on a daily basis. Some of these people, who have over a million people regularly watching their videos, face major threats to their lives. Young fans are able to find out where they live through tiny bits of information available on the internet and are stalking these rising stars in order to meet them.
Technology has also been a helpful tool to a lot of terrorist groups. Many groups use websites such as FaceBook and YouTube as propaganda tools to spread their messages. This is attracting more people towards their cause. In 2014, ISIS, a faction of the terrorist group Al Qaeda, uses YouTube clips to attract people to join their cause from all around the world. This has helped ISIS but created a safety hazard for most countries. Currently, ISIS is such a large threat to western countries that the United States of America and the UK have decided to take military action against them. Even Osama Bin Laden, the ex leader of Al Qaeda used to upload propaganda videos on YouTube in the hope of attracting people to join his terrorist organisation. Currently, Al Qaeda is one of the largest and most powerful terrorist groups.
Due to the advancement of technology, the Unites States of America was able to build an atomic bomb and drop it in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the mid 1940’s. This did help bring an end to World War II but it came at a cost. Currently, 1000s of people in Japan are still faces consequences of the bomb. The radioactive material in the bombs has led to illnesses in both the regions. People till this day have circulatory diseases that have been passed down from their ancestors or the water and land in Hiroshima and Nagasaki is still carrying radioactive material that is a threat to the people living there.
Technology does have a lot of positives but it has caused a lot of destruction. Our lives might seem simpler because of it but in reality, technology has also helped make the world a much more complex place to live. Therefore, I believe that Technology has caused a lot of catastrophes and hence, its costs outweigh its benefits. </p>