The topic of advancing technology has always been hard to discuss. Some people are against it, saying it is destroying the work force and taking jobs away from the lower class. There is another side to the story, though. Many people advocate for these advancements because it furthers medical breakthroughs, advances criminal detection and more.
First, let’s examine the benefits of advancing technology. Medicine is one of the main points brought up when defending these advancements. When technology really started to boom in the early 2000s, we saw progression in many medical cases. Creations like insulin pumps, genome mapping, digital records and tele-health are all possible because of technology. Some of the most notable technological advancements made in the medical field include but are not limited to, the creation of pacemakers, in vitro diagnostics, lab grown skin grafts, respiratory ventilators and so much more. Without these advancements countless people would have suffered or passed from entirely treatable conditions.
Soon-to-be nursing student Mikayla Almaguer, ‘26 says, “It’s crazy how much progress we’ve made because of technology. There are so many medical problems being resolved now that seemed impossible just a few years ago.”
Though the medical field took a harsh hit in 2020 with the spread of COVID-19, technological advances have allowed healthcare workers to bounce back.
Law enforcement also greatly benefits from artificial intelligence. Criminal detection has become faster, easier, and more accurate. With the ability to recognize DNA, many cold cases, left open for years, have come to a close. For instance, in July of 2022, Lancaster County Pennsylvania solved one of its oldest cold cases. District attorneys explained that they were able to apprehend the criminal all because of an old coffee cup that still had DNA traces on it. This helped close Lindy Sue Biechler’s homicide case, further proving the vital role technology plays in our safety. Additionally, wrongfully incarcerated people were able to prove their innocence and return to free society.
A vo-tech law enforcement student says, “we learned about this kind of stuff in class and it’s sad how many people are punished for something they didn’t do.”
However, there are a large number of risks that come with the benefits. A countless number of people living in North America work in the manufacturing business. Their jobs are being threatened everyday by the quicker, cheaper, and more precise machines that have now been programmed to do their jobs. According to the economic times and CBS over 14% of workers have already reported losing a job due to AI. This has left people with no income and too much free time on their hands, pushing them to take the “easy road” to “instant success” as an influencer. Screen addiction is a very real and very serious problem in today’s society. We’ve all gotten so used to grabbing our phones the second we wake up, getting food delivered to our doorstep with one click of a button, days with zero human interaction, and resorting to social media whenever a minute of downtime presents itself.
People need to interact and be social now more than ever. So why do we always choose technology?
Convenience. Convenience has made it nearly impossible to break away from screens. Now we can send a message to someone across the world within a second, get all our groceries delivered directly to our homes and complete payment transactions from our couches. These advancements have made new generations less sociable and more dependent on technology and slang to create connections.
Our youth is suffering with more than just social skills. American school systems have seen an increase of astonishing amounts. Roughly forty two percent of students in America use AI weekly (according to the College Board). With attention spans fried from the fast paced stimulation on social media, students no longer want to put in the work to complete assignments on their own. Though AI can be extremely useful in research and content creation, solely relying on it for education is dangerous. Students hardly absorb any of the information they are taught and never practice the skills. They feel as though, when an easy solution is right in front of them, why bother putting in the work? When ten students were asked about their usage of AI on school work six claimed to use it on a daily basis, three use it sometimes, and one never uses it.
Aside from social suffering there are an immense amount of security risks that accompany artificial intelligence. Numerous cases have been reported of information leaks, hackings, and even a phone recording what it shouldn’t. The security breaches that advancing technology has caused or encouraged have had catastrophic consequences on its victims. In mid 2025 there was a hacking so severe it caused email malfunctions across the country. The Microsoft Server Exchange Hack was a ransomware attack that lasted nearly a month. Besides big name brands, even performers have been affected when their songs or movies were leaked to the public, ruining their launches. It has been proven time and time again that technology will not discriminate and these hackings and viruses can impact anyone in any way.
When 20 students were polled, 85% (17/20) supported the advancements and accepted the possible risks that may follow. The real question is, are these advancements helping or hurting humanity? And which side are you on?
