Digital technology... a blessing or a curse?

Questioning today’s excessive use of, and reliance on, technology is a broad a task as defining art, or finding the meaning of life. Our lives are corrupt because of the sheer power it holds over us, but without it, we would be a lesser and depreciated race.

Image via Discover Magazine

Charles Darwin’s well-known ‘natural selection’ theory depicts a battle for survival in nature, the 'survival of the fittest'. Applied to modern advances in our digital world, today the most efficient and  successful survive and success relies, more often than not, on keeping up to date with latest technological advancement.

So it would be wrong to argue that we should take a step back with technology since civilisation once functioned without for so long, as the desire to continually improve is merely an instinct. We have reached incredible medical feats because of groundbreaking engineering, just take a look at Zac Vawter's astonishing achievement because of the complex integration of technology into the human body.

Technology also aids in creating a sadder reality of materialism and perhaps a more lazy and gullible society. In cosmetics, even a familiar tube of toothpaste seems to be engineered far beyond loyal old bicarb, and women have never before been able to achieve such luscious lashes.  

‘Blessing’ is perhaps the wrong word. It is not something today’s generation have earned or necessarily deserved. However 'curse' alludes to burden or hindrance. We are trapped by our own need to know more, do more and be better so will continue developing further where we can. We will not be able to escape this obsession with technology, nor will we find peace with it.