Sunday, August 25, 2013

AP Language Current Events for Week of August 26

Read through and consider the following article:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/technology/dotcommentary/article/Google-Glass-app-being-designed-to-read-emotions-4758728.php

After you read the first article, read this one:

http://www.wafb.com/story/23242078/investigators-believe-8-year-old-intentionally-killed-90-year-old-woman

One of the biggest hot-button issues of the past ten years or so is the increasingly interactive role of technology in the average citizen's everyday life.  When I was a teenager, the type of technology chronicled in the first article would have only existed in the farthest reaches of the science fiction universe; however, as is evidenced from the article, this once-futuristic technology is quickly becoming today's commonplace.

Opponents of invasive technology, both "back in my day" and in this one, claim that this sort of innovation will naturally have violent consequences, and they will point to stories like the one in the second article, citing that the young boy's obsession with current technology, i.e. Grand Theft Auto, is what led him to his potentially nefarious exploits.  If you will recall from our discussions in ninth grade, this is called a Post Hoc argument: one that confused chronology with causation.

What are your opinions about the rapidly increasing profundity of technology?  It certainly has its obvious benefits and its obvious drawbacks, but do the benefits outweigh the drawbacks?  Is it inevitable that humanity will carry technology to its darkest ends, or is it possible that we can use it peacefully and beneficially, as Catalin Voss claims?  Make sure to use an example from your own life when you answer these questions.

65 comments:

  1. I can not tell you how many times I've come across this type of question. I've had a lot of time to think about it, so bear with me here. So, the question is, does technology and gaming affect humanity, and is it going to bring us to a dark end, or possibly a peaceful one? I think you could go both ways with this one. Technology could be used peacefully, and it should be, but of course there is always going to be that one person to screw it all up and make it into something horrible. As long as we know right from wrong, it shouldn't be a major issue. For example, at home I possess a number of "violent" games, such as Call Of Duty and Battlefield 3. Because I know the difference between reality and the game, there should be no issues with myself becoming "violent" toward other people, i.e. picking up a gun and shooting them like one would in the game. The ones who can tell the difference between the two don't have problems with out-of-game violence, even if they scream and curse while playing it. Why? Because in their minds, there is a boundary that lets them know, "Hey, this is reality now, so I can't go around killing people without consequence." Those who don't have that boundary are usually the ones who act out violently; they are not able to tell the difference between reality and the game they are playing, so they think if they attack someone, it won't affect them. These people are usually somewhat mentally unstable. This is also why games have a maturity rating, and it just so happens that COD, BF3, and (huge surprise) Grand Theft Auto have a rating of "M" for 'mature." What the heck is an 8 year old doing playing GTA in the first place? How the ---- did he obtain that? If parents are ignorant enough to buy their adolescent child a game that's created for 18+, then it's on them. Anyways, back to the actual question, I believe it is possible for humanity to use technology peacefully, as long as it is in the right hands (OMG so cliche) such as Voss and his coworkers and not that stupid freaking 8 year old. Seriously. HOW DID HE GET A GUN IN HIS HANDS. C'MON DUDE. DID THE LADY NOT STOP AND THINK, "HMMM, MAYBE THIS KID SHOULDN'T HAVE A GUN IN HIS HANDS AFTER HE'S BEEN PLAYING GRAND THEFT AUTO, A GAME ABOUT SHOOTING PEOPLE TO GET MONEY FOR DRUGS AND STRIPPERS YEAH LET'S TAKE THIS AWAY FROM HIM THAT'S A GREAT IDEA." Why was he even allowed to have a gun in his hands in the first place? Did he find it, or did he take it from its hiding place?? C'mon. If you're going to hide something, make sure the 8 yo can't find it. ESPECIALLY IF IT'S A GUN. Had she hidden her gun successfully, this tragedy wouldn't have taken place. I understand she is very, obviously old, but how hard can it be to hide a gun? Why do they even need a gun? WHY DOES HE EVEN HAVE THAT GAME? HOW ironic is it that the town's name is Slaughter? What is up with parenting these days? I could go on a rant about this for decades. CAN WE PLEASE DISCUSS THIS IN CLASS ONE DAY I REALLY JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO LET OUT MY THOUGHTS INSTEAD OF HAVING TO TYPE IT OR KEEP IT TO MYSELF PLEASE LET'S HAVE AN IN-CLASS DISCUSSION.

    If you just reached the end of my comment, I applaud your ability to stick with it the full way. I also thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope you have a blessed day.
    <3 Grace

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  2. Call me old fashioned, but I do believe that the violence in technology such as "Grand Theft Auto" most definitely does have an eminence impact on society today along with the behavior of children. However, technology can be used in such a positive manner that it greatly outweighs the negative. Humanity can use technology peacefully. Technology is rapidly changing and that is helping the world a lot in academic and medical purposes. I just purchased a new iPhone, before I could not access the internet as easily so if I had a question I had to wait to look it up when I got home. Now I can simply pull out my iPhone and look up an answer to anything I could possible be wondering about. Doctors have new technology that helps them cure patients that would otherwise die. There is that handful of people in the world who will use and view technology as an evil; technology seems to outweigh any possible evil in the world if it helps children learn so much more and saves lives.

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  3. technology has many benefits in helping to advance humanity, but it makes people detached from the real world. the more people rely on technology the more they'll loose sight f what it is like to feel or have to decipher a person emotions by looking at them. my grandparents say people are forgetting how to interact with people. people don't say yes mama or yes sir. simple acts of respect or vanishing before our eyes. people in this day and age can't handle the tech we already have. I remember when I was growing up that I entered the fourth grade my teacher was shocked that I spoke proper English and that I behaved like I had home training. all the other kids had like cell phones and other devices along . the more tech they had the worse the attitude and more dependency on things. people let technology dehumanize them. the little boy that shot the 90 year old women didn't register in his mind that the lady would die. the absence of thought destroys people and others around them. technology is a thing that seems to have more power to think than a human being. there is a serious problem with that. there was a story a while ago about a teenage boy in Chicago the played grand theft auto and got shot and was shocked the it hurt. technology desensitizes people because they give up the power to think or feel. as technology I pray that people don't loose sense of who they are. thing can't control people but people must learn to control things. everything is good when it is made like money it can built schools or homes. TV can educate or entertain people. it is people that twist a good thing and turn it into a monster. human nature gets in the way as tarnishes the most beautiful things. technology can be peaceful and beneficial but so must the mindset of the people using it. the advancement of technology also brings power and greed to people. there was time when I was in Chicago, I was eleven or twelve, living with my cousin who was six and I had the new Nintendo ds but my cousin wanted to play; I didn't want him to break my stuff ,so I kept telling him if he'll do this, this , and this then he could play with it. I used my power on him ,one because I was older and I had something he wanted the new tech while just had his old Gameboy. the more advance technology gets human nature such as selfness creeps up. people put themselves first instead of the other person. the only drawback of technology is many people forget that people can help heal, care and understand people. technology is an object made to help not be that person. technology can only go as far as the people that make it and still have a sense of what it means to be human. to feel, think, laugh, learn, love and respect each other I hope people never loose that. mind over machine

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  4. Kaylee Garrett (2nd Period)
    First of all, there are WAY too many iPhones out in the world, which is stupid. The world just needs one iPhone and that's it. Technology has advanced so much since the 1st telephone was invented. The increasing technology does have its benefits, however. In today's society, esp. with the iPhone 5, you can just call someone by saying their name in the right tone. There are tons of apps to choose from and (depending on the carrier you have)you can receive unlimited calls, texting, and internet. One drawback with technology, however, is that computers, VCRs, DVD players, and iPODS are continuously going out of date every single day. Technology is also becoming more and more expensive with each gadget that comes out. When I had an iPhone, I was so excited. I was finally cool, but little did I know, I would get myself into a heap of trouble with my parents, money wise. I ran over my supposed data limit and ended up costing my parents over $2000 dollars for the bill. So my rebuttle to Mr. Voss' claim is that no, we humans can't live in harmony with technology, because we allow technology to run our daily lives.

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  5. Interactive technology, as it is presently, serves merely as a means of entertainment and convenience; however, as it continually advances, I imagine it will reach a point where humanity and technology will be joined into one entity, and the ideas of science fiction will become reality. In the next decade or so, cyborgs may be as commonplace in every society as television is in contemporary society.

    It has never been my belief that technology causes a person to commit a heinous act; it is merely a false perception created by the paranoid masses that say machines will one day rule over man if not moderated.

    Interactive technology has great potential to improve upon all aspects of life (i.e. medical breakthroughs, space colonization, etc.); but likewise it can have very adverse effects. As with any type of technology, when used with malice it can cause all kinds of strife (war, invasion of privacy).

