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Rapid development of new technology is the most important characteristic of the 20th century. But are we slaves to technology or masters of it?
One of the most widespread pieces the new technology offers is television. It is thank to TV that a mass transmission of information takes place. the TV viewers may enrich their knowledge quite easily by watching information and educational programmes. thus, television, if used properly, may make it easier to develop communication and consciousness of the whole society. Yet there is almost always a threat that this will take place according to the thought of people in charge of mass media who have a great influence on what is shown on TV, and that is why a critical attitude of the viewers is vital. But this sometimes also may be not enough, because TV techniques influence people's unconscious, and the growth of the number of commercials makes it difficult to take completely free decisions. Most often, the differences between good and evil are effaced which results in changes of moral code, whose primary purpose was to guarantee everybody's freedom. This is particularly dangerous as far as children and youth are concerned. Moreover, one can easily become addict to television, watching one programme after another, beginning from the first minutes one enters home, and ending late at night; watching rather than reading or listening, which is claimed by some people to kill the art of conversation .
Radio is very similar to TV in that it makes the flow of information easier. the only vital difference is that it does not provide us with visual stimuli. The information passed may also be influenced by people in charge of the radio. Thus the advantages and disadvantages of it are mostly the same as those which concern TV.
For many people radio means music. And what radio teansmits is all kinds of music. Here one can observe the development of technology producing new sounds and modulating the sound track or human voice. Music can be a means of relaxation, helping people with rest, influencing their aesthetical experiences. Yet this can also become addiction. The use of modern technology in music may facilitate manipulating people by transmitting false attitudes, which again is most dangerous as far as the youngest part of the society is concerned .
The development of technology always brings the destruction of natural environment and health. Polution takes place in spite of the fact that technology is to improve our living on earth, and that is because there have always been more means causing destruction rather than those harmless ones. It is worth mentioning that the emission of harmful gas and dust into the atmosphere damages forests so quickly, that it is impossible to preserve them as it taskes much longer until another forest grows .
The development of technology in medicine makes the service better and more efficient. There are medicines for many illnesses which used to be fatal, and there are more and more ways of preventing them too. Yet there are also some bad points about it. First is addiction to medicines, especially trasnquilizers, which is quite obvious. Second concerns bacteria and viruses which develop better, more complex and more immune forms which are difficult to fight with. It is like a chain process in which better cures are required as a result of which "better" bacterias develop. It seems that there will always be diseases which cannot be cured no martter how far technology in medicine is developed .
Cloning is another sphere of the development of technology which plays an important role in whether a human will or will not become a slave of his own inventions. It certainly may be good if it is used as a means of getting better races of breeding animals or plants so that man can easier get food. Yet if we use this kind of technology to clone people, we may soon become slaves to some "higher" race of people created in this way .
The development of factories and machines causes the services offered are better, the quality of goods produced is higher, and the process of production takes less time. Yet it also requires better qualified staff as a result of which people who used to do simple manual works or were assembly line workers lose their jobs .
The development of transport and communication is a great progress in technology. It lets people move fast from place to place, makes travelling easier, and contributes to people's growth of knowledge concerning the world. It also has a great influence on the development of buildings and takes the space which can still be used. Yet it has a great effect on the natural environment which is becoming more and more devastated in this way .
The branch of technology which is definitely going in wrong direction is that which concerns armament. The fact that efforts are made to make bombs and other equipment better and better does not help people in becoming masters. They are just gradually becoming slaves to fear of an unexpected war and early death. This branch of industry makes it easier to destroy the life on earth completely and, what goes with it, the human race .
In general, the development of technology is needed, and it is a natural result of the development of thought. The condition that must be fulfilled is to try not to become a slave to everything that was invented. As the above arguments show, the new technology can be treated in two ways. And it depends on the people themselves whether they decide to stay free or they become slaves. Everybody has to decide for themselves, and it is important to be aware of it throughout the time of our lives .
