Is Technology Aiding Creativity?

   Technology seems to be evolving in an increasingly rapid pace.  It is hard to imagine what the world will look like when one reaches their forties, let alone retire.  This is partly due to how quickly technology has evolved; it has seemed to make the impossible possible at unprecedented speed.

We are already using technology in ways that were not widely thought of before–we can watch television whenever, wherever we want on our phones and tablets, find out the most recent news within seconds rather than waiting until tomorrow’s newspaper comes out or even watching the 6 o’clock news, or simply just checking Facebook while waiting in line with friends at Starbucks for a coffee!  One does not need to carry around separate devices for all these activities either: one may have a tablet and a phone, and be able to use both for each of the activities mentioned.

The advancement in technology has brought about many new opportunities, but with it comes concerns as well.  One such concern is whether or not this technology is aiding creativity, rather than just convenience.

It was once thought that technology would never replace face-to-face communication; yet now we can chat with friends on Facebook instead of speaking with them on the phone or perhaps even go out for dinner together without ever speaking directly to each other (perhaps because we are both busy and tired after work).  This makes us more isolated and at times anti-social because we do not feel like we need to leave our house to meet friends, and if we did not have our technology with us it would be more difficult to communicate or coordinate that time to meet up.

If one is independently wealthy then this isolation might not necessarily be a bad thing; but for the rest of the population who rely on their salary (and perhaps even need multiple jobs) it can potentially cause problems.  Technology makes our lives easier, no doubt about it; but there are trade-offs each time we evolve our devices — what new abilities make life easier may essentially take away another ability which was once thought to be integral to daily living (such as socializing face-to-face).  It also brings up the question of whether these interactions will ultimately supplant how people act in the real world.

At the end of the day, technology can never replace human contact; one cannot communicate with another via Facebook messages or Google chat like they could over Skype, it is simply not the same type of interaction.  Perhaps if these messages were written on paper (or even if they were typed on a computer) then it would be the same as interacting face-to-face; however, this still does not hold true because people write differently in both situations and misunderstandings may arise where none needed to exist when talking directly with someone in person.

Technology has many advantages and disadvantages which should be considered carefully before making a purchase or updating a device.  The options available offer choices for each individual which allow them to find what best suits their own needs.  Perhaps there are even some benefits to the disadvantages of technology that no one has yet noticed nor thought about!