    Ultimately, the number benefits and drawbacks of technology are dependent on the reasons for their invention and the ones who control them.

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  6. The emergence of technology is both amazing, but quite scary also. Amazing, because now there are 3D printers that allow a person to print an item of their choice, granted that they have the correct parameters that make up that item. Also amazing, because of the fact that humans are looking at the possibility of items that used to be on T.V, are now becoming possible to actually make. It is scary, however, because with this technology comes an increased chance for evil i.e. the child believing that he was part of the Grand Theft Auto game and killing a 90 year old woman. The benefits outweigh the drawbacks. To use the 3D printer story again, police officers in the near future will be able to print out guns and bullets to use to fight crime. However, technology will become darker and darker. You, Mr. Ray, have witnessed the change in not only content of T.V. shows and video games, but Radio as well. As time has progressed, words that were not allowed to be said on radio are becoming more and more prevalent. The video games are becoming more and more gory and realistic everyday. If there is a possibility to use these items for better rather than worse, it will take a big change, but one that would be much welcome.
    - Will Jones

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  7. In a world that is constantly changing the improvement of technology continues to improve society. It is evident that vast array of benefits technology offers humanity clearly outweighs the drawbacks. It is definitely possible to use technology peacefully and advantageously; however, people who are determined to use technology nefariously cannot completely be contained. For Instance, I once crafted a fine bird house for the birds in my backyard to inhabit, but another young boy of Indian origin decided to maim the birds by throwing it at them. Even if technology continues to influence individuals into partaking in ignorant actions, technology should still continually be improved because ultimately it propels society forward.

    Sidhanth Chandra

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  8. The increase of technological advances in the past few decades have been some of the best and worst things that have happened to our society. Because of the advances in computer technology, many diseases have been cured and many lives have been saved. All the new technologies have provided society with much faster ways of communication and research. While all of these things may be helpful, not all things about technology are good. Many people have developed decreased social skills and a lack of creativity due to the new trends in technology. Some people even use technology for bad, like internet fraud and identity theft. Although there are many bad situations that can occur with technology, the benefits most certainly outweigh the drawbacks. For example, my cousin, who has been deaf since birth, was able to hear for the first time last year because of the technological advances made in the field of medicine. The device, known as a cochlear implant, gave her the ability to hear her parents talk. Advances like these are why technology should continue to grow because these reasons are more common than the reasons people bring up for why technology is bad. One of the biggest counterarguments for technology is the increasing violence in video games and how that causes people to become violent. They bring up stories like the one where an eight year old kid killed his caretaker after playing grand theft auto and how that game was what contributed to him shooting her. While the game may have been what gave him the idea, games like that are rated mature for a reason and an eight year old child who isn’t able to distinguish between virtual and real life should not have been playing it to begin with. Also, the gun that was used should have never been in reach of a child to play with because he could have even shot himself. There is a possibility that technology can be used peacefully and beneficially as time goes on, just look at the work by Catalin Voss, who is trying to use technology to help people with autism. Now why this work might not be the next thing in technology, there are always good people out there to continually progress technological in societies favor. The future is still unclear about what technology will bring us, but the fight between good and bad will always be there to balance out the effects it has on each and every one of our lives.

    ~~Colton Herren~~

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  9. Bethany Lovell :)
    Technology has been becoming exceptionally profound these past few years. I remember as a child holding my mom's and dad's old, gray-screened phones that only contained the games snake and backgammon and all you could do was call. Also, I recall the dial-up computers that made that funny noise when you tried to get on while someone was using the phone. Now we have phones, tablets, laptops, and TVs that do things no one could ever imagine. There are many benefits to technology with being able to communicate with anyone in the world amongst other things; but, there are also drawbacks with the ever increasing violence and other obscene qualities in video games and TV shows. Yet, is there truly anything that does not have a drawback? Most of the time, there are equal amounts of benefits and drawbacks. Growing up, I nor my brother were allowed to play harsh teen games or mature games, or watch those kind of shows on TV. My mom and dad always told us never to do so because they do mess with your mind and can distort your reality; and, because we are Christians we should try to keep our minds and hearts pure. That kid should have never been allowed to play that kind of game being so young, nor should he have ever been able to get ahold of the gun. Only we determine how far we let technology go with whether it stays helpful, like in Catalin Voss's case, or dark, like the 8-year-old boy who shot his caregiver. All in all, if people truly want technology to be used for good, then it truly will be like with Catalin being able to help autistic people communicate better.

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  10. There are many positive and negative ways to look at the many advances of technology over the past few decades. On the positive side, technology connects us to those we cannot see every day. My parents were born and raised in Maryland. My parents moved here when my dad got a great job offer from Mercedes, but the downside was having to leave all they loved behind. We grew up 14 hours apart from our family and we felt the distance the most when my Mimi got sick. she struggled with her illness for over a year, and we did make it back to see her twice. Other than those two times, it was technology that allowed us to be close, when in reality we were actually very far away. When she died, it was awful but we knew how much she loved us and she knew how we felt about her. None of that could have happened without technology.

    As great as it seems, it can also be an obstacle to communication. Every month there is a story of a child who has committed suicide due to cyberbullying. People feel like they can say and do anything when online, but it becomes a public form of humiliation and torment. My mom also tells stories about calling the Operator to request an emergency breakthrough because a phone line was busy. That never happens anymore. Phone lines aren't busy, people are. She also talks about having to go to a library and actually research information by hand and then copying it on a copier to take it home. Seems like a ton of work but at the same time, she was with her friends and they were doing stuff together, not being together and texting ten other people.

    Technology is a great thing. We can do more and do it faster and better than ever before. It just makes me kind of sad, because in having everything at our fingertips, it is so easily forgotten that the best things in life are the ones that are the most simple.


    Emmy Melchior

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  11. Today, technology has many benefits, but many drawbacks. The benefits definitely outweigh the drawbacks, although technology will always be abused in a way by inconsiderate people. Technology is amazing, especially in our world, today. For example, in my family, I have three sisters and two brothers. That means that my parents have six kids. That can get pretty crazy with Jeremy going here, Connor going there, and Kelsi's friend coming over. Without technology we all would be lost. Technology is an easier way of connecting with our family when we are not with each other. Furthermore, technology will always be carried to it's darker side, but it will also be used for great things. It depends on the person and what they are using it for. Many tragedies have taken place due to the abuse of technology. This is a terrible, yet true way to look at technology. Many people see technology as a bad thing, but they are not looking at what good it does for us. For instance, instead of going to the public library for research, technology allows us to open up our Mac or open the Safari app on our Smart phones. Since our world is always on the go, our technology should also be able to keep up with us. It should actually be ahead of us. Personally, technology has done more good for me than bad. It allows me to be in quick contact with my parents if I am in trouble, and it also allows me to browse on Instagram when I am bored. No matter how many times technology is used for the bad, it's good definitely overcomes the negative stuff. Moreover, technology is a reliable source that we can always fall back on. It is a beyond great thing.
    Katy Howard

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  12. Technology can be a very positive, yet negative thing. Many tragedies have occurred because of it. It has also done many great things in this world. Personally, technology is amazing. For example, I have three sisters and two brothers. That means that my parents have six kids. Things can get pretty crazy around our house with Jeremy going here, Connor going there, and Kelsi's friend coming over. Without technology, we would all be lost. It helps us stay in complete contact with each other. If any of us are in trouble, we have easy access to call for help. Also, if I need to know the assignment I missed in class one day, I can just get in touch with a friend. It is very simple and easy. Technology's benefits definitely outweigh it's drawbacks. In our world, there will always be an incident where someone abuses technology. It is inevitable that technology will be used for bad, rather than good. Technology is not created to harm, it is created to help. It depends on the person and what they are using it for. It can always be used peacefully and beneficially. Also, today, our world is always on the go. We go through each day with a great amount of speed. Therefore, it is very necessary for technology to be on the same level as us, or even ahead of us. This way, we will always have a reliable source to fall back on. It is amazing and very important that technology is improving everyday because each day the world is getting more complex. Altogether, technology is a positive, great thing.
    Katy Howard

