David's CHS 202 Blog - Clemson University

Today in class a grou presented some of the main ideas of anti-technology as well as one of the largest groups advocating it. A link to a site created by the project members is found here: http://people.clemson.edu/~cbaber/anticomputing.html. Following their presentation, members of the class joined in groups to discuss the pros and cons of technology, and then we shared our ideas as a whole. Since I spent most of my time trying to focus on hearing what others were saying, I didn't have much of a chance to express my own views, until one came spilling out towards the end of the period. I find it kind of hard to believe that some people (not our class) can say that all technology or even a little is bad for society. People focus mainly on the "damaging effects" of technology such as Xboxes or computers and give little thought to the other smaller pieces of technology, such as a hearing aid. As a hearing impaired member of society, my well-being is directly connected to an instrument of technology, my hearing aid. Should I have been born in the 1800s, I would have not been able to learn to speak or listen to other people, and would thus be trapped in the mind of a one year old while possessing an 18 year old body. Hearing aids are an important byproduct of technological advance, and they have made a world of difference to me by unlocking things that would otherwise be impossible to do with no hearing. As long as I find myself dependent on this critical piece of technology, I cannot rightfully say that technology is damaging. While I am wary of the overexcesses of technology making us incompetent or lazy, I do believe there is a fundamental need for enabling technologyies such as a hearing aid or prosthetic leg.