Douthwaite claims that that technological fixes are commonly a short-term solution to a much larger and complex problem. He also goes on to state on page 32 that “whatever the moral, ethical, or legal implications of a technological fix, if it works even temporarily to solve an important social problem then it is an important contribution.” I think after reading the other articles that the other authors would suggest a warning when it comes to technological fixes. I believe their critique would be to think about the implications of technological fixes instead of only considering the immediate benefits. There were great examples of how technology has benefited society without having negative impacts but there are many others that have severe consequences. Some technological fixes could potentially cause a chain effect of more and more technological fixes. At what point will technological “fixes” cause more issues then they can solve? I think this is an interesting question and we shouldn’t rely solely on technology to solve our societal issues.
I believe technological fixes to social and environmental systems often have negative repercussions because when they are needed it seems almost too late to think of how problems will arise in the future. Technological fixes seem to be born out of necessity and they are more like a quick fix rather than an actual well developed and thought out solution. It is impossible for anyone to be able to predict when outcomes or consequences may happen. I do feel like technological fixes are critical to the survival of humans. There are many technological fixes that help people and save lives every day. I believe that just because there are consequences that we should not stop seeking technological fixes. Moving forward as a society I do think that we should be more aware of how technology can affect us and the world we live in.
I agree to a degree with what you’re saying, but I think we should at least be wary when applying technical fixes to purely culturally problems. I think quite often this will lead to some social issues in which at least one group of people end up oppressed as a result of a foresight in the technical fix. However, I do think technical fixes can be very beneficial when applied to more practical social issues. Such as more protective frames for vehicles to prevent car accidents rather than an entire social movement vying for safer drivers. I think in moderation technical fixes can be a perfectly safe way to better our own society.
Personally, I agree with the first sentence of your blog. It makes sense that Technological fixes are thought of as short-term solutions to a much grander problem. This is very similar to medicines today. We can come up with something that works for right now or a bit but once that solution doesn’t work anymore than we have to come up with a new one. I think you really hit the nail on the head when you state the quote by Douthwaite on page 32. We have to keep in mind that any technological fix is a great contribution towards the grand goal. Just because a new invention is beneficial for right now and not later doesn’t make it irrelevant. Your thought at the beginning of the second paragraph is very interesting. Quite often we make advances in technology but they are too late. We need to keep our heads up and be always looking for improvements in technology.