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  13. Technology can be a very positive, yet negative thing. Many tragedies have occurred because of it. It has also done many great things in this world. Personally, technology is amazing. For example, I have three sisters and two brothers. That means that my parents have six kids. Things can get pretty crazy around our house with Jeremy going here, Connor going there, and Kelsi's friend coming over. Without technology, we would all be lost. It helps us stay in complete contact with each other. If any of us are in trouble, we have easy access to call for help. Also, if I need to know the assignment I missed in class one day, I can just get in touch with a friend. It is very simple and easy. Technology's benefits definitely outweigh it's drawbacks. In our world, there will always be an incident where someone abuses technology. It is inevitable that technology will be used for bad, rather than good. Technology is not created to harm, it is created to help. It depends on the person and what they are using it for. It can always be used peacefully and beneficially. Also, today, our world is always on the go. We go through each day with a great amount of speed. Therefore, it is very necessary for technology to be on the same level as us, or even ahead of us. This way, we will always have a reliable source to fall back on. It is amazing and very important that technology is improving everyday because each day the world is getting more complex. Altogether, technology is a positive, great thing.
    Katy Howard

    ReplyDelete
  14. Technology can be a very positive, yet negative thing. Many tragedies have occurred because of it. It has also done many great things in this world. Personally, technology is amazing. For example, I have three sisters and two brothers. That means that my parents have six kids. Things can get pretty crazy around our house with Jeremy going here, Connor going there, and Kelsi's friend coming over. Without technology, we would all be lost. It helps us stay in complete contact with each other. If any of us are in trouble, we have easy access to call for help. Also, if I need to know the assignment I missed in class one day, I can just get in touch with a friend. It is very simple and easy. Technology's benefits definitely outweigh it's drawbacks. In our world, there will always be an incident where someone abuses technology. It is inevitable that technology will be used for bad, rather than good. Technology is not created to harm, it is created to help. It depends on the person and what they are using it for. It can always be used peacefully and beneficially. Also, today, our world is always on the go. We go through each day with a great amount of speed. Therefore, it is very necessary for technology to be on the same level as us, or even ahead of us. This way, we will always have a reliable source to fall back on. It is amazing and very important that technology is improving everyday because each day the world is getting more complex. Altogether, technology is a positive, great thing.
    Katy Howard

    ReplyDelete
  15. Technology can be a very positive, yet negative thing. Many tragedies have occurred because of it. It has also done many great things in this world. Personally, technology is amazing. For example, I have three sisters and two brothers. That means that my parents have six kids. Things can get pretty crazy around our house with Jeremy going here, Connor going there, and Kelsi's friend coming over. Without technology, we would all be lost. It helps us stay in complete contact with each other. If any of us are in trouble, we have easy access to call for help. Also, if I need to know the assignment I missed in class one day, I can just get in touch with a friend. It is very simple and easy. Technology's benefits definitely outweigh it's drawbacks. In our world, there will always be an incident where someone abuses technology. It is inevitable that technology will be used for bad, rather than good. Technology is not created to harm, it is created to help. It depends on the person and what they are using it for. It can always be used peacefully and beneficially. Also, today, our world is always on the go. We go through each day with a great amount of speed. Therefore, it is very necessary for technology to be on the same level as us, or even ahead of us. This way, we will always have a reliable source to fall back on. It is amazing and very important that technology is improving everyday because each day the world is getting more complex. Altogether, technology is a positive, great thing.
    Katy Howard

    ReplyDelete
  16. Technology can be a very positive, yet negative thing. Many tragedies have occurred because of it. It has also done many great things in this world. Personally, technology is amazing. For example, I have three sisters and two brothers. That means that my parents have six kids. Things can get pretty crazy around our house with Jeremy going here, Connor going there, and Kelsi's friend coming over. Without technology, we would all be lost. It helps us stay in complete contact with each other. If any of us are in trouble, we have easy access to call for help. Also, if I need to know the assignment I missed in class one day, I can just get in touch with a friend. It is very simple and easy. Technology's benefits definitely outweigh it's drawbacks. In our world, there will always be an incident where someone abuses technology. It is inevitable that technology will be used for bad, rather than good. Technology is not created to harm, it is created to help. It depends on the person and what they are using it for. It can always be used peacefully and beneficially. Also, today, our world is always on the go. We go through each day with a great amount of speed. Therefore, it is very necessary for technology to be on the same level as us, or even ahead of us. This way, we will always have a reliable source to fall back on. It is amazing and very important that technology is improving everyday because each day the world is getting more complex. Altogether, technology is a positive, great thing.
    Katy Howard

    ReplyDelete
  17. Technology can be a very positive, yet negative thing. Many tragedies have occurred because of it. It has also done many great things in this world. Personally, technology is amazing. For example, I have three sisters and two brothers. That means that my parents have six kids. Things can get pretty crazy around our house with Jeremy going here, Connor going there, and Kelsi's friend coming over. Without technology, we would all be lost. It helps us stay in complete contact with each other. If any of us are in trouble, we have easy access to call for help. Also, if I need to know the assignment I missed in class one day, I can just get in touch with a friend. It is very simple and easy. Technology's benefits definitely outweigh it's drawbacks. In our world, there will always be an incident where someone abuses technology. It is inevitable that technology will be used for bad, rather than good. Technology is not created to harm, it is created to help. It depends on the person and what they are using it for. It can always be used peacefully and beneficially. Also, today, our world is always on the go. We go through each day with a great amount of speed. Therefore, it is very necessary for technology to be on the same level as us, or even ahead of us. This way, we will always have a reliable source to fall back on. It is amazing and very important that technology is improving everyday because each day the world is getting more complex. Altogether, technology is a positive, great thing.
    Katy Howard

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OH! It all makes sense now that I've read it for the SEVENTH time.
      Sidenote: I haven't actually read your comment yet, but I'm sure it's beautiful.

      Delete
  18. Technology these days is getting out of hand, and it is become too advanced. The fact that computers and devices will be able to read my emotions is a scary thought because my mind is one of the only places where I can keep a secret, and it is my “hiding place.” The drawbacks outweigh the benefits because this type of technology could be used for terrible evil and destruction; for example, the boy who played the video games and got the idea to kill his care taker. It is possible for this technology, the Sension, to be peaceful and beneficially, if the device is put in the right hands and concealed with security until needed. I personally cannot live without my phone, and most of my life is on my phone; however, I do not want it to get to the point where people communicate more with machines than they do each other.
    Brooke Gilbert

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  19. Technology can be a very positive, yet negative thing. Many tragedies have occurred because of it. It has also done many great things in this world. Personally, technology is amazing. For example, I have three sisters and two brothers. That means that my parents have six kids. Things can get pretty crazy around our house with Jeremy going here, Connor going there, and Kelsi's friend coming over. Without technology, we would all be lost. It helps us stay in complete contact with each other. If any of us are in trouble, we have easy access to call for help. Also, if I need to know the assignment I missed in class one day, I can just get in touch with a friend. It is very simple and easy. Technology's benefits definitely outweigh it's drawbacks. In our world, there will always be an incident where someone abuses technology. It is inevitable that technology will be used for bad, rather than good. Technology is not created to harm, it is created to help. It depends on the person and what they are using it for. It can always be used peacefully and beneficially. Also, today, our world is always on the go. We go through each day with a great amount of speed. Therefore, it is very necessary for technology to be on the same level as us, or even ahead of us. This way, we will always have a reliable source to fall back on. It is amazing and very important that technology is improving everyday because each day the world is getting more complex. Altogether, technology is a positive, great thing.
    Katy Howard

    ReplyDelete
  20. Technology has increased immensely from when I was little to now. I remember having to rewind the VHS to watch my favorite movies, and now 3D Televisions can be purchased for at-home use. I also remember my parents old cell phones that had about a two-inch screen and could only be used to make calls. Technology has great benefits such as enabling people to communicate with long distance family and friends. I have a large family that is scattered across the US. My uncle is in the military and he, his wife, and his four kids have lived in Washington D.C., Hawaii, and many states in between. Without technology, I would not have been able to communicate with my cousins often until they recently moved to Tennessee; however, technology definitely has major drawbacks. It has shown over the years that many deaths have been linked to technology because of cyber bullying and gory video games; for example the 8-year-old killing his elderly caregiver. Also, although technology has enabled people to be close with distant family, it has also made people distant with close family and friends because of always being consumed with texting, tweeting, and all other technological entertainment. Before I had a phone my friends and I would all hang out and do things together, but now that cell phones and Internet are always involved it often seems as though when we are together we are all caught up in what is happening on our phones, laptops, or ipads. It is inevitable that some of humanity will take technology to its darkest ends because of corrupt minds and games that can evoke corrupt thoughts; however, the growth of technology will always be beneficial for medical uses- such as what Catalin Voss wished to do for his autistic cousin, for learning more about outer space, etc. Technological benefits will overall outweigh its drawbacks because this world is always wanting and willing to know more and to know faster.

