Benefits of Technology

By: Mya Gaddis

Recently, I was on my phone scrolling through TikTok when I came across this video. The video was of a clip from this movie on Netflix that has recently been gaining a lot of attention: The Social Dilemma. The small snippet I watched was a man claiming that phones are the reason Gen Z is vulnerable. He claimed that we spend so much time on technology that we are more fragile, more depressed, and more anxious. I find it hysterical that whenever a child or teen is upset, there is always a group of adults that find a way to connect it to technology. Adults love to call our phones, computers, and games an addiction. While technology is not the best thing that has occurred in the world, the pros greatly outweigh the cons.

For starters, think about how many jobs have opened up that did not exist. Here are just a few: software developer, web developer, information security analyst, computer network architect, and computer systems administrator. Ravin Jesuthasan and John W. Boudreau, authors of “Reinventing Jobs,” conducted a research project and revealed the US had 60,000 ATMs and 485,000 bank tellers, in 1985. The number of ATMs had increased to 352,000, by 2002. Due to the rise in the number of ATMs, the number of human bank tellers also went up, to 527,000. This demonstrates that due to the increase in technology and innovation, the residents of the United States and the economy have seen exponential growth.

Not only that, but it has brought us closer together, specifically Generation Z. Technology has helped kids meet others with the same interests, and they can form special connections that would not have formulated if it were not for technology. To specify, I am mainly talking about those who enjoy video games/the gaming community. There are so many kids that when they get home, the first they do is go on the computer, or the Xbox, or another gaming platform. Then, you have those parents that complain about how their kid is always on that game and never spend time with their family. It is not that they do not want to spend time with you, it's just that it's hard to explain why you love or enjoy something so much to people who don’t know what you are talking about. With technology, you just meet someone and they can automatically pick up on what you are talking about.

The moral of the story is, some adults need to get over the fact that technology is for everyday use. Just because my generation hasn’t fought in a world war does not mean we are weak. It is so infuriating when a random, older person feels the need to “educate me” on how my phone is going to ruin my life. The world is evolving, with or without you, and whether you like it or not. We have achieved so much because of how quickly we can transfer information and communicate with others using technology. People have more control over their devices than they think they do. You control what you put out there for the world to see; therefore, if you commit an action you know you are not supposed to do with technology then consequences will occur.