Advancements in Modern Technology: Positive or Negative? (Modern Advancements Essay)

Advancements in Modern Technology: Positive or Negative?

Carleen Brandenburg (January 30, 2014)

                Imagine the day where there weren’t computers, cars, phones, indoor plumbing, good medicine, or any other form of modern technology. Do you think you could survive during that time? I don’t think I could, so I believe technology has improved in a positive way. Modern advancements in the form of medicine, transportation, and social media has greatly improved the way we live our lives.

                Medicine has changed a lot over the years. Back in the 1800s, you had a really long wait just to see the doctor. The doctor would have to travel using a horse and buggy, so chances are, a minor thing would become serious. There was also a high risk of getting a disease because doctors wouldn’t have good hygiene when performing surgery, so the patient would risk infected wounds and the possibility of losing limbs. Today, we know so much about the importance of good hygiene, knowledge on various bacteria, how to keep germs from spreading. It also helps to have cars and ambulances, so we can get to the hospital faster and have less of a chance of something minor becoming something major. When I was in my senior year of high school, my friend Jazmyn had a baby named RaeLyn at Mason City, IA. When RaeLyn was 23 hours old, she had to be med-flighted from Mason City to Iowa City, because of various complications. It ended up being that RaeLyn would be in the hospital for her first few months of life, getting different treatments. If it wasn’t for good transportation, knowledge of diseases, and proper hygiene for surgery I’m pretty sure RaeLyn would have died.

                Another positive attribute to modern technology is the different forms of transportation. During the 1800s and first couple decades of the 1900s a person would have to either walk or travel by horse and buggy or train, which would make traveling longer than it would today with cars, planes, buses, etc.. Because of cars, we can get from one point to another point a lot faster. What would take a couple days in the 1800s, would only be a few hours now. It’s also good that we have various ways to travel because I can go see family in California, friends in Iowa, or even travel to different places in the world, if I have the money to do so.

                Social media is also a good aspect of today’s technology because I can keep in touch with my friends and family I don’t get to see at all. Because of Facebook, I met my cousin Naomi. Back in the 1800s I wouldn’t have been able to meet anybody new without seeing them unless I would have written a letter. Back in those days, the letter would be through the pony express which would take weeks to months to be able to hear from other people that live a far distance away from me.

                There are a lot more reasons on why I believe technology has improved the quality of our lives but for me, medicine, transportation, and social media are the most important few reasons on why today’s technology is an improvement.