Movies from the 1950s and 1960s looked at the 1990s and the 2000s as the future. In those movies, everything in the home and office is automated. Life is orderly and peaceful; everything is clean and neat. Technology solves all of our problems and makes life so easy. However, these visions of the future seem laughable now in their idealism and utopian visions, looking back from the 2000s and through the 1990s. Life is not orderly and peaceful; everything is not clean and neat. Lots of things are automated, but that hasn’t made life easier or solved all of our problems. In fact, as technology progresses, it’s not that new problems arise – it’s that old ones come back. In 100 years, problems that are solved now may likely re-emerge.
One way technology has served modern civilization is the way it has enabled modern medicine to advance. Vaccines, antibiotics, life-saving surgeries, and many other preventive and curative practices and procedures have emerged. Polio was eradicated. In First World countries illnesses and diseases like dysentery and typhoid have practically disappeared. However, overprescription of antibiotics has resulted in the development of drug-resistant bacteria. In addition to that, misinformation regarding the risks of vaccines means that individuals have not had their children vaccinated. Furthermore, increased and frequent global travel has enabled disease carrying pests to spread diseases to countries that before did not suffer such problems (Griffin). Between all these factors, in 100 years it is possible that new bacteria and viruses will evolve that are drug resistant; diseases that were considered eradicated (like small pox) may re-emerge; and areas that before did not experience certain kinds of epidemics will suffer from new diseases, like certain strains of malaria (Griffin).
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Mental health issues may also get worse. As society’s dependence (addiction?) to technology, especially mobile technology, increases, issues like depression seem to increase. As technology advances, more individuals become at risk for depression (Amichai-Hamburger). The mental health field has responded to society’s technological preferences by developing online counseling techniques, usually known as telecounseling (Riemer-Reiss). However, it seems that this would invite MORE mental health issues, perhaps even for the counselors themselves. However, it seems that as technology – especially mobile technology – continues to permeate everyday life more and more, the number of individuals suffering from mental health issues is likely to increase. This seems strange in a world that is growing more and more connected via technology. However, it seems that the ability to connect does not guarantee the meaningful connections necessary to promote mental health. So, it would appear that in 100 years society may be more depressed on the whole than society is now. Furthermore, despite the idealism of the ‘50s and ‘60s that war would be a thing of the past, society’s ability to connect despite distance has failed to end conflict.
In 100 years, it seems that society will likely still be suffering from some of the same problems it has long suffered from: diseases, sicknesses, mental illness, the “side effects” of reliance on technology, and war/conflict. Technology, which was supposed to eradicate disease and discomfort, which was supposed to make our lives easier, will likely be the cause of formerly ‘dead’ diseases coming back. Technology will contribute to continuing/increasing mental illness. Technology is not and will not solve these problems, meaning these problems will persist, and that technology is not the answer.
- Amichai-Hamburger, Yair. “Depression Through Technology.” New Scientist 204.2739 (2009): 28-29. Web.
- Riemer-Reiss, Marti L. “Utilizing Distance Technology for Mental Health Counseling.” Journal of Mental Health Counseling 22.3 (2000): 189-204. Web.
- Griffin, Diane E. “Emergence and Re-emergence of Viral Diseases of the Central Nervous System.” Progress in Neurobiology 91.2 (2010): 95-101. Web.
