In light of technological advancements, there is an ongoing debate about whether their disadvantages outweigh their advantages. Although digital devices such as smart phones reduce face-to-face interaction and be detrimental to mental health, their benefits far overshadow their potential risks. Therefore, I only partly agree with this viewpoint as I believe that technological progress has supported modern life significantly.
To begin with, such technological innovations undoubtedly have disadvantages. The advent of these innovations tends to cause a decline in face-to-face interaction as a majority of people these days prefer to do a range of tasks online due to its convenience and flexibility. Moreover, people are attracted and influenced by a variety of content on the Internet, leading to their excessive screen time per day rather than spending time on face-to-face communication. In the long term, this can undermine some people’s social skills. The frequent exposure to different screens ranging from smaller ones of mobile phones to larger ones of laptops can also cause problems relating to their eyes, backs, and mental stability. For example, attention span is reduced due to doomscrolling, which is a popular phenomenon among the younger generation.
However, I believe that state-of-the-art technology can bring various benefits overtaking its harms. It is undeniable that people can keep their contact with their families and their friends transcending any geographical barrier. For example, abroad students often make video calls to their parents at home via various applications on smart phones. In addition, technological advancement has facilitated independent learning considerably. There are a wide range of learning materials provided free of charge on digital platforms. Students, particularly who are deficient in financial support, can exploit these available materials served their studying, saving cost for extra classes. Technological progress also plays a key role in some manufacture industries, replacing human in laborious tasks. This development, which demands a high cost initially, can relieve employers’ pressure of paying salary eventually.
To conclude, there are several disadvantages of technological development; however, its advantages should not be overshadowed. It is of utmost importance that people use these innovations more consciously in order to exploit its functions effectively.