Are We Turning Dumber when Devices are Turning Smarter?

After conducting an exhaustive survey amongst people from numerous walks of life, and pleasantly surprised by the fact that for once the prevailing opinion resonates with my own, I have arrived at the conclusion that technology, like any other tool man is equipped with, produces results based on how dexterously or clumsily it is wielded. “Given a rope, you can either climb or hang yourself.” is a concise way of putting it. It holds true for technology of any kind, ranging from ordinary gadgets to supercomputers.

Man is forever looking for the easy way out, all the shortcuts that will win him this rat race, or at least keep him in the running. The more he wins, the more he desires and the more leisure he craves to indulge himself. And this desire to improve our capabilities so as to accomplish more in shorter spans of time is exactly the stimulant that has aided the primitive man to develop increasingly advanced tools which will do his work for him, leaving him more time to focus his attention on activities that give him a sense of relish, helps him achieve a deeper sense of satisfaction. Smarter technology does just this; it provides us more time to be creative by making our mundane tasks easier and the results more precise.

Technology is basically defined as “the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes”. It is neither animate nor sentient, and hence cannot induce any change in the mental or physical ability of a person as such. It is again the way it is wielded, that is, the way it is utilized by a person, in its myriad of forms that determines its impact on the multitude. So, no, smarter technology does in no way affect our grey cells. The effects of technology are widespread; be it social, financial, psychological, physiological, or spiritual.  

Technology is another way of elevating our knowledge as it provides easy access to vast stores of information at the touch of a button. The downside to this ease of access is that studies have shown that the security this instils in people affects some adversely. Studies show that the retention powers in people are considerably reduced and they have lower rates of recall of the information itself, but know where and how to find said information. Another study conducted amongst seventh graders to test their capability to find reliable information online yielded shocking results, when the majority of students came away convinced in the existence of an arboreal octopus, whose natural predator is the sasquatch (bit of an obvious giveaway, yet, sadly, one the kids didn’t pick up on). This shows that technology can indeed make us look dumb if not properly trained to use it. Another example is the calculator and how easy it has made mathematics for us, and not just simple additions and subtractions but complex integration and differentiation as well. Needless to say, the mindless dependency of most on calculators for elementary problems will weaken the mental acuteness of the person, resulting in the loss of ability to execute simple mental math.

Technology not only gives us access to information, although that is the primary aim. It also equips us with the ability to stay on a couch and grow roots, if need be, by delivering everything to our doorstep. Be it online shopping or bookings or communication through social media sites, technology offers us the almost irresistible chance of bringing out our inherent laziness and letting it flourish. Again, how well the tool is wielded is entirely dependent on the person who wields it and this can drastically alter the consequences amongst the populace. So, while some may use technology as an excuse to avoid social interactions, gain a few extra pounds by letting the poor delivery boys do all their walking for them, and make life a fat, comfy, bed of roses for themselves, yet others strive to harness the positive aspects of technology to perfect their inherent abilities and push themselves (aided by technology) to break the existing limits in their respective fields. Technology doesn't handicap us in any way, rather it equips us with everything we need to bring out the best in us and hone our congenital skills. And that is, in short, precisely why we perfect existing technology, so that we may perfect our existing selves.