Technological Advancements: Are We Really Advancing?

Jerusalem, Egypt, Rome. These were three of the most abundant and advanced empires in the history of the world. However, they all met their downfall; many of them more than once. Do you remember Pompeii? This city was one of the richest of the empire of Rome. Yet, it was destroyed in a matter of hours by a nearby “mountain,” which would have never been expected to erupt. Yet even after this volcanic eruption, the people came back to the city. Why would you come back to a city of desolation? They came for their gold, their jewels, and their precious things. After coming back, these people were killed almost instantly by the pyroclastic flow of Mount Vesuvius. This story captures the image of just how reliant these people were on material possessions.

            There is another nation that has been considered (and probably is) the most technologically advanced and abundant nation in the history of mankind. That nation is the United States of America. This nation is the greatest nation in the whole world. However, it may be safe to say that we are on our way down. Disaster may one day strike, and we will have nothing. We will suffer because of the materialism of our society. Nevertheless, our society may not be as reliant on material possessions as it is on technology.

            Technology is great. The technology that we have today in America is amazing. Our society is more advanced than Rome could have ever dreamed of. We have the telephone. We can communicate with people who are thousands of miles away. We have television. We have the internet. We can watch things that are happening thousands of miles away with just the click of a mouse or the push of a button at the exact moment that those things are happening. There is so much good happening with technology. It helps the world out so much, and there are many Americans who know how to limit their time on technology. However, technology is way too overused and abused.

In order to really advance this world, the next generation
must learn to rely less on technology

            The bottom line is this: Americans are too reliant today on technology. This reliance is applicable to many forms of technology; for example, television. The New York Daily News reported in 2012 that the average American watches 34 hours of television a week. That’s almost 5 hours of TV each day. The phone is another huge problem. The Pew Research Internet Project reported that, as of January of 2014, over 90% of Americans have cell phones, and that shouldn’t be a surprising stat. Also, according to a study done by the Entertainment Software Association in 2013, 58% of Americans play video games regularly. How much more time can you waste? Americans are so reliant on technology, and they depend on it for their information, communication, and entertainment.

            This reliance is especially true for the youth of today; for my generation. Everybody has their I-pods, their cell phones, and their internet access. These are great tools that could be used for so much good, but instead they are addictive. If you take a teenager’s phone away, they are not going to be happy, and they are not going to know how to function, because they spend so much time texting, browsing the internet, and playing worthless games. The worst part of all of this is that it is happening at a younger and younger age. It pains me to see six-year-olds with their touch screen phones, playing games and wasting time when they could be socially interacting with their peers and their family. A lot of parents are no help to this cause. Many of them, in fact, are quite the opposite—they give technologic devices to these kids to keep them entertained, so that they won’t be bothered and they won’t have to deal with problems that the kids have.

            With this reliance on technology, there comes another problem: immorality. This is the most dangerous of all problems within a nation. Pornography is one of the biggest issues. The Department of Women’s Services and Resources at BYU reported that the pornography industry, which is driven by technology and the internet, makes over 57 billion dollars each year; 12 billion coming from the United States. 12% of the total websites on the internet are dedicated to pornography. This is a huge problem. Immorality is the single most influential factor in the downfall of an empire. This was true with Rome, Jerusalem, Egypt, and so many others. Wickedness brings natural disasters upon people. That is why Mount Vesuvius erupted: God must punish those who ignore His laws and value material possessions over His commands.

            So what really matters? Once disaster strikes and technology is no longer available, what is left? The youth of today, in order to survive in times of crisis, must value more and be more reliant upon things like skills, talents, and education; things that they will always have and things that will bless others. They need to be able to find entertainment, information, and ways of communication without relying on technology. This is what matters. In order to value these things more, the youth of today need to spend less time with technology, and they need to spend more time face-to-face with other people; improving their relationships with them more than improving their relationships with their screens.

            We have technology because the United States is so great. People forget why this nation is so great. We are great because God is with us, and God will not be with those who violate His laws. In order to avoid Rome, we need to limit our technology and influence others to limit their use. I’m not saying, by any means, that we must abolish our use of technology altogether. These devices can be used for so much good if we use them the right way at the right times. We just need to make sure that we are doing that. Only then can this nation continue to be the great nation that it has been throughout its history. As author Aldous Huxely once wrote, “Technological progress has merely provided us with more efficient means for going backwards.” We can’t let this happen.