We should all be concerned about how technology has no not only taken over our world but also our private lives as well. It would seem that there are only benefits to technology. But this is not the case as I shall show in this article.
Modern technology is not as positive as it seems. It is much more sinister than it seems. Most people are not even aware of some of the negative background effects of technology that may be harmful or even dangerous to their well-being and peace of mind.
So much seems to be happening that is out of our view and beyond our control. It is far worse than the Brave New World that Huxley described many years ago. It is a world that not only watches us but also pries into our personal lives when we least expect it.
Our technological systems are increasingly passing information back and forth without bothering to inform us that they are doing so. They are parsing and analyzing it to determine the deeper meaning of what we say and do.
Therefore, technology is quietly but relentlessly invading our daily lives.
Here are some ways that technology routinely does this.
• When you use your smartphone to take a photo, it auto-uploads to Facebook without your knowledge or permission.
• Your email through free providers such as Google, Yahoo or Microsoft is not as safe as it may seem. There is no way for any you to know how your email is processed. There are virtually no tools to investigate it.
• Late at night, you may hear the hard drive whirring on your computer. The monitor is flickering even though nobody is using it. Is there someone really there or not?
• Bars in several cities have installed cameras that silently watch their clientele and make inferences about them from their physical characteristics. Then they use this information without your permission if they need to.
• Next generation wearable computers such as Google Glass may start regularly tracking where you are looking when you are on the internet. That information will then be sold to advertisers and others who are seeking a window into your mind.
• Your phone may listen for audio cues about where you are without your knowledge. Is that a football stadium announcer it hears? Perhaps you would like a discount coupon for the team’s store. All of this may be processed in the background.
Therefore, we must make sure that we save ourselves from these technologies which are invading our lives and discovering who we are without our knowing it.
Therefore, we should all take heart and make sure that we are careful with our technologies. Shut them down as often as possible. That may stop big brother from really watching you and gathering information about you and spreading it without your permission.