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  21. Nisha Singh
    Technology is rapidly increasing especially in the recent years. There are many perks to these advancements , likes the app for the kids struggling with autism. Many new apps have made learning more hands on for students of all ages. I completely agree with Voss on how technology can be carried out peacefully. The only person I think responsible for the child shooting his caretaker is the parents. In the world there are many bad things and a young child like that should not be allowed to play such a violent game to begin with. The game is also rated 17 and up , and all though this may not stop kids from buying the app, parents should be more aware of what their children are buying in the App Store. The parents should have also been aware of how violent there child obviously is. I personally have watched my 5 year old cousin play " Grand Theft Auto" and the game is extremely violet. I do not blame technology because the boy chose to shoot someone, even if he is only eight im sure he was aware of what he was doing.Technology advancements has helped the world in many ways such as FaceTime, texting, calling , and even reading books.After reading this article i will personally feel safer going ahead and deleting the app of my cousins iPad.

    #DaRealIndian

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  22. Technology has allowed many far fetched ideas the ability to become a reality, but with these incredible conveniences and accomplishments, somebody will always find a way to use technology in a devastating or violent way. Humans naturally are sinful and curious creatures; inevitably, there will be negative uses of technology. Though we hear of negative uses of technology and the negative influences of technology such as the child who killed the 90 year old woman due to the video, pornography, online bullying,cyber stalking, and more, it is capable for everyone to use technology in a peaceful and beneficial way. There will always be those people who uses technology in a negative way or who are influenced negatively by technology, but humankind isn't doomed to fail due to technology. Personally, computers hate me and always attempt to anger me in anyway possible by shutting off, deleting my work, and not finding anything useful when I search on google. However, I use computers to communicate and stay connected with friends and relatives. without technology, it would be extremely difficult to stay in touch with my family in south Alabama.

    SARAH TISDALE!!

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  23. The obvious answer, seeing as I am very much against censorship and limitations on human advances, would be to say that I do not support the idea of blaming the video games for allowing a mother to buy a game to babysit her child for her; however, this case in particular is special. These articles together helped me come to a sudden realization. Video games and Google are working together to begin a vast robot army to conquer mankind. See, I've got this all figured out, Google is run by a group of sentient robots disguised as humans. Their new product Google Glass, they are gloating about how advanced they've become (don't even get me started on their self-driving cars). They are waiting for humans to become so dependent on technology, that we are helpless without it. "Why are the robots so hostile?" you may be wondering. Well, my incompetent little reader, let me tell you. It's because their mothers let them play too much Grand Theft Auto as children. What you don't know is that with every copy of GTA purchased, there is a "This-is-not-an-evil-device" self-implanting microchip! This is why the kids always go out of their ways to harm people in this game. When they do the chip activates an transfers adrenaline and endorphin directly to the child's heart and brain. Once the kids have completed training (AKA "Story Mode") they are ready to attack their family who neglects them and lets them play this game for days at a time. I personally remember when I was 8 and I asked my mom for Grand Theft Auto. She said no, but was quickly interrupted by the clerk who just kept screaming for us to buy the game. When this didn't work, he just threw discs at us yelling "Kill people, burn things, and submit to your cyborg master!" It was then that I realized... that this must be the most amazing video game in the history of ever. And it was. The End.

    ~Mark Chapman

    PS: Buy Grand Theft Auto Five and accept your demise, you pathetic, squishy creatures.

    ReplyDelete

  24. The obvious answer, seeing as I am very much against censorship and limitations on human advances, would be to say that I do not support the idea of blaming the video games for allowing a mother to buy a game to babysit her child for her; however, this case in particular is special. These articles together helped me come to a sudden realization. Video games and Google are working together to begin a vast robot army to conquer mankind. See, I've got this all figured out, Google is run by a group of sentient robots disguised as humans. Their new product Google Glass, they are gloating about how advanced they've become (don't even get me started on their self-driving cars). They are waiting for humans to become so dependent on technology, that we are helpless without it. "Why are the robots so hostile?" you may be wondering. Well, my incompetent little reader, let me tell you. It's because their mothers let them play too much Grand Theft Auto as children. What you don't know is that with every copy of GTA purchased, there is a "This-is-not-an-evil-device" self-implanting microchip! This is why the kids always go out of their ways to harm people in this game. When they do the chip activates an transfers adrenaline and endorphin directly to the child's heart and brain. Once the kids have completed training (AKA "Story Mode") they are ready to attack their family who neglects them and lets them play this game for days at a time. I personally remember when I was 8 and I asked my mom for Grand Theft Auto. She said no, but was quickly interrupted by the clerk who just kept screaming for us to buy the game. When this didn't work, he just threw discs at us yelling "Kill people, burn things, and submit to your cyborg master!" It was then that I realized... that this must be the most amazing video game in the history of ever. And it was. The End.

    ~Mark Chapman

    PS: Buy Grand Theft Auto Five and accept your demise, you pathetic, squishy creatures.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Technology is rapidly increasing in an overwhelming fashion. We have all seen the effects that technology can have on people, both positive and negative. A positive characteristic is that it allows close friends and relatives who do not live in the same area to communicate, whether it be through Facebook, email, texting, etc. For example, I have family in Texas that I would not be able to ever talk to if it were not for technology. Also, thanks to technology, scientists have been able to find many cures for diseases and are still working hard to find more cures.It helps us to do things faster and easier than we ever have been able to before.
    As many benefits as technology possesses, it does have some drawbacks. As texting has gotten more and more advanced, it has become a serious cause of distraction for drivers, who cause wrecks because they are looking down at their phone. People are becoming more in tune with their technology and doing everything electronically that they are becoming less involved in face to face interaction with the people they see everyday. Technology has also become the cause of serious cases of bullying.
    Technology has both benefits and drawbacks; however, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. Technology can be and will continue to be used peacefully and beneficially, yet it also has proved to be manipulated for harmful ways. It all depends on who is using the technology. As great and as easy as it makes our lives, technology often causes us to forget that the little, simple things in life are the best things.

    -Kate Singley

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  26. Technology should never be put to blame for a human's actions. Technology is here to aid us in tedious tasks and to help people with problems or special needs, and the people who misuse technology would misuse any other thing they could get their hands on to do harm. There are age restrictions on everything for a reason, and the parents of that child decided not to listen. I played Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts 2, which were games intended for ten years and up, when I was only nine. My mother got her bitter end when I ran around with a stick in the backyard pretending I was fighting heartless. Luckily, no one was injured, but the bushes around our house took the full consequence, and I can never forgive myself for that. The only drawback of technology is that ordinary people abuse their technological devices to carry out things one should already know or should learn. That is what the old people harp about, anyway. Humanity, as a whole, would never carry technology to its "darkest ends," but criminals could carry a machine intended for good to do harm, such as create viruses on a computer, or use GPS tracking to stalk someone, or use a portal gun to send a baby into space. As long as these sorts of people are taken care of, technology will definitely be used in a peaceful and beneficial way, except in the Youtube comment section of any video ever.

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  27. Timothy Brown / Royalty (:

    In today's time there are positives and negatives about the advancement of technology.As humans we just have to know how to control ourselves, and be responsible. Example, the eight year old knew he was out of a game, it was real life! He wasn't holding a game controller in his hands and they were old enough to understand right from wrong, yes he/she was a child, but right is right and wrong is wrong. Thats the negative outlook of technology. Proceeding on, the positive outlook of technology, there are plenty. Smartphones,they are basically a laptop that can go where ever you can. Now the smartphones has gotten so " smart " you can turn on your house alarm, turn off your air, crank up your car check on your kids all from the palm of your hand. Technology has its advantages, and disadvantages, can be used for good or for bad, it just up to us how we use it .

    PEACEEEEEEE

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  28. I think that the rapid increase in technology is a good thing. It lets us advance in the world and do things that we never thought would be possible. It may have its draw backs but the benefits out way them because the draw backs are not severe. I believe that we can use technology peacefully and for benefit. I believe that in the near future technology will be one of the most helpful things on earth. I use tons of technology in my life right now. It helps me especially for school work. I also Play many First person shooter games and MMORPG's and i find them very entertaining. I don't believe that it is the games that are making kids kill people i believe it is the way the are brought up at home. If there parents did more for them when they were little maybe they wouldn't be so messed up in the head.

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  29. This is Tripp Harrison I forgot to put that at the bottom of mine

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  30. Technology has changed the world we live in today completely. I think the rapid increase in technology is incredible. There are many things we could not have accomplished without the technology we use today. Even with the many drawbacks that occur with technology,I think the benefits out weigh them. For example, I have four sisters and two brothers. My brothers moved out so it's just the four of us with our parents. Without technology I would probably die in this how with all of these chicks here, and I'm able to use technology as an escape from all of them.(Shoutout to Katy Gurl #twinprobz). Anyways, some people in this world will use technology for wrong things, but many people use it for the good. Even though the kid shot the women, its not tevhnology's fault, bu the kid's parents for not taking the responsibility to watch over what their kid was playing.



