Should we be more suspicious of the benefits that Computer Dependency Essay

Should we be more suspicious of the benefits that Computer Dependency brings - Essay Example According to the research findings it can therefore be said that we live in a world where technological evolution dictates the next level of the evolution of the human race. Computers are at the forefront of each activity that is a part and parcel of our daily lives. From waking us up in the morning to heating up a bag of popcorn, the computer has taken over even the most menial tasks that used to define a person as a human being. Just like any other piece of technology or equipment that becomes an integral part of our lives, there are certain risks involved each time we use the gadget. It is this percentage of danger that the detractors of our society's dependency on computers use as the basis of their anti-computer campaigns. There are quite a number of valid yet controversial points of view when it comes to the benefits that we reap from the existence of computers versus the consequences that we face as a society as we become more and more dependent on software, hardware, and serv ers for storing and usage of our vital information. With the steady rise of computer crimes, hacking, identity theft, embezzlement, and fraud one cannot help but wonder if our implicit trust in the benefits of computer usage is not a misguided result of a well financed PR campaign. Looking deeper into the crimes and other problems associated with computer dependency, it does seem like the use of computers encourages crimes against the economy and man. The first argument against the growing intrusion of computers into our private lives has to do with online privacy concerns. We are storing more and more personal information on the internet in order to access the services that we need. Everything from our full name to our social security number floats around in cyberspace, waiting for us to use the information. That is if the information is not hacked from the system and used by other people in our name. Computer hacking has become one of the greatest concerns for those of us who have become reliant on the internet and computers for the accomplishment of tasks such as paying for our bills and updating our medical records. Cybercrime has become such a high profile problem for our country that the highest echelons of homeland security have become part of the government forces trying to secure the internet by combating internet related crime (Bell, Josephine Computer Economics A Great Dependence with Explicit Consequences) . On a personal level, computers have been proven to be beneficial to our society as it has given people a venue by which they can freely air out their grievances and demand action from the political leaders. It has allowed the masses to become empowered even as dictator governments try to crack down on them and silence their voices. The advent of social media has ensured that every man will have a voice that can and will be heard across the globe. Thanks to computers, changes for the better were seen this past year in the Middle East. That is a good thing. The whole world saw their struggles and pitched in whenever they could in order to insure that change would indeed be effected for the benefit of many in that region of the world. Computers have seen to it that a new era has dawned upon our society. We now live in the age and time of computers. Due to the multitasking capabilities of computers, we have seen the machine take over various work roles that were originally deemed to be done only by human beings. The technological advancements in the world of business has resulted in the loss of jobs of people due to the more efficient ways and means that computers manage to execute tasks. The loss of jobs to technological advancements have resulted in the fast changing pace and face of our society in the 21st century. These advancements were not all positive and neither were they all negative in the way that the existence of social networks have changed the way we interact with one another. The bad thing, is that the anonymit y that is offered by social media sites such as twitter and Facebook, has