Is Technology 'Evil' or Just Misunderstood?

[What is Justice]

A lot of people consider technology to be a bad thing, and some even go so far as to label it as 'evil'. The main arguments and reasoning behind such beliefs as far as I can tell, are things like, "technology removes the need for manual labor", "automated machines put humans out of work as they are no longer needed and replaced by machines", or "technology turns people away from -insert religious deity here-", or rather just "technology turns people away from mother nature".

While I haven't quite formulated an opinion on the claim of automated machines removing the need for human beings - other than the fact that (at least for now) it takes a human being to make the automated machine - I personally do not feel like technology, (or 'advancement' as I like to call it) is such a bad, let alone evil thing.

If anything technology has, and can bring us even closer to mother nature, or some say even bridging the gap between science (technology) and religion. Through technology we have been able to understand, and inherently become closer through this understanding to mother nature, seeing things from the most microscopic to macroscopic point of views, deeper and more in depth, and more informed and aware than ever, or rather before technology.

I'm just wondering what any of the few OG and regular community members here has to say on the matter, and if you think technology is a bad, or even 'evil' thing.

 

[Kreeate]

I'm just wondering what any of the few OG and regular community members here has to say on the matter, and if you think technology is a bad, or even 'evil' thing.

You make valid points indeed.

In my opinion, technology and its effects will almost always be in the eye of the "user". It is not much perceived or even considered by people nowadays.
Core technology apparently doesn't matter to the person on the street. It's all about the resultant effects and what they can get out of it. "Can I take selfies at 4k? Can I apply filter x, y and z?" These are but a a couple of aspects of what are seemingly important to the masses.

Technology at its core is either misunderstood by the majority... or misrepresented by the few that put it out there.
Our "internet" perception of what is cutting edge and "out there" is skewed by (among others) fallacious YT videos and fake news sites that are simply out there for the purpose of sensation, whoring views, clicks and likes.

In most cases, religion and science are diametrically opposed.
Religion is based on faith and belief. Science is based on evidence and proof.

I have not seen evidence for science having ever encouraged violence against "anti-science" practitioners.
I do believe religion has done so in terms of its own indoctrination, as is documented in many religious texts.

In history, many people have used and applied science for evil purposes... but the same could be said for religion and a multitude of other aspects.
Does that make science or religion evil? I guess it depends on who is utilizing it at that moment...

Either way, I am not qualified to judge whether technology is evil or not.. I can merely raise my opinion.

 

[RoseMurray]

A lot of people consider technology to be a bad thing, and some even go so far as to label it as 'evil'. The main arguments and reasoning behind such beliefs as far as I can tell, are things like, "technology removes the need for manual labor", "automated machines put humans out of work as they are no longer needed and replaced by machines", or "technology turns people away from -insert religious deity here-", or rather just "technology turns people away from mother nature".

While I haven't quite formulated an opinion on the claim of automated machines removing the need for human beings - other than the fact that (at least for now) it takes a human being to make the automated machine - I personally do not feel like technology, (or 'advancement' as I like to call it) is such a bad, let alone evil thing.

If anything technology has, and can bring us even closer to mother nature, or some say even bridging the gap between science (

You must be registered to see links

) and religion. Through technology we have been able to understand, and inherently become closer through this understanding to mother nature, seeing things from the most microscopic to macroscopic point of views, deeper and more in depth, and more informed and aware than ever, or rather before technology.

I'm just wondering what any of the few OG and regular community members here has to say on the matter, and if you think technology is a bad, or even 'evil' thing.

It is true that some people view technology as a negative force in our world, with various arguments against it, such as the potential for job displacement, environmental damage, or the erosion of social and cultural values. However, it is also true that technology has brought about many benefits and advancements in fields such as medicine, science, education, and communication, improving the quality of life for many people.

In terms of the argument that technology removes the need for manual labor, while it is true that some jobs may be automated and done by machines, it also creates new jobs in fields such as programming, engineering, and maintenance. Additionally, technology has the potential to improve working conditions and productivity, enabling workers to focus on more creative or higher-level tasks.

Regarding the argument that technology turns people away from nature, it is possible for technology to be used in ways that harm the environment, but it can also be used to promote sustainability and conservation efforts. Furthermore, technology has the potential to help people connect with nature and develop a deeper appreciation for it through tools like virtual reality, educational resources, or remote sensing technologies.

Finally, regarding the idea that technology turns people away from religion, it is important to note that religion and technology are not necessarily incompatible. In fact, technology has been used to spread religious messages and enable people to connect with their faith communities in new ways, such as online worship services or religious social media platforms.

 

[r2fy]

Actually it depends on how will you use the technology. In each other ways technology can help us to ease our work but in the other hand can can help us to use a tool for using it in bad way. There is so many argument in both ways.

 

[GohanSSJ]

Technology in work, is great in general. We however do need to keep changing laws to make it beneficial to everyone.

Simply put, if companies need less workers, and pay the same hourly rate, they make way more money.
If say workweeks are shortened (with same pay), they will need more workers, and those workers will make more per hour, and thus have more free time, get sick less etc.
So even if employers still need to pay the same amount for less hours, workers will still do a better job and get sick less, thus they are still making more.