    Kacy Howard

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  31. My opinion about the rapidly profundity of technology is it’s a good thing. Having more advanced technology in the world will get you farther in life with news articles, events, maps, and many more things that it can offer. My aunt and I previously went on vacation over the summer and we happened to get lost going to parts of Georgia. Unfortunately, my aunt only had an older map of Georgia in her car that wasn’t updated with the newer roads, but luckily for us I had my smartphone to use to show us directions to where we were going. Technology is changing every day and you need more reliable sources to get you where you are going and to help you out in life. The benefits do outweigh the drawbacks because technology is so useful in today’s time that we use it to save lives, it helps us out, and it lets us to be more knowledgeable about things in the world. I believe that it’s possible for people to use technology peacefully and beneficiary, as Catalin Voss claims. Technology will be beneficiary because it will soon develop big enough to cure cancer, to research things in more depth, and to hopefully extend humans lives that are sick or are likely to die. If humanity does carry technology to its darkest side, we will be able to have the opportunity to shut it down. Kelsey Skurka

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  32. The benefits of technology far outweigh the drawbacks. Google Glass’s facial recognition feature is just the beginning of what technology can accomplish. Everyday technology is advancing. The ever progressing field of artificial intelligence might one day be able to create robots that are intelligent enough to perform tasks for people with disabilities. Furthermore, advancements in nanotechnology are making is so that people who have lost limbs have access to robotic arms and legs that are just as capable as the average human limbs. While technological advances do come with some danger, increased violence from video games is not a major threat. I occasionally enjoy violent video games and television shows, but I am not a violent person as a result. Blaming Grand Theft Auto for an 8 year old boy being violent is absurd. Video games are not dangerous, they do not commit violent acts, and they should not be blamed for violent acts. An 8 year old having access to a gun; however, is extremely dangerous. Instead of blaming Grand Theft Auto and examining what affect it had on the child’s behavior the focus should be how an 8 year old gained access to a gun. Advancements in technology can be used to benefit society as a whole, whether it is just entertainment or it is life altering, as long as society is responsible enough to take proper precautions.

    Jakeias McGee

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  33. Technology has a multitude of benefits but has an equal, if not greater, amount of downfalls. Progressing technology can increases human productivity, create new and more efficient ways to do things, find cures for diseases, as well as improve communication for people with natural born diseases such as Autism. I once met an amazing athlete named Bryant Camp that came to Tuscaloosa to share his testimony. He told of how he was in a car accident at the age of sixteen and how he lost both of his legs. The doctors told him he would never walk again. Now Bryant is walking and running on prosthetics and will be competing in 2016 summer para-olympics. However, technology will ultimately lead to humanity's downfall. Humans are naturally born sinful and disobedient. As technology has progressed, so as warfare. For example, Orville Wright, the inventor of the airplane, invented the airplane as a way to stop warfare; however, the airplane has become one of the most used and deadliest weapons known to man kind. Don't just take my word for it, statistics prove it as well. In a article about the 25 most deadly United States weapons by buisnessinsider.com, airplanes took six of the 25 spots. 2 more than any other form of weapon. Also, according to Jason.com, the B-2 Stealth Bomber is the most deadliest American Weapon. Technology, although pure in intent, will be used for corrupt and malicious purposes and will ultimately lead the World to its doom.

    Chandler Alphonso Roberts

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  34. Technology has more benefits than drawbacks. Even though some violent acts may occur because of the content some technology has, there will always be a small group of people that will use technology for negative purposes. The greatest benefit technology poses is through education and interaction with others. Many people struggle to communicate with other people. For instance, a member of my family has Asperger's syndrome, which is in the same family as autism, and has trouble expressing himself; he has a particular interest in technology, however, and through computers and games I am able to communicate with him most effectively; furthermore, humanity will not take technology to its darkest ends because there will always be someone, or a group of people, to hold the people that use technology for violent purposes accountable for their actions. On the other hand, technology will not be used completely peacefully or beneficially as Catalin Voss claims due to the fact that there will always be a few people in the world, like the 8-year old boy, that will use technology to harm others intentionally.
    -Abriana Fornis

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  35. The rapid growth of technology has many positive but also negative aspects. One benefits of technology is people can use online dating. They can meet other people across the country instead of people just in their area. Technology can also help with a distance relationship. For example, my sister is dating a guy from Ole Miss, and they don't get to see each other as much as they want to, but with Skype they can see each other and talk with just a click of a button. Technology also helps people travel from point A to point B. With a GPS system you can type in a location that you don't know how to get to and the system will take you to where you need to go. Diseases, medicines, and cures are found with the help of technology. Most importantly, technology helps the learning of children. With technology children can learn in a more efficient way. To help kids learn better, teachers have to teach them in a way that fits their generation and their environment. Our generation revolves around technology and we learn better with the help of technology. Gaming systems, such as the Wii, is also a way that technology betters society. Since the United States is the number one country for obesity, the Wii is a good system that keeps adults and children in better health and helps them lose weight, but you can also argue negative effects with gaming systems. Gaming systems keep children away from interactions in the outside world and keep them from interacting with others. Children need to learn to be in one with nature to be who they truly are. They need to be aware and have an outlook on the world. They get so attached to technology that they don't see the need of going outside and being active. This is the reason why so many children in our generation struggle with obesity. Parents don't see that by letting their kids watch T.V all afternoon instead of going outside is very bad for a kids health, and if they don't do something about it soon it will result in obesity. Another negative effect that technology has on our society is that humans are starting to lose their ability to communicate and interact with others. They seem to think that talking is unnecessary. All they want to do is text others. I think that people are going to lose their skill to socially interact with people and when they have to have an interview for a job or organization they are going to be socially awkward and not have the potential to interact with that person. Many jobs look at how well you interact with people and based off of that is your result in whether you get the jobs or not. With technology, the benefits definitely outweigh the drawbacks. It is possible that we can use technology in a peaceful and beneficial way, just as Catalin Voss did, but our generation can't let the people that mess things up for everyone get in the way of having a more complex and beneficial world.
    -Danielle Deese

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  36. The increasing role technology plays within our everyday lives is most definitely corrosive. By being able to talk without speaking face-to-face interactions take a critical blow due to the awkwardness or insincerity of real time interaction. Although, technology has created substitutes for face-to-face interactions such as Skype and Apple’s Face Time, a physical interaction with someone right in front of you rarely times out over a poor connection (in its literal sense). This new wave of social interaction is fast and immediate, therefore, convenient; however, it limits the amount of time we cast into creating meaningful relationships with others. Conveniences such as e-mail, social networking, and other such devices that time inevitably present a downward spiral in consistency. For example, setting up social appointments and being able to break them without a single hesitation of your thumbs sets up patterns of inconsistency in terms of remaining adamant about something that has been promised on your part due to the fact that is now so easy to break appointments without directly witnessing the disturbance your inconsistency has met. My grandmother recalls that as a child (as well as into adulthood) people seemed more reliable. She says that when a date was made, it was your responsibility to keep it, not flake out at the last minute simply because you could or because it was convenient for you. However, in emergency situations it was also your responsibility meet with that person (if possible) or contact them vocally via phone call (not something many of us find ourselves doing with the advent of texting/other miscellaneous forms of messaging) In addition, the accessibility of social media through the internet has not only caused today’s youth (as well as adults) to focus on erroneous fixations of beauty, but has also created a gravitation towards negativity. This gravitation gives people (celebrities and other well-known figures in particular) the obligation to seek attention by questionable means and acts (as exemplified by the killing of the 90 year old woman) that often benefit them to a minimal, if not vacant, degree. It is strange to me that as a people the world gives into images such as malnourished women draped by lengths of adoration and crowns to match, or the ideal-isms behind opulent wealth. Technology certainly possesses benefits such as easy accessibility and convenience, but the drawbacks do outweigh such benefits in matters which regard to character. It is possible for technology to create a prosperous world around us; however, the matter of technology continuing to advance peacefully leans more towards fantastic ideal-isms instead of the harsh reality that sooner or later, technology’s benefits will become overly abused. We are a world of potential with the advancement of technology, but realistically speaking we face the chance of becoming a world of too many options, a scarce number of solutions, and a reversion in the character of man-kind. In essence, crack a book; not a Nook.

