The Good and Bad of Technology and Information Flow

Most things, if taken from different perspectives, can end up being both a blessing and a curse. And when it comes to technology and information flow, that maxim holds true. For all the wonderful things that technology brings to the table, there are good and bad sides to every new progression.

You can look at access to knowledge and think of how wonderful it is. But along with that, people have learned how to use technology to perpetrate fraud and other crimes. And on the one hand, there is a tremendous amount of social positivity that comes from conversations using technology. But then opposite to that, certain ways that people are using technology create an incredible amount of divisiveness.

Access To Knowledge

The Internet is our key to the world”s knowledge. Every piece of data that is stored, shared, archived, and observed online can make us smarter and more knowledgeable about the world around us. As soon as people have access to the Internet, they can find the answers to the questions that they have, and they can connect with anyone else who has on the network. The Internet has turned the world into a global village.

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Fraud and Crime

On the other hand, people are using this incredible technology for bad purposes as well. Using the Internet, people commit white-collar crimes. Using the Internet, people will steal identities, commit bank fraud, and make bullying and hate crimes in the name of free speech part of their daily routines. Because it is such an open realm, when people use technology to access the Internet, specifically when it”s anonymously, they feel that they have the opportunity to act in immoral ways.

Social Positivity

Because technology can be used to connect people, there is a tremendous amount of social engagement and positivity that happens. People who would never have known each other for known about each other”s causes can connect instantly and combine resources. You can join progressive technology groups and causes and work every day to make the world a better place. Especially with the cell phone revolution, this kind of positivity is more powerful than ever.

Social Unrest

On the flip side of social engagement for positive reasons, technology can also be used to create social unrest. If people don”t know how to defend themselves from misinformation, they can quickly get led down dark paths on the Internet. All of the tools that positive people are using to create positive changes, negative people are using similarly to create negative changes. Certain people just don”t have empathy, are psychotic, or want to breed dissent and anarchy. And the fact is, those people have the same access to technology as everyone else to spread their messages.