Technology = Lethargy

Life in the 21^st century is ruled by one facet which has entered almost all forms of our lifestyle. Technology!!!. Technology ‘aka’ ‘know how of things’ to put it in simpler terms has been substantially influential in shaping most of the spectacles in today’s times. As one of the definition states that ‘Technology is the application of math, science, and the arts for the benefit of life’, its repercussions are seen to be true in day today life. It has changed the present lifestyle so enormously as compared to two decades back. The most distinctive aspect of this ‘innovation’ is it brings on something new time and again. It keeps a sense of prediction a mystery which makes it appealing. What is of important technologically right now may not hold true tomorrow.

This advance in innovation was basically aimed to act as a benefactor to life. Boon as it may have proved, has also proved to be a curse in some cases. Its penetration in most aspects of life has left disturbing practices. The aftermath of many technological soothers has left the end user i.e man a rather sluggish animal.

See for example the innovation called photocopying, commonly called as Xerox, for the company that promoted this advance. It is indeed a fortunate thing for many of us for it creates a copy exactly the same as its original. Compared to the earlier times when students had to write several pages copying text from one book to another, now simply photocopy it for reading. The use of this technology created rippling effects in manier sectors. But these has lead to a slothful tendency. People are keen to photocopy rather than write things which are even 4-5 lines.  

Yet another example of lethargic use of the technology is camera – device to capture images. Absurd as it may sound, but there has been a lazy effect of this technology to capture imagery. Moreover with the advent of camera being installed into mobile device has made it a portable option to be languid. I was stunned to see a person clicking photographs for a piece of paper he wanted as reference note- the note not being more than 3 lines. He could have easily written those few words, but he choose the option of photographing it. There are innumerable such examples with which one can familiarize with.

Data storing appliance like the hard disk also brought in the form of sluggishness. Earlier data storage was an expensive affair with the limited space available for data storage. Hard drives came in the form of 16gb/32 gb, but with the dawn of cheaper hard drives, storage capacity propel led at unbelievable projections. Now hard drives boast of 320 gb capacities, portable hard drives comes at dirt cheap prices providing capacities in terabytes(1000gb). This mini-revolution created a tendency of storing unnecessary and loads of data. Data which is never ever accessed perhaps! Many examples can be put forth giving the ill effects of technological calmers. Markets are flooded with home appliances and products which doesn’t allow human to do basic body movements like bending, standing etc. ‘Providing relief’ is the key aspect to help infiltrate technology in daily use.

Man created technology and this technology is killing man in several ways. We created devices for our comfort and with the same technology we created devices to exhaust ourselves (treadmills, elliptical cycles, spinning etc). We created robots and now robots are meant to work like man, thus making the real man lazy. Not moving the body under the ‘blanket’ of technology is fast gaining momentum. Effects of this technological advents on human body is another issue, but the main equation of concern remains technology = lethargy