Technology – Chloe Fandetti

The third grade version of Scholastic News from 2015 simply defines technology as “the use of science to make life easier or solve a problem.” Today, technology is mainly focused on the transformation of scientific knowledge into products. Our everyday lives are saturated with technological products: cell phones, drones, computers, automobiles, media, robots, machines, etc. From the reading, I thought the idea of the “technological fix” (the belief that any problem can be solved with a technological solution) was very interesting. In most cases, technological fixes can be the most efficient ways to address environmental and social issues. However, I think many issues involving human nature and societies are very complex and technology is not always the end all be all solution. One example is tobacco addiction. Electronic cigarettes are a “technological fix,” commonly promoted as tools to help smokers quit cigarettes. In theory, electronic cigarettes are a good idea because they simulate tobacco smoking, but the user inhales vapor rather than smoke. In actuality though, studies have found that electronic cigarettes are not that effective in helping smokers quit, still contain many harmful chemicals, and may even be more addictive than conventional cigarettes. Moreover, people who had never smoked cigarettes before have become addicted to electronic cigarettes. I think as science and technology evolves it becomes increasingly more difficult to predict the social impact of new technologies. Technological fixes usually underestimate social issues and only create temporary solutions, as human objectives are constantly changing.