As people rely more and more on technology to solve problems, the ability of humans to think for themselves will surely deteriorate.Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoni

Steve Jobs once said, "with each product we make, our goal is to make the consumer's life that much simpler". The new millenium has brought about a surge in the importance of technology to our society today. Since the turn of the century, hundreds of new technological devices have been introduced and adopted. 80% of America over the age of fifteen own a cellular device, and of this group that majority possess smartphones. Technology has greatly begun to transform the world in which we live in both positive and negative ways. While a reliance on technology can help facilitate our lives, this reliance may become overdependent and weaken the intellectual capabilities of our modern society and generations to come.

The prevalence of technology is not completely opprobrious, however. The phenomenon of online databases has greatly improved the research world. It is much more efficient, not to mention simpler, to log onto a database, type in your keywords, and sift through scholarly journals. The days where one would enter the library and attempt to learn the Dewy Decimal System seem antediluvian now. Research is very important to the progress of our society and technology has allowed for its efficiency to increase dramatically.

While in its academic use, technology is efficient and valid, its quotidian use may negatively affect us in the long run. Owning an electronic GPS system is an incredible luxury. Many cars now come equipped with a system that will ask you where you want to go, and if you would like to take highways to get there. For those whose cars are not as technologically advanced, they use a navigation app on a smart phone or a portable GPS system. A paper map is an item of the past which is an undoubted shame. While an electronic navigation system can get one where he or she needs to be in the quickest time possible, what happens when it shuts off or when your smart phone runs out of battery? I know that none of my close friends or family carry paper maps in their vehicles. In such an instance, we are left to think for ourselves and many of us would be stranded.

Many American parents nowadays use technology analogously as a pacifier. If a parent has a doctor's appointment and can't find a sitter they just plop their child down and hand them an iPad or iPhone. It's incredible how quickly children learn to use these touch screen devices as early as age two, before they are even literate. While there are many educational "apps" in the Apple Store, more often than not parents teeter towards the colorful, loud games. Children of this generation are losing interest in playing outside and interacting with friends. Children are not constantly encouraged to play with their imagination as they were before. If technology is promoted more than old fashioned child play, children may not learn independent skills.

Technology is a luxury many Americans can afford, but can they afford the long term consequences of depending on it? Changing the way we live our lives today, reliance on portable electronics can hinder the future of our society. As we move on as a country, it will be important to study the effects of our technological dependence and change our habits accordingly.