The Double-Edge of Digital Technology
The Third Industrial Revolution, also known as the Digital Revolution, tremendously altered the way we communicate. Before that, it took us a long waiting to reach out to the one we care and got back from them and almost impossible to get to know one that we had never seen in real life, however, for people living the current era, since the birth of telephone, satellite and internet, a few clicks can bring people together in an instant, no matter how far they are and how well they have known. Communication had never been so accessible, yet so vulnerable. Once the cost to speak on the internet becomes cheap, users neglect the responsibilities as communicators, for others and for themselves. Without proper moderation, the internet could become lawless. Without proper self-management, users may lose their routine in the endless flow of information. In this sense, we cannot determine the increased accessibility of reaching out other benefits our mental health without drawbacks.
To some extent, it is our creativity that makes us stand at the top of the ecological chain. But somehow, it also makes individuals more fragile. People discovered fire, they created guns to defend themselves from the wild, but also from their fellow human beings. People discovered nuclear fission, they created the nuclear power plant, but also nuclear bomb. This time, we discovered silicon, and we created a digital world, along with numerous societal concerns. A prominent topic being widely discussed is how to keep the balance between online content moderation and user’s privacy. A study conducted by the Pew Research Center found that nearly 60% of teenagers have experienced cyberbullying, with name-calling and rumor spreading being the most common (Qtd in Gordon par 28). To solve this, some online messaging applications impose censorship on all media transferred in their platform, which mitigates the situation of online abuse, but also bring privacy concerns about the information shared with the platform under such moderation. Meanwhile, many have seen digital deficits in personal well-being. Studies have shown ADHD and other behavioral problems are linked to digital technology overuse (Qtd in Gordon par 20). Algorithms engineers and content creators delve into the reward circuit in people’s brain diligently just to let users spend one more second on their platform and to be addicted to their content. Without mental resilience, one might lose in the constant barrage of notifications, instant gratification, and endless scrolling on the glass screen, being unable to sustain a normal life. On top of behavioral problems, being extensively immersed in the digital world also impacts one’s mental health. The distractibility struggles them in completing tasks, and their lack of experience in in-person communication might lead them to be disassociated from groups and being short of interpersonal connection impaired their ability to regulate emotions. Therefore, the side effects of digital technology must be handled with care, as with other tools we create.
However, the benefits of digital technology are unneglectable. Essentially, the most significant feature brought about by digitization is the high mobility of information, which largely reduces the amount of time needed for the information to travel in space. Macroscopically, this feature has been illustrated in paragraph one, the high mobility enables two endpoints to exchange information in nearly real time regardless of their physical location in a limited space, which enables people to be always connected even if they are far apart and make information more accessible and affordable. Microscopically, the high mobility achieves a historical leap in computing speed compared to abacus or another mechanical computer, which accelerates information processing and unleashes the productivity in any field related to digit and have profound impacts on the development of human civilization. Even for the older generation, some of whom are less receptive to modern technology, it is still beneficial. Black Dong Institute, a NPO dedicated in the treatment for mental illnesses, suggests technology are beneficial to personal mental healthcare, in the time that depression is wide spreading around the world (Gordon par 18). Thus, in the era that digital technology has been deeply embedded in every corner of our life, its positive impact on us is indelible.
Arguably, every tool we invented is double-edged. The purpose of an item is decided on the user instead of the creator. Nobel created dynamite to help people in building and mining, but it ended up commercializing as the bomb to damage building and hurt people. He had loathed war all his life, but his obituary referred him as a “merchant of death”. As with dynamite, the internet was first invented only for military purposes, but then expanded to the purpose of communication between scientific researchers and ended up coming into everyone’s daily life. Digital technology has no innate attribute of being good or bad, it all depends on how we use it, develop it, and adapt to it.
Gordon, Sherri. “How Social Media Negatively Affects the Teen Brain.” Verywell Family, 7 Nov. 2021, https://www.verywellfamily.com/ways-social-media-affects-teen-mental-health-4144769