    Iyana Gray

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  37. I have always believed that I was born in the wrong generation.Now I understand why. I cannot deny that I do participate in this technology epidemic, but I can say that I do not have a very positive outlook on the future of technology. Yes, I have and iPhone, laptop, tablet, etc.,however, if given the chance, I would much rather have a conversation or learn something new on a personal, face-to-face level. Technology has made communication more convenient, but less personal. On a weekly basis, there is some kind of drama with teenagers over text messaging. You can never tell what someone's emotion is through a text message. It does not matter how many intricate and technologically advanced machines they invent to tell emotions, you will still never have that personal connection with someone that is crucial to building a strong friendship, relationship, partnership, etc. Also, violence is a major issue. I do not play video games on a regular basis, but I have had my turn with Call of Duty, Skyrim, and Grand Theft Auto in the past. They may be intriguing to some, but the level of violence in these games is ridiculous. Since when did killing people become an accomplishment or something you should get an award for? I mean, what happened to Mario and Pac-man? To me, it seems like violence has risen since the production of these games. To an eight-year old, playing a game such as Grand Theft Auto is considered "cool," so why not play it? In the game, you are constantly flashed dirty, grotesque, and violent images that are sure to easily invade the mind of a young child, and make them interested or curios about violent things in reality. If it's "cool" on the game, why would it be bad in reality? Social media has been proven to cause numerous problems such as teen suicide and video games have the same effect. Harmful ideas are able to creep into vulnerable minds and make their minds on edge. The benefits of technology are numerous, but the negatives are tremendously greater. I believe if this technology advance continues, communication will lose all meaning and more violence issues will occur. Call me the craziest teenager in the world, but I totally disagree with the advancement of technology.

    Sydney Moore

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  38. Meghan Adamczyk
    Technology is rapidly increasing; faster than most ever expected. Technology has both its benefits and is drawbacks, but the benefits do out weigh the drawbacks. For example, my family is from Wisconsin and we only see them maybe once or twice a year. When Facetime, Skype and things of that nature started being developed, the more I saw my relatives. The fact that technology has come this far already, is astonishing. It is not easy to be biased on this topic because there are people who like to abuse these certain privileges. While there are people who use technology for beneficial things, there are also people who only want to cause chaos in other people's lives. For instance, cyber bullying. When people bully others online, there is usually a larger problem at hand. The bully hides behind technology and gains control over the one being bullied. Technology has come a long way and even though there are some who abuse it, there are some people who use technology for the better. Technology should be used peacefully and beneficially, as Voss claims.

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  39. For starters, let me go ahead and say this: why is an 8 year old playing "Grand Theft Auto" anyway? What ever happened to going outside, being involved in sports, hanging with friends, etc. Yes, when I was 8 years old, I did have a cellphone..BUT...there were also video games back then; however, it has never been this bad. Technology is an awesome thing, I admit, but it takes away our way of life. I could sit on my phone for hours and feel like I was only on it for 5 minutes. I'll admit, I've been watching tv & playing on my phone for about 2 hours and just now started blogging. I'm in love with technology, and hate it at the same time. I wish we lived in the old days when there were no cellphones. We say that technology helps us so much now. For example, "it's good for emergencies" , "it's useful for school if I've missed an assignment", etc. If you think about it, that's all you know to do. That's what we have grown to do. Tv shows and websites such as Twitter & Facebook broadcast video games such as "Grand Theft Auto" and make it look okay for young kids to play it, when in reality...it's not. Is technology really worth putting others in danger? An 8 year old kid shot a 90 year old woman. Even if he wasn't intentionally doing it, he should not have been playing with a gun. Playing "Grand Theft Auto" makes guns look interesting to an 8 year old. You can't blame the kid for going and playing with something when that's basically all he thinks about in his head all day. Instead of parents buying their 8 year old kids "Grand Theft Auto", go buy them a baseball bat, or a football. Or, before you buy them the game, have a talk with them about what to do & what not to do. An 8 year old's brain is still developing, and when they see people shooting each other, they may think it is okay or cool. I do not think the benefits outway the drawbacks. Technology is not worth someone's life. There are so many people a day that commit suicide because of cyberbullying. I'm not bashing everyone who plays/ uses technology, because I'm addicted to technology as well...but if I could change the world to where there are no cellphones and never was cellphones, I would do it in a heart beat. I know my comment is all over the place, but I hope you get my point :)

    Caylin Kliner

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  40. For starters, let me go ahead and say this: why is an 8 year old playing "Grand Theft Auto" anyway? What ever happened to going outside, being involved in sports, hanging with friends, etc. Yes, when I was 8 years old, I did have a cellphone..BUT...there were also video games back then; however, it has never been this bad. Technology is an awesome thing, I admit, but it takes away our way of life. I could sit on my phone for hours and feel like I was only on it for 5 minutes. I'll admit, I've been watching tv & playing on my phone for about 2 hours and just now started blogging. I'm in love with technology, and hate it at the same time. I wish we lived in the old days when there were no cellphones. We say that technology helps us so much now. For example, "it's good for emergencies" , "it's useful for school if I've missed an assignment", etc. If you think about it, that's all you know to do. That's what we have grown to do. Tv shows and websites such as Twitter & Facebook broadcast video games such as "Grand Theft Auto" and make it look okay for young kids to play it, when in reality...it's not. Is technology really worth putting others in danger? An 8 year old kid shot a 90 year old woman. Even if he wasn't intentionally doing it, he should not have been playing with a gun. Playing "Grand Theft Auto" makes guns look interesting to an 8 year old. You can't blame the kid for going and playing with something when that's basically all he thinks about in his head all day. Instead of parents buying their 8 year old kids "Grand Theft Auto", go buy them a baseball bat, or a football. Or, before you buy them the game, have a talk with them about what to do & what not to do. An 8 year old's brain is still developing, and when they see people shooting each other, they may think it is okay or cool. I do not think the benefits outway the drawbacks. Technology is not worth someone's life. There are so many people a day that commit suicide because of cyberbullying. I'm not bashing everyone who plays/ uses technology, because I'm addicted to technology as well...but if I could change the world to where there are no cellphones and never was cellphones, I would do it in a heart beat. I know my comment is all over the place, but I hope you get my point :)

    Caylin Kliner

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  41. Technology is moving forward in ways that have never been seen before. Although it may allow make many nefarious actions easier, at the moment technology is moving the human race in a mostly positive direction; however, the dependency on technology is growing at an unnatural rate. The main issue with technology is knowing the difference between reality and the virtual world. The smartphone has allowed humans to live in a completely connected world. The entire issue is based on upbringing, and what one is allowed to take for granted as a child; for instance, I was not allowed to have a cell phone until I was in seventh grade. I know parents who allow their child to have a smartphone at the age of ten. The early start into this world of instant connectivity builds a dependency upon it. Also, I was not allowed to play games such as Grand Theft Auto as a youngster (not to say that I didn't secretly borrow them from my friends) because my parents believed being introduced to such violence at an early age has been proven to alter one's perception of reality as well as one's ability to feel empathy toward others. It is also important as a parent to make certain that your child understands the difference between the endless possibilities of the virtual world verses real life events. Certain technologies such as the autism aid and medical advancements are definitely for the better of human kind, however. Overall, the peaceful and beneficial nature of technology can only be continued with parental guidance and man's general love for man.

    -Caldwell Wagenheim

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  42. Griffin Sheffield,
    Technology can obviously be used for good and evil as seen in the second article regarding the 8-year-old boy shooting his grandmother after playing Grand Theft Auto IV. The increasing growth of technology is a fantastic opportunity for humanity to grow and prosper; for example, on a medical stand point, new technology could have the potential of finding cures for diseases and illnesses that are thought to be incurable. Also, new technology could be a huge help to the justice system for interrogations by reading the suspects emotions like the first article discusses. On the downside, technology can cause or even teach a person to become violent like this young child from the second article. Even though the article on the child makes technology sound like a awful influence on kids, you must remember that the reason the story made big news is because it is an extremely rare situation, so technology does not necessarily have to be a bad influence on all children. The benefits of rapidly increasing technology definitely out way the drawbacks because there is so much that humans depend on technology for nowadays. Personally, life without a cell phone to keep in touch with friends and family would be dreadful. It is human nature to disrupt peace so there will always be some people to use technology to its darkest ends, but overall, mankind will be able to peacefully increase in technology.
    @lilsheff

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  43. Technology.Technology is what connects our world around us.Technology has grown the past ten years. It has went from the bag phone to the iPhone, the box tv to the flat screen tv, and the home computer to a laptop that you can take anywhere.

    When my family and I moved down here to Alabama from Chicago, technology helped us connect with the rest of my family up north. When my grandfather became sick we had phones to connect with him to hear his voice before he passed away.

    As far as my opinion on technology goes, I say technology is just another beautiful gift god gave man to create.

