Could I live without Digital and Communication Technologies?

Could I live without Digital and Communication Technologies? When our lecturers asked my class this question it arose a lot of discussion with my peers and myself. I instantly thought to myself that yes I could live without technology as a whole. Discussing the question with other people, I very quickly learned that no, I most certainly could not live without it. I could survive without technology but there is a difference between surviving and living.

In our Western society we all rely on technology for everyday things (ScienceDaily. (2015). The use of everyday things like google maps, checking the weather, receiving my roster for work, getting assignments done - the list goes on, my life would change for the worst as everything would be more difficult. Without technology I would not be living my life to the fullest extent. I do dream of getting to a point of time in my life (possibly retirement age) where I will go off the grid and go for days on end without looking at a screen but I know that at this time and place in my life I could not do it. I wouldn't be able to finish my degree and become a teacher without technology and when I do become a teacher even then I would still need to use technology as it is implemented and there is a high expectation of being able to use and understand technology in schools.

With all the positive aspects that come with technology there are also a lot of negative aspects. According to Do.Something.org nearly 43% of kids have been bullied online. Other negative effects of technology include, scams, isolation, lack of privacy, exposure to sexual content is more likely to happen for kids at a young age, developmental issues, etc (Hosale, S. (2013). I believe that with all the bad that comes with digital and communication technologies the good out weighs the bad. Introducing technology to young aged schools students and teaching positive learning aspects of technology to them will support them in using technology for the greater good.

References:

ScienceDaily. (2015). Western culture. [online] Available at: https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/western_culture.htm

Dosomething.org. https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-cyber-bullying

Hosale, S. (2013). 25 Negative Effects of Technology - RooGirl. [online] Roogirl.com. Available at: http://roogirl.com/25-negative-effects-of-technology/

IMAGE 1 FOUND AT: http://www.golfian.com/102-interesting-technology-quotes-and-quotations-about-technology/

IMAGE 2 FOUND AT: https://wholesalermasterminds.com/2015/03/14-incredibly-useful-technology-posts-for-productivity-and-efficiency/