Pro.
By David Thorne
Sixth grade
Technology makes everyday life easier and safer for everyone. This is a highly debated topic, but the evidence proves that technology does more good than harm. After all, with technology, human life expectancy has gone up drastically. Technology has made life much safer and improved people’s overall health. In addition to physical benefits, life has gotten much easier with technology. With new inventions such as tracking devices, smartphones, and robots of all sorts, life has been made a whole lot easier. These new technological inventions make life safer and easier for everyone.
With improvements in technology, the average life expectancy has increased. From 1900 to 2024 life expectancy increased 32 years, from 47 to 79. Just 120 years ago, you would most likely die at 47. Technologies such as vaccines and treatments for cancer help people live longer, healthier lives. Medical technology diagnoses and treats people so they can live long and healthy lives.
Not only has life expectancy gone up, but so has the ability to recover from injury. Almost everyone has fractured or broken a bone before. Now someone goes to the hospital, gets a cast, and moves on with their life, but it wasn’t always that simple. Until about 150 years ago, an open fracture was virtually synonymous with death and generally necessitated immediate amputation.
This is not the only way technology makes life safer. Tracking devices allow people to be recused if they are missing and hurt. Instead of dying out in the wilderness, it takes a few hours to be recused. When you are saved, any damage you sustained while you were stranded can be healed thanks to modern technology. Although some would argue that modern technology is bad for your mental health, that’s only if you use technology too much. The benefits of physical health outweigh the potential harm to mental health by a lot.
Along with making life safer, technology also makes life easier. Communication, for instance, has become more efficient. Instead of writing letters that may never be delivered, we can call or text almost anyone anywhere in the world. Unlike what most people think, technology brings people together. If a friend moves away, one can contact him or her in almost an instant. Along with easy communication, new bonds can also be created online with websites for online dating and playing video games with friends. These relationships can last a lifetime.
Though there may be worry that you will meet bad people on the internet, 12% of adults admit their weddings happened due to online dating. On top of that, 36% of teens say they have made friends while playing video games. Technology shapes almost all modern relationships.
Everyday life is made safer and easier thanks to modern technology. With new devices such as cell phones, respirators, medicine, and the internet, things have improved for the better. Using available modern technology, people create bonds, improve their health, and live life to its fullest. Humans have just begun to see the benefits of modern technology, the future is limitless!
Con.
By Alexa Berger
Sixth grade
Electronic devices and online access affect our lives in a negative way. Impacts such as addiction and depression hurt us more than any convenience might help us. Technology is a rabbit hole of information. You get caught in all of the data, without learning anything.
One of the most obvious reasons why technology is negative is addiction. Studies have shown users spend about seven hours a day on technology, while the recommended amount is under two hours. Most people stay awake for about 16 hours. So we spend approximately 45% of our day on devices. Instead of doing more productive activities, we get sucked into our screens. Addiction can result in less physical activity, sleep issues, and less creativity. When users use technology to gain information or to read, they barely pick up anything.
Not only is technology addicting, it can affect our mental health. Because of technology, we can get depressed. A British study has shown that social media can decrease/ disrupt our sleep, which is associated with depression. By scrolling on social media, it can result in jealousy. For example, you are not invited to a party, or someone has something you have always wanted. By getting jealous on social media platforms we can get depressed, which can result in self-harm and suicide. Studies have shown that each additional hour of screen time increases suicide risk by 9%.
It is true that technology is very convenient. You can do your tasks much faster and more efficiently using technology. By setting reminders and timers, you can make it through your day much faster. But you have to pay a price. Your digital footprint can be tracked, by people such as the government or hackers. Websites such as social media will sometimes listen to what you are saying, which will appear in your recommended searches or social media scrolls.
Overall, technology has a negative effect on our society. It can result in things such as addiction, depression, or even suicide. This is why we should limit our use of screen time, and use it productively.