So when isn't technology great? When it starts to replace the human factor. So think healthcare, that always needs to be done by people, if people are gonna get help from a robot, that's a bad thing. And I'm not talking about a robot to support a human. I'm talking about a robot feeding a human etc, because often that's a big part of their human connection over a day.


Now aside from work, I have my thoughts about technology. Now technology cannot be evil (unless we are talking Terminator stuff), but I will say that the issues stemming from the internet/social media, is absolutely horrible. Kids grow up with their phone in their hand, they watch videos that take 10-20 seconds at most, and they do not go outside to play.

I was 1 of those kids who had internet very early on, I think I was 14 (this is 1999) when we got internet. But back then the internet had a bunch of stuff, and sure there was IRC, but I sure never used it. I mostly used it to download music and games.

Later one I obviously started playing MMO's and this place became a huge part of my life. Now by all means I know the benefits this place gave me, but in general it wasn't the healthiest thing to do.
But I did have a childhood where I played outside, and if I played videogames with friends, they would be sitting next to me, because there was no online gaming, at least not for me.

Kids don't have that these days, they are used to playing online, texting, using snapchat and tiktok. Depression amongst teens have went way up, cyberbullying is big (and yes that is worse than the regular bullying that went on back then), people record everything, and I know plenty of stories where nude pictures were taken of teens and spread around school, that includes in locker rooms by classmates etc.

I honestly don't know where we are heading, I find all of it extremely problematic, and whenever I think it can't get worse, it does get worse. the popularity of tiktok to me is repulsive, it shouldn't exist. I don't care who owns it, but it's about peoples minds not being melt by a constant flood of pointless short clips.

 

[Kreeate]

You make many valid points and I agree with basically everything you said. Yes, apps like TikTok and Snapchat are poison to kids nowadays. I'm not a young 'un anymore.

I was born in the 70's and my perspective may be skewed. Old fart 'an all. Things are just seemingly moving towards complete and utter mass insanity right now. The world has gone crazy and it's apparent that the powers that be are in on it. Not giving any kinds of fucks about what is available, accessible and distributed to the masses.

Liberal "power" has a very different meaning today than it had 10 years ago. It's all about "feelings" and "emotions" nowadays and it makes me sick to be honest.

The world will get what it deserves. All in good time.

 

[Drinnera]

Technology in work, is great in general. We however do need to keep changing laws to make it beneficial to everyone.

Simply put, if companies need less workers, and pay the same hourly rate, they make way more money.
If say workweeks are shortened (with same pay), they will need more workers, and those workers will make more per hour, and thus have more free time, get sick less etc.
So even if employers still need to pay the same amount for less hours, workers will still do a better job and get sick less, thus they are still making more.

So when isn't technology great? When it starts to replace the human factor. So think healthcare, that always needs to be done by people, if people are gonna get help from a robot, that's a bad thing. And I'm not talking about a robot to support a human. I'm talking about a robot feeding a human etc, because often that's a big part of their human connection over a day.


Now aside from work, I have my thoughts about technology. Now technology cannot be evil (unless we are talking Terminator stuff), but I will say that the issues stemming from the internet/social media, is absolutely horrible. Kids grow up with their phone in their hand, they watch videos that take 10-20 seconds at most, and they do not go outside to play.

I was 1 of those kids who had internet very early on, I think I was 14 (this is 1999) when we got internet. But back then the internet had a bunch of stuff, and sure there was IRC, but I sure never used it. I mostly used it to

You must be registered to see links

and games.

Later one I obviously started playing MMO's and this place became a huge part of my life. Now by all means I know the benefits this place gave me, but in general it wasn't the healthiest thing to do.
But I did have a childhood where I played outside, and if I played videogames with friends, they would be sitting next to me, because there was no online gaming, at least not for me.

Kids don't have that these days, they are used to playing online, texting, using snapchat and tiktok. Depression amongst teens have went way up, cyberbullying is big (and yes that is worse than the regular bullying that went on back then), people record everything, and I know plenty of stories where nude pictures were taken of teens and spread around school, that includes in locker rooms by classmates etc.

I honestly don't know where we are heading, I find all of it extremely problematic, and whenever I think it can't get worse, it does get worse. the popularity of tiktok to me is repulsive, it shouldn't exist. I don't care who owns it, but it's about peoples minds not being melt by a constant flood of pointless short clips.

I think technology in the work setting can be a great thing, it can make jobs more efficient and generate more profit. However, we should keep changing laws to ensure that worker rights are prioritized and wages are fair. Businesses should be incentivized to hire more workers, and working hours should be reduced to create more earning potential for those workers.

Outside of work, I definitely agree that the issues stemming from the internet and social media can be very concerning. We are raising a generation of tech-dependent children who don't explore the outdoors and don't know what true human connection is. I remember having a very different childhood, where I played outside with friends and didn't rely on the internet to connect with them. We have to be careful or else we will see an increase in mental health issues, cyberbullying and exploitation.

Overall, we need to make sure technology is used responsibly and with regulation so that it can be a force of good in society.

Just my humble opinion