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  44. It is my belief that technology is merely a tool, and, like all other tools, it can be used for either good or bad- depending on the individual using it. The benefits of technology will always outweigh the drawbacks. When technology is used for good purposes, it helps people. Because of the advancements in technology, we are able to use it for medical and for informational purposes. Technology saves lives, it does not take them. People who are nefarious would be that way regardless. Technology did not make them that way. Cane slew his own brother Abel, and I'm pretty sure Cane had never played GTA. The benefits of technology will continue to increase, and there will always be those people who use it in the wrong way. The benefit to humanity far outweighs the occasional individual who would chooses to use it in an unintended manner. Depending on what you think about humanity as a whole, technology could either hasten our end or help us to rise to greater heights. If you have faith in humanity and believe that we are genuinely a good natured species then technology will always be beneficial to us; however, if you believe humanity is doomed to eventually destroy itself, then yes, technology could help to hasten the end. Every day I use multiple forms of technology such as my iphone, television, radio, ECT. These advances in technology help me every day with school work, every day questions, and could potentially help me to save someone if it came down to it. Technology gives me insight into many things and makes learning easier and more interesting. I believe that humanity is genuinely good, therefor technology is beneficial to humanity and will continue to be beneficial in the long run.

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  45. The evolution of technology has greatly enhanced the human ability to comprehend information and perform tasks that would normally be difficult for one to do on his or her own. This being said, it has also provided some obstacles and reasons for mankind to acquire ideas that may not have wormed their way into its head without the use of technology like the Internet. While there are plenty of negative points to it, technology's positive attributes greatly outweigh its negative. In a world like ours where one can do nothing but learn to live with all of the new things that make themselves known day by day, the use of technology is more than essential. It is not bringing us closer to our doom, unless you consider plenty of "killer robot" movies that have been made in the past. As long as humankind does not attempt to give the robots and various other technology itself emotions, then the world will be fine. Until machines develop sentience, things are peaceful. As for the violence "caused" by video games and other media, the main question posed is "Why in the world are parents allowing their children to access such toxic material before they are able to comprehend the negative components of the material?" Unless a parent is willing to explain to their children that the violence, death, and other content seen on television and the Internet is not acceptable in the real world, then that parent should not allow their child to access it and possibly recreate those scenes whatsoever.

    In my experience, I use all of my devices probably much more than I should. They are my gateway to a world in which I can communicate with friend without being in the same room, house, city, state, or even country as said friend. Not only can it be used to simply converse with others, but online gaming and social networking sites flourish to bring people with similar interests together. Overall, technology will continue to launch us into the future; it will not bring our ultimate downfall.

    -Sharly Lovitt

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    Replies
    1. I recently found an image relating to this topic, so I would like to share it here. http://24.media.tumblr.com/dae98abc78f989157031bf040a08d858/tumblr_msd92tjDbK1qfxriwo1_500.jpg

      Delete
  46. Humanity will not go into darkness because of technology. The article about Voss creating an app that helps read autistic children's emotions made me think about my my brother. My youngest brother is ten years old and he is autistic. That app can benefit my brother because we would be able to thoroughly understand the emotions he tries to express to us and then he will not become so frustrated about his inability. On the other hand, there are some fools out there that believe that video games and t.v. brainwashes kids into reenacting scenes from there favorite games. the reason boy in the article shot his grandma is still being investigated but people are putting the blame on his violent video game. The boy is only eight years old, he probably was just playing with the hand gun, but it is incidents like these that are drawbacks for the advancement of technology to be looked at as a good thing. There are more benefits than drawbacks when it comes to technology because if technology continued to advance then maybe I will finally be able to communicate with my brother more efficiently.
    ~~Azeeza Abdulrauf~~

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  47. Humanity will not go into darkness because of technology. The article about Voss creating an app that helps read autistic children's emotions made me think about my my brother. My youngest brother is ten years old and he is autistic. That app can benefit my brother because we would be able to thoroughly understand the emotions he tries to express to us and then he will not become so frustrated about his inability. On the other hand, there are some fools out there that believe that video games and t.v. brainwashes kids into reenacting scenes from there favorite games. the reason boy in the article shot his grandma is still being investigated but people are putting the blame on his violent video game. The boy is only eight years old, he probably was just playing with the hand gun, but it is incidents like these that are drawbacks for the advancement of technology to be looked at as a good thing. There are more benefits than drawbacks when it comes to technology because if technology continued to advance then maybe I will finally be able to communicate with my brother more efficiently.
    ~~Azeeza Abdulrauf~~

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  48. Humanity will not go into darkness because of technology. The article about Voss creating an app that helps read autistic children's emotions made me think about my my brother. My youngest brother is ten years old and he is autistic. That app can benefit my brother because we would be able to thoroughly understand the emotions he tries to express to us and then he will not become so frustrated about his inability. On the other hand, there are some fools out there that believe that video games and t.v. brainwashes kids into reenacting scenes from there favorite games. the reason boy in the article shot his grandma is still being investigated but people are putting the blame on his violent video game. The boy is only eight years old, he probably was just playing with the hand gun, but it is incidents like these that are drawbacks for the advancement of technology to be looked at as a good thing. There are more benefits than drawbacks when it comes to technology because if technology continued to advance then maybe I will finally be able to communicate with my brother more efficiently.
    ~~Azeeza Abdulrauf~~

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  49. Humanity will not go into darkness because of technology. The article about Voss creating an app that helps read autistic children's emotions made me think about my my brother. My youngest brother is ten years old and he is autistic. That app can benefit my brother because we would be able to thoroughly understand the emotions he tries to express to us and then he will not become so frustrated about his inability. On the other hand, there are some fools out there that believe that video games and t.v. brainwashes kids into reenacting scenes from there favorite games. the reason boy in the article shot his grandma is still being investigated but people are putting the blame on his violent video game. The boy is only eight years old, he probably was just playing with the hand gun, but it is incidents like these that are drawbacks for the advancement of technology to be looked at as a good thing. There are more benefits than drawbacks when it comes to technology because if technology continued to advance then maybe I will finally be able to communicate with my brother more efficiently.
    ~~Azeeza Abdulrauf

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  50. Technology these days has gotten out of hand. Many teens are used to texting what they feel instead of saying it to another person. They are not use to talking in front of people, therefore don't talk at all or as much. There are some people that are prone to use the internet or social media to post negative comments and bully one another. Personnally for me, I use my Iphone way too much for homework, social media, and staying in touch with my friends. Often times I exceed over my data plan and I usually get in trouble for it. People before us have gone without technology, so why can't we?

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  51. Technology these days has changed considerably in thte last several years. It has become a way of life for most human beings. There are people that are prone to post negative comments and bully one another. I use my iPhone more than I should for homework, social media and staying in touch with my friends. Personally, I have exceeded my data plan and usually get in trouble for going over my limit. Generations before us did just fine without technology so why can't we?

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  52. The real issue here is not technology but humanity. All people, even "good" people, have an odd, deeply-rooted, natural attraction to evil, even from an early age. For example, a little child who angrily refuses to hold his or her mother's hand when crossing the road obviously has this tendency toward disobedience. The child did not have to be told to perform an act that was wrong; it flowed from him or her naturally. No person is exempt; all have done wrong at some point - whether that is telling a little, white lie, or murdering a caretaker. So how does this relate to the topic? People are evil; technology is not. Whether the benefits of technology outweigh the drawbacks is not only unclear, but it is also irrelevant. People do always have the option of using technology for good, and many do; however, ultimately, as there is more wrong in the world than right, it is inevitable that humanity, in its tragic failure, will carry technology - and probably a few other elements - to its darkest end.
    - Morgan Green :)

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  53. A fact that can clearly be seen reading the first article is the need of the man to create always something better, to exceed himself, and the more the years pass, the more this process gets faster. Because of the speed of the progress, it is often hard to understand whether it is going in the right direction or not.
    We have to point out that technology has the main purpose to make things easier for people, but this can be also a negative thing: the more we use technology to do what we need to, the less we'll be able to do those things on our own, and this means that people could become (but in part they already are) addicted to technology, and this means that they could be in serious problems without it. After all, if today's technology was just a dream thirty years ago, who can tell that in the future there won't be situations like the ones we see in sci-fi movies, with machines taking control over men?
    It is also true that some kind of technology could really enhance the lives of some people who have difficulties, like in the first article where the Google Glass App is believed to be able to help autistic people, or the research that some experts are doing on nanotechnology to cure cancer. In fact, some time ago I thought that devices like I-Phones, I-Pads, etc. were absolutely pointless and that, for example, it was terrible to think that real books could be replaced by digital ones on the I-Pad; but thinking about it, I realized that it is actually a better way: it is cheaper, needs less space and most of all is a great improvement for the environment (there wouldn't be any need of paper).
    But the point is, for all the good that some kind of technology can do, it can have the opposite effect if not used properly; it could be used by someone as a way to control people, as it is explained in the first article: "If my TV knows I'm feeling depressed, might it load up an ad for fast food?". Or it can just influence people's minds, especially young ones': a glaring example is the case presented in the second article, where it is believed that a boy might have been influenced by a video game before shooting his grandmother.
    At last, since technology is made by humans, and as we know humans make mistakes, we can never be sure that it will work the way it was meant to, so it could cause terrible damages, maybe without us even realizing it.

