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“It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity”. This famous quote by Albert Einstein illustrates the seismic impact technology has had on society throughout its existence. With yearly innovations, such as the introduction of iPhones, laptops, video games, and new social media platforms, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the idea of a non-technological world in the 21st century is nearly impossible. Furthermore, technology, over the course of many years, has developed into the epitome of change for society, and has resulted in various ideas: with fostering a global cyber-community through social media, developing artificial intelligence, and even technologizing the classroom setting. However, before simply embracing this marvelous technology, it is crucially important to evaluate its potential, long-term ramifications on the future of society.

For starters, social media is a combination of many industries such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc, which has changed society tremendously. A pro that is introduced in the article, How Does Screen Time Affect Young Minds? Jury is Out, is evident when the author states, “Many people who are socially isolated...establish social networks through their screens that would be impossible to find in person” (Benedict). This shows the monumental effects that social media has on individuals, as not everyone is able to, or feels comfortable expressing themselves in person. Nonetheless, social media has served justice to these people by acting as a platform to allow them to connect with others. As a result of this interaction, somewhat of a cyber-community is formed. Furthermore, this may seem great up until now. Unfortunately, such freedom has also lit fuel to the fire, known as cyberbullying. This is a form of bullying where an individual sends harmful messages to another virtually. In fact, this form of bullying has gotten so common that according to article, Half Of Americans Harassed Online, it was reported by the Anti-Defamation League, that “thirty-seven percent [of Americans] report that they were attacked online” (qtd. In Guynn). This report has provided statistical evidence that cyberbullying has become a big issue, and has also allowed for the recognition of this huge con associated with technology.

Moving on, another form of technology which has definitely left its mark on society is artificial intelligence. Imagine the world filled with machines to fulfill the necessary tasks required to sustain humanity. A place where every individual could lay back and relax, while the heavy lifting is being provided by robots, also referred to as artificial intelligence. In fact, some may even go as far as to call this a utopian society, in which everything is perfect. This is the goal. Sadly, society has not progressed that far yet. However, it has built many forms of artificial intelligence such as self-driving cars, Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, and even self-driving wagons that have substantially boosted Australia’s Mining Industry. In fact, the article, How Robot Train’s Are Boosting Australia’s Mining Industry, by Jamie Smyth, illustrated how Pilbara: “a remote desert region in Western Australia that supplies half the world’s seaborne iron ore trade,” has been greatly affected by self-driving wagons. It is to be understood by the article that “three-quarters of [Pilbara’s Rail Network] trains run without drivers as they carry ores from its network of 16 mines to ports, from where it is shipped to Asia” (Symth). Clearly, as illustrated by Pilbara’s success, comes the argument for those who support and are in favor of artificial intelligence. On the other hand, people who do not support this claim would argue that it is unpredictable, or causes too many uncertainties. This is evident, in the article, The Deadly Soul of a New Machine, where the author explains the fatal tragedy linked to the “intelligent” 737 Max 8 Plane (Egan). Further, he states, “A tug of war follows between men and computer, at 450 miles an hour--the human pilots trying to right the downward plunge, the automatic pilot taking it back from them. The bot wins. The jetliner crashes into the Java Sea” (Egan). What seemed to be a great feature for society, had turned into a huge disaster, as it was reported that 189 people onboard were killed during this plane crash. This is the reason why many would argue not only against the autopilot feature, but against artificial intelligence as a whole.

Lastly, technology has also made it presence felt in the classroom setting. For example, in the article, How Google Took Over the Classroom, it was stated by the author that, “Today, more than half the nation’s primary- and secondary-school students...use Google education apps like gmail and docs” (). This information is important to understand because it shows just how big of an impact technology has provided to a classroom setting. Without this advancement, educational school settings would definitely be different than they are today. In contrary, many also oppose this notion of technology in classrooms. This is made apparent in Susan Henneberg’s article, Issues In Society: Are Mobile Devices harmful?, when she states that, “Some researchers argue that mobile phones interfere with sleep as well as study and work habits.” This is the same reason why many teachers oppose cell phones and even laptops in their classes. They believe that these devices cause distractions, and make students miss out on important information.

Overall, whether good or bad, technology has become the epitome of change in our society. It is undeniable, the impact which it has made on the world with its advancements in areas such as social media, artificial intelligence, and even changes in the classroom setting. Of course with all new innovations, also come many pros and cons, and it is up to society as a whole to decide on rules and regulations for how they should be handled. Regardless of this fact, it is now apparent that society has changed astronomically and there is no looking back.

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