Irish Pauline L.

Ereño

Technology: Boon or Bane?

And the answer is NEITHER!

Technology is, in and of itself, incapable of either harming or benefiting anyone. It is the uses to which we put the
technology that determines whether it is a boon or a bane. For example, technology allows us to separate out
chlorine gas. This can be beneficial in that a little bit of Chlorine added to the water supply can kill off harmful
microbes thus making the water safe to drink. On the other hand, someone could open a large cylinder of the gas
in a crowded store or subway station and kill or injure a lot of people. In one case, the technology to create
chlorine gas is beneficial; in the other it is not. Technology, animals, drugs, etc. by themselves are benefit neutral.
What determines if they are good or bad, boon or bane, is the choice that we make as to how to use them.

Technology is necessary but not always a positive influence in modern life. This issue has especially come into
vogue in the last decade due to the mind-boggling pace of technology. Also, this issue is a complex one because it
involves a conflict between the traditional and the modern.

First, it goes without saying that technology has made our lives easier to the extent that repetitive and
monotonous tasks need not be performed manually. These tasks, by their very nature, are irascible and reduce the
productive potential of an individual. To give an illustration, consider the task of an accountant having to compute
various statistics as a part of his job. Before the advent of computers, he had to do this job "by hand". As is
obvious, the job involves tedious computations on his part. Such a job will, no doubt, lead to irritation and the
person will soon lose all motivation. On the other hand, if such tiresome tasks are automated, not only will it make
the accountant's job easier but it will also improve efficiency and accuracy of the job.

Coming to larger issues, technology as a whole can be classified into various groups. Some of the important ones
are Information Technology, Biotechnology, Nuclear Technology, Medicine etc.

In the field of medicine, it is difficult to argue that technology can have negative influences. The last century has
seen the eradication of such diseases as smallpox with polio being next on the list. It has increased the average life
span of a human being by a decade. Diseases which had no cure till recently can be easily cured now. But just like
everything else, medicine too has its ill effects. An indirect negative influence of medicine is that one can rely too
much on it. He can resort to an unhealthy lifestyle with the knowledge that he can always fall back on medicine to
solve his health problems. Also medicine may be able to keep a person alive but may not be able to allow him to
lead a normal life. Some would argue that this is worse than death.

Probably the most contentious technological issue today is in the area of nuclear technology. It has very obvious
positive as well as negative influences. Nuclear technology is a rich source of energy which can be used to produce
electricity to power up our homes and offices. The obvious source of contention is in the area of manufacture of
nuclear weapons. It is scary to think that the phrase "weapons of mass destruction" has become a cliche. Mankind
has seen the destructive power of this technology, not once but twice in the space of three days in that fateful
period of August of 1945.