The general perception of technology has been a positive one. It has never been easier to receive information, listen to your favorite music, and enjoy events right from your comfy chair at home. But as we absorb this seemingly beneficial advancement, we might not realize that it is slowly scraping away at how humans can function. And if technology is developing at the rate that it is, at what point will it have come too far?

An interesting argument stems from the fact that we have become so dependent on technology  that all we might need to survive is a complex machine that can do essentially everything for you. That includes access to the necessities of life, the best computers, the most intricate AI systems, and more, just not any other humans.  Even though the idea of this alternate reality might appear fascinating, this will be the point where technology will have come too far- when basic human to human interaction isn’t necessary for survival.

Humans are incredibly smart organisms, but this intelligence may one day override our common instincts. If you were to exist in an enclosed room, where all the necessities of life are available, you could survive, but you would be disconnected from other people. The Oxford definition of humanity reads as “the human race, human beings collectively” where the word “collectively” is essential. If technology isolates yourself from other humans, does humanity really exist? This is the real question: When will technology block humans from working as a society?

In contrast to this, The Stanford Daily 2017 article “Has tech gone too far?” by Harrison Hohman considers the fact that although at the moment we cannot say that technology is capable of doing everything, we may have already reached the point of no return. The answer to “Have we?” boils down to two things; needs and wants. Do we need Instagram to stay alive? No. Do we need to be watching Sunday night football? No. But ask most people to totally wipe those activities out of their lives, and you get an endless group of unsatisfied humans. Tech was created for efficiency, happiness, and many more positive aspects. But right now, what is really damaging society is the constant want for more.

This modern crave for more gadgets and gizmos is becoming problematic. Technology is not an evil being; it is just the way humans use it that could potentially be dangerous. There is not going to be a precise minute when you could boldly say tech has become too much. But we never want to come to that point, so if we can slow the rate just a bit right now, humanity might have a brighter future of functioning properly. 

The previous arguments have been pretty realistic and have some potential of occurring, but a table-turning case would be if our computers become smart enough to overtake mankind. Humans must be able to keep their ideas under control, because even though there might be ground-breaking advancement, we have to be able to test the amount of this breakthrough that is healthy for not only us but our planet. Science is a wild creature. We have to be aware of the power of the things that we create because technology can be for the better or the worse. The ability to blow up solar systems might sound fascinating, but I feel as if that would be a once in a lifetime opportunity.

These arguments are only a few conclusions that could be drawn from the question. Our lives are changing at a rapid pace and inevitably there will come consequences. We just have to be careful with how technology impacts our lives, because at this rate of development, we are slowly inching our way to the point of no return.