The rate at which technology is advancing is so colossal that it is practically immeasurable. Technology can save lives, help students succeed in their education, and advance science. On the other hand, technology can also serve as a catalyst to criminals and take away our privacy exposing us in ways we do not wish to be exposed. It would be comforting to believe that how we use technology determines how it either benefits or handicaps us. However, technology seems to have such a hold on all of us and has become such an integrated part of our lives that it has gotten to the point where technology has a power that we can no longer turn off.
Each generation seems to be more technologically literate than the last. This is evident simply by trying to teach your parent’s how to text message. I never would have believed that I would at some point become part of a generation too old to understand newer up-and-coming technology. Unfortunately, reading the book Little Brother by Cory Doctorow has made me believe otherwise. This book is full of technological terms and lingo that had me thoroughly confused and that was thankfully explained in layman’s terms as the story progressed. The main characters featured in the book are teenagers who seem to have mastered technology, performing tasks such as fooling gait-recognition cameras, hacking into websites prohibited by the school, oh yeah and overpowering homeland security. That last bit doesn’t actually happen until the end of the book though. Previous to conquering homeland security, these teenagers are subject to being accused of terrorist attacks, losing their freedom of speech, and having their every move tracked. All of these injustices that these teenagers are subjected to by their own country are a direct result of technology. Technology tracks their every move and keeps them in check throughout the book. On the flip side, technology also works in their favor as they create an underground network through which they can rebel against the government and their radical measures to keep them “safe” They also rebel through the key parties they throw in order to sabotage the passes the government uses to track all citizens as they travel.
While this book may be a very extreme (and fictitious) example of the ways in which technology can work against and for us, it is nevertheless an important and eye opening read that can help teach students the importance of understanding and utilizing technology to their benefit yet in a cautious manner.
