When a new technological invention becomes widely used, the world changes. The main purpose of technological progress is to make life easier. Cars transport us farther and faster than horses and buggies, and thanks to washing machines we no longer have to spend hours doing laundry (unless we put it off for several weeks, maybe). Invention improves certain aspects of our lives, but at a cost. The latest technology hasn’t necessarily granted us more leisure time and less stress; in many ways it has made life more fast paced and overwhelming.
We tend to think of technology as additive, simply providing us more options, but it is actually transformative. The changes brought about by new inventions can be positive or negative. Faster and easier isn’t always better; for instance, modern transportation created a new set of problems such as drunk driving, pollution, and a decline in people’s fitness due to lack of exercise. The invention of the automobile literally changed the landscape of the world. Paved roads are such a common sight that my little cousin thought God created them along with animals and people.
California in particular has been built with the automobile in mind. Buildings are sprawled miles apart from each other, so a car is required to reach everywhere one needs to go. Older places such as New York and London have condensed layouts because they were built before the invention of automobiles. That is why those places are more walkable than California.
Since new inventions radically change our lives, the environment, and the way we behave, we would be naive to think of technological progress as inherently good. There is sacrifice involved in exchange for the quick and easy. Are polluted skies worth the luxury of relatively cheap air travel? Are quality clothes worth spending more money on than fast fashion from Forever 21? Are we willing to give up our privacy for the thrill of receiving “likes” on social media? Our inventions reveal our values, and I hope we have enough wisdom to direct technology in such a way that we make true progress.
Sophisticated Innocence 