Technology’s beauty is only matched by its importance and danger in today’s global society. We are both the creator of these machines that surround us and the product of their impact. Though the ways in which we use technology changes from culture to culture, its impact is both undeniable and inevitable yet undetermined.
Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Things are in the saddle, And ride mankind…But it runs wild, And doth the man unking.” His poem dictates a fear of technology and its predetermination, that our inescapable curiosity, imagination, and need for solutions will bring us to an inevitable end. But we must take this argument into context with the time that it was written. In 1899, the publication date of this poem, our country was experiencing seemingly uncontrollable and rapid technological advances in every industry and aspect of life. The industrial revolution was at its peak in America. Riots between laborers and management where commonplace, and the division in classes were tearing at the social fabric of the country. These technological advances where both being shaped by the needs of society and changing the very culture of our country. Yet advances in communications and transportation allowed for revolutionary ideas and news to be spread in a matter of hours as opposed to months. Factories were rapidly changing the work place, and our culture was shifting from one of self-sufficiency to a consumer market. It seemed technology was growing at an exponential rate that was spiraling out of control and was very quickly replacing the world of old with a new mechanical and unguided one. Though as the decades continue we have seen the developments of instant global communication, skyrocketing productions, making goods more available to more people, and increased productivity while protecting the rights of workers. We have seen through the development of weapons and wars, new source of energy that can power us into the future and other technologies’ that will both save lives and convenience our everyday routines.
But as time soldiers on and we develop from simply an American culture to a global one of unprecedented proportions we must shift our way of thinking. We must understand our addiction to technology and its dangers. In Technology Matters, by David E. Nye, he poses an argument completely opposed to that of Emerson, that we control technology for our benefit and uses and societies such as the Amish and samurai to show that we can halt its growth if we so choose. Yet this too seems almost as naive as Emerson seems outdated. Technology is completely vital to our understanding and survival in nature, but it is also an addiction that affects us all. Humans have a natural drive to build and create. Societies such as the Amish may reject many of our modern technologies but they are still affected what the worlds views as progress and still partake in several modern day technologies to interact with the world around them. In the case of the samurai, they would soon evolve into one of the technological centers of the world and 300 years of dissention merely slowed technology’s course. These societies also have had little impact on the policies and direction of our world now. They can do little to stop the advance of technology. The majority of our world is addicted to technology as it is an integral part of our nature.
Technology has been, and will be, a crucial part of our history. Prior to Nyes claim that we control the course of technology, he provides an interesting outlook on the importance of technology in our history and our future. “...tools are not foreign to ‘human nature’ but inseparable from it...it lead to a more complex social life.”(pg2 technology matters) Tools are sign of our complex ability to narrate and use forethought. They are physical, tangible examples of our linear thinking. They are our solutions to problems and protection against the elements, all created with the forethought of a sequence of events. But we often don’t realize what comes naturally to us. For at least 400,000 years we have been using and inventing tools for us to cope with the world around us. Our pursuit for a light in the dark, an answer to every question, is so ingrained not only in our minds but also in our daily lives. Take away all the computers; stop the flow of electricity, and shut down all modern forms of communication and our societies would spiral into chaos. We are now and always have been living in conjunction with technology.
The course of human existence is one intertwined with technology, as it is what has made us dominant in the world around us. Technology has allowed us to cultivate the world’s resources, understand the basic physics of the universe, and protect ourselves against the hardships of the world. Humans have accomplished an understanding of the world that is unparalleled by any race thus far. Our need for tools combined with our intellectual ability has afforded us great abilities. But our pride and accomplishment thus far gives us an aloof outlook on our future and the world. This can be seen in the contrasting opinions of Nye and Emerson. We have learned to embrace technology as progress not to be feared. But this is a dangerous stance, as we need to be cautious of our advancements as well as supportive. We must understand that we are as much at the mercy of our creations as they are to us. We have an almost paternal relationship with that that we create. If we do not foster our advancements in an understanding way, they could backfire in a manner that is disastrous to us all.

Word Count : 952