The Dangers of Technology

    Both "The Machine Stops" and “There Will Come Soft Rains” address the dangers of relying on technology. The Machine Stops" describes a world devoid of face-to-face interaction, devoid of original thought, and devoid of curiosity. Teasdale's poem describes a speaker's reaction to the horrors of weaponry used in World War 1. It’s your turn. Write an essay on the topic of the dangers of technology. Indeed, the options for this topic can range from social media and isolation to the dumbing down of America and chatGPT to the dangers of Saudi Arabia's "Line City" to cell phones and driving and so on and so on. Just make sure you fulfill the “musts” noted below--and stay on topic of assignment! (Note: the more narrow and specific your topic, the better your paper.) Here's one student's most unique introductory approach to this assignment: Historically, the Japanese revered their elderly. Shintoism taught ancestor worship, and most Shintos had shrines of great grandma and grandpa on their god-shelves. To this day, there is a national and annual ancestor-day celebration. But, over-population and technology combined have resulted in a most tragic irony. Few grandchildren and the invention of "robot care" have led to many older people waiting--not for a chat with their daughters or grandsons--but for their hourly visit with their robot. This is a most sad illustration of the dangers of technology as they've led to the coldness of machines substituting for the warmth of human empathy.