In the 21st century, technology affects every aspect of life, locally and globally. Technological advancement has also brought immense benefits that make human survival easier and convenient. Indeed, it shapes the education landscape, healthcare, security, and transportation sector to experience undeniable challenges if the innovation was put to an end. However, as indicated in The Circle, modernity, and advancement result in a power shift that increases social isolation, undermines security, and hinders privacy. Technology isolates human relationships, which leads to a social disconnect. Human beings are social beings with the need for interaction to feel whole. Indeed, even when connected to millions of friends online, lack of a real social connection proves overbearing for Mae, who sacrifices a great deal of her social life to accommodate her job. When people think that online platforms connect individuals to friends and family, they make it harder for genuine human connections to thrive, which adversely impacts mental health. Similarly, in today’s society, where everyone can post a fictional identity on social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, these platforms do not fulfill human connections in the long run. As Sasvari (2013) outlines, humans have evolved for thousands of years, and isolation results in negative impacts that result in depressive thoughts. When the dependence wears off, the reality that there is no one to turn to has contributed to depression and loneliness. Innovations have led to an increase in access to information, which jeopardizes people's privacy. Large corporations and tech-savvy individuals have the power to use data to gain a competitive advantage or, in the case of hackers, use malware to steal data. Technology allows a vast amount of data to be collected and stored, which post a challenge if it ends up in malicious persons' hands. For instance, when Mae decides to post her new identity, there is no filtering regarding who has access, including strangers such as Kalden, who refuses to reveal information about himself. As such, in the modern world, people without individual control or discipline on how much they let out reveal too much risking their privacy to strangers they know nothing about. Indeed, with malicious groups such as terrorists, criminals, and foreign adversaries looking to gain an advantage, posting personal information exposes individuals to significant risks that have led to kidnappings, murder, and terrorist attacks. Finally, advancement promotes surveillance, which exposes industries and individuals to security risk. Whenever people choose to use apps, they ignore terms and conditions, which means they put them in grave danger to fraud and bribery by the tech-savvy and administrations. According to Schlehahn et al. (2013), technological innovation gives power for competitiveness as technology becomes an aspect of a market commodity. Still, in current times, social media is global and unifies without restriction to who can spy, hack, or use information availed with the intent for harm. As indicated through Circle, programs cause industries to be under surveillance. Indeed, in the real world where hackers have unmatched skills to use malware, industries under surveillance suffer system breakdown that affects workflow. Employers can also access sites and find unflattering images and information that leads to repercussions on people’s jobs. Conclusively, despite the undeniable benefits, technology has its fair share of adversities that expose society to risks and uncertainties. As depicted in The Circle, today's world suffers a great deal of isolation for people who depend on online platforms such as Facebook or Tinder to express who they are or form virtual identities and relationships without face-to-face human connection. Additionally, with different individuals and entities' ability to access data, it exposes users to unauthorized surveillance and invasion of privacy when strangers can learn about every aspect by a click of a button.
References
Eggers, D. (2013). The Circle: A Novel. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.
Sasvari, P. (2013). The Effects of Technology and Innovation on Society. arXiv preprint arXiv:1307.3911 .
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Schlehahn, E., Hansen, M., Sterbik-Lamina, J., & Samaniego, J. S. (2013). D 3.1–Report on Surveillance Technology and Privacy Enhancing Design. SurPRISE Project. Seventh Framework Programme, EU. Retrieved January , 16 , 2016.
