To Tech or Not to Tech…That is the Question

Compared to Douthwaite’s statement that technological fixes are necessary to solve social problems, Johnston, one of the other authors says, “Modern problems cannot be reduced to mere engineering solutions over the long term; human goals are diverse and constantly changing” (Johnston 54). Huesemann and Huesemann the authors of the other article would say, “The negative and sometimes irreversible consequences brought by the application of science and technology are not only unavoidable but also unpredictable” (Huesemann 15).

Technological fixes to social and environmental systems tend to have negative repercussions because technological fixes can create other problems in the process of trying to solve the current issues. I don’t think unintended consequences should prevent us from finding technological solutions to our problems because any solution may have a negative outcome. But if we continue to try to find technological solutions to problems, we must be able to not only look back but look forward and strive to improve the solutions that had the unintended consequences. While I agree with Johnston that human goals are constantly changing, does that not imply that any fix may have to be updated and modified in the future regardless of whether it was technologically based or not?

2 thoughts on “To Tech or Not to Tech…That is the Question”

  1. I have to say that I completely agree with your statement about that we will always have to update or modify any technological fix in the future regardless of whether it was technologically based or not? Because human nature is to advance in any way we can. This is what takes us to the future. That there will always be unintended consequences to any action involving the greater advance in technology or the environment. If we were to hold back based on the fear of the unknown, we as humans would have never sent a man to the lowest depths of the oceans or sent a man to the moon. We could have never grown past being just another primate. It is in our nature to grow and advance. Though there may be a small issue, we can fix it. It’s something we have always done, we always fix our mistakes.

  2. I strongly agree with your thoughts in the second paragraph. I thought it was really clever to bring up the point that any solution can be negative, even a natural one. I also agree with your point that we must always be able to adapt to changes as they arise. I also enjoyed your first paragraph as well. You did a great job at stating how the various authors felt about the technological fix. I also liked the quote that you ended with because it was a perfect segue into your next points. However, I would have loved to maybe hear some of your thoughts in the first paragraph.

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