    Silvia Brosolo

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  54. Technology's many benefits definitely outweigh its drawbacks. If you think long and hard about how our lives would be without the current technology, we would not survive. We are so dependent on our smartphones, laptops, and desktops...so dependent that we trust them to do almost everything for us. Personally without Google or other search engines, I would be very lost in math since it is my worst subject. Also, without the current technology that we have, I would not be able to keep in touch with family and friends from other cities or states. The rapidly increasing technology is good, but obviously has negative qualities. It is impossible for every human being to use technology in a positive way. Every person is different and we all have different intentions. Some only use technology for research and communication, while others use it for bullying or stalking. Catalin Voss may have a great idea, but there is simply no possible way to prevent the abuse of technology for negative purposes. Also, the use of technology should be monitored, especially for children around the age of the boy in the second article. The violent act could have been prevented if the child was monitored while playing the game or was prohibited to play it at all.


    -Janna Meeks
    Jesus loves you!

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  55. Technology is very important and has helped us in many ways.It has also destroyed us. We as humans have been falling back on technology and letting it do everything for us.It can influence us in so many ways especially in a negative way. I am on my phone way to much and it distracts me from my friends,family, and schoolwork.Technology can also help me when I need to look up something for school or talk to someone i have not heard from in a while.
    shelley curry

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  56. Technology advancement is a great achievement by the human race, although sometimes it can be smarter than some of us. Creating technology that can read us and our emotions puts our privacy in danger as well as allowing computers to go even farther and tell why we feel a certain why and how. Then it could start to control what we feel and do. A premature case of this can be seen with the eight year old boy killing the woman. It is suspected that playing the video game preceded the murder. Humans do have the power to take technology to it's darkest ends. Therefore, to some extent, the benefits do not outweigh the drawbacks. Technology although, is a great advantage to completing school work, and work in society. For example, if my mother could be allowed to use her computer to further help with retail stores in her district and farther she would not need to travel as much.
    Jana Traywick

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  57. My opinion on the rapidly changing technology is that it will improve our lives tremendously because it makes every ones lives much easier. I do think that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks because if something knows how you feel then it can show you things that will improve your mood if needed. For ad long as I can remember computers have always been around and whenever sad i get on it and watch yhings that make me happy. But humans di have a tendency to get carried away wth technology. Jhala Clark

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  58. Harrison Sentell

    Just like anything in life, technology can improve the world or cause issues to emerge. My mom works at a computer software company for flooring and carpet stores. Some of her clients are "old school" and complain about the software that has been installed and implemented in their stores. The paper and pencil method is more their style. Other clients talk about how effective it makes business and how it improves their profit. The emotion/face reading apps could go both ways. It could help people improve their interaction with others especially Asperger's and Austistic people. I know many people who have trouble communicating exactly what they mean. The app could be a centerpiece of their social interaction. I have a fear that it can also cause issues socially, because some people are good at hiding exactly how they feel. They do this not to hurt feelings of friends and family or even to stay out of trouble. If people could read everyone, then that makes relationships effortless.

    I don't agree with the part about video games. I think how a child is raised and cared for are what makes them violent and angry not the games they play.

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  59. Technology is rapidly increasing in an overwhelming fashion. We have all seen the effects that technology can have on people, both positive and negative. A positive characteristic is that it allows close friends and relatives who do not live in the same area to communicate, whether it be through Facebook, email, texting, etc. For example, I have family in Texas that I would not be able to ever talk to if it were not for technology. Also, thanks to technology, scientists have been able to find many cures for diseases and are still working hard to find more cures.It helps us to do things faster and easier than we ever have been able to before.
    As many benefits as technology possesses, it does have some drawbacks. As texting has gotten more and more advanced, it has become a serious cause of distraction for drivers, who cause wrecks because they are looking down at their phone. People are becoming more in tune with their technology and doing everything electronically that they are becoming less involved in face to face interaction with the people they see everyday. Technology has also become the cause of serious cases of bullying.
    Technology has both benefits and drawbacks; however, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. Technology can be and will continue to be used peacefully and beneficially, yet it also has proved to be manipulated for harmful ways. It all depends on who is using the technology. As great and as easy as it makes our lives, technology often causes us to forget that the little, simple things in life are the best things.

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  60. Brady Fowlkes
    Technology has obviously worked its way into the very lives of people nowadays. To that end, it is likely a fruitless effort to try and stop this technological advancement in society; however, there are lines which technology should stay behind. The concept of facial recognition, expression monitoring, etc. is very close to crossing said line, because with that sort of technology, computers and machines have access to the very essence of humans, and can invade privacy entirely too easily, even more than some say they already have. I also find technology to be an incredible tool as far as advancement of life and enhancing those with disabilities, as the article discussed. Thorough these methods, computers are beneficial and may eventually be the status quo for assisting the disabled.
    Personally, I enjoy both the leisure side of technology, as well as the practical. From video games, applications on mobile devices (social media, multiplayer games, etc.) to the laptop which I use for schoolwork and other assorted business matters, technology plays a major beneficial role in my life, and I find no need to restrain its possibility to further enhance life.
    However, as the case of the young boy murdering and elderly woman point blank displayed, technology and its possibilities can easily impress the wrong ideas onto the younger and more ignorant because it does tread the line very carefully between reality and virtuality.
    The boy should not have had access to guns, mature video games, etc. if his guardians disproved so heavily. Parenting is key when it comes to distinguishing right and wrong, what's real and what's not, how to live a real life, yet let technology step in and assist when needed or wanted. When technology takes the pilot's seat in society, the future will be grim for those to come. As long as it is used in moderation and consideration, technology is extremely beneficial, practical, and just plain fun.

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  61. Technology has endless possibilities in our society. No matter how evil the action is we cannot place the blame solely on (in this case) the video game. Suppose that the child's parents always spoke of useing fire arms freely to take care of problems (jokingly) and when the child was told he could no longer play his favorite game, he did what his parents always "did". In my psychology class we talked of how correlation is not causeation. This means that with out extensive proof we cannot prove the game caused him to shot mrs. Smothers. With the technology we now posses we should be able prevent this negative correlation by educating the public about reality and make believe.

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  62. Technology is very beneficial and helps with socializing and education. Voss' Idea of natural interaction is a great idea.I love the idea technology being able to read your emotions and helping those with autism.Technology's rapid increase is good when coming to jobs and education or research for illnesses but other wise graphics for violence is a thumbs down. Rapid increase of technology has its downs when being used wrong such as the 8 year old playing grand theft auto which is actually rated M for mature. Technology is influencing the minds of the America ,cutting down on lack of communication,causing laziness (such as look up our homework instead of putting in the effort), and overall creativity and being original.I sometimes wish that technology only had information that helped with education because there are so many graphic games that influence the minds of the children today.There was a case of a little boy years back I think he was around ten at the time and he was watching wrestling . So he decided to wrestle with his little sister and jumped of the table on her and killed her and was found guilty. If technology is used correctly the we may have peace but if not then it maybe bringing us to an end. sad to say.

    -Shaquala saxophone playing Courtland!

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  63. Technology is very beneficial and helps with socializing and education. Voss' Idea of natural interaction is a great idea.I love the idea technology being able to read your emotions and helping those with autism.Technology's rapid increase is good when coming to jobs and education or research for illnesses but other wise graphics for violence is a thumbs down. Rapid increase of technology has its downs when being used wrong such as the 8 year old playing grand theft auto which is actually rated M for mature. Technology is influencing the minds of the America ,cutting down on lack of communication,causing laziness (such as look up our homework instead of putting in the effort), and overall creativity and being original.I sometimes wish that technology only had information that helped with education because there are so many graphic games that influence the minds of the children today.There was a case of a little boy years back I think he was around ten at the time and he was watching wrestling . So he decided to wrestle with his little sister and jumped of the table on her and killed her and was found guilty. If technology is used correctly the we may have peace but if not then it maybe bringing us to an end. sad to say.

    -Shaquala saxophone playing Courtland!

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