Misuse of Technology

Technology, with no doubt, has made our life much easier. People, however, tend to misuse it these days, and it's affecting our life, especially our society, in different areas. The question is, who is responsible? Everyone in my opinion is guilty, and accountable for solving that problem. Although misusing technology continues to affect our society negatively, governments, companies, and individuals can work together to prevent such a problem from getting bigger and bigger, and hopefully try to completely eliminate it. Misusing technology has effects on individuals, and the whole society. The latter, is any use of technology that can cause a harm or a threat to society. For example, when employees use their computers to play online games or spend extra time on Facebook or Twitter, that of course causes a reduction in work productivity because they are not working at the time that they are supposed to (Wade). Individuals are also affected by misusing technology. They might become socially inactive because they are very focused on their computers. Students' academic achievements, for instance, have dropped since they started using their devices in class. According to a study, "94% of high school students accessed social media on their phones during class over the past year"(2012). Because individuals are so addicted to their phones, car accidents occur while texting or talking on phone. "The National Safety Council reports that cell phone use while driving leads to 1. 6 million crashes each year. Nearly 330, 000 injuries occur each year from accidents caused by texting while driving. 1 out of every 4 car accidents in the United States is caused by texting and driving"(edgarsnyder. com). Both categories, nevertheless, are interrelated so an abuse by an individual might be harmful for himself and the society as well. Technology is also abused in the way it is used to violate the priority of individuals. According to an article posted on "blogspot. com, " our future is becoming less private. For example, the publisher's aunt called him asking about the boys' picture that he posted on his Facebook page which is highly secured and no one can access it without his permission, but she told him that her friend, an IT guy, helped her to hack it (2010). That story clearly shows how our social media accounts are not as secure as we think. Another problem is the issue of plagiarism which many teachers face since students can easily copy from internet without referring to the source even though in most cases it is easy to detect. Since these problems associated with the use of technology are affecting all of us, everyone is responsible for solving them, starting from governments to individuals. Stricter laws should be established to prevent misusing technology especially for people who are using their devices while driving. Computers are easy to control, so companies can prevents employees from abusing them easily, yet they still have to deal with their cell phones. Schools and parents should cooperate to stop students from using technology in a wrong way that distracts them from studying. Here are some detailed examples: The first action that must be taken before starting to apply any solution is to raise the awareness among people about the problems and how serious they are. That can be done in several ways like: Advertising on TV and any other media. Printing brochures. Lectures and seminars at schools. Ticketing seems to be not enough to prevent drivers from texting. That's why stronger penalties are needed. Besides the ticket, a car detention or driving license suspension might be a good way to reduce that problem. For employees, their computers should be programed not to do anything else, but what they need to finish their work. Employees also ought to be monitored via cameras to deter them from using their own devices. Positive encouragement from teachers can also be helpful. Duncan, a professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, asked his students that if he take away their phones during class and give them an extra point will they agree. Then he was amazed that all the students agreed so he did it (Kamenetz). Since it is not realistic nowadays to not allow students to bring their cell phones to school, teachers should deal with that problem in class by not allowing them to use it during class, and if they did, they would face a serious punishment. Technology is a gift, but it must not be abused. Employees should focus on their work and increase their productivity. Students ought to concentrate more on their studying to get the future they are hoping and looking for. We must let the technology work for us not against us. We have to use it appropriately at the right time for the right purposes.