Everywhere we look, we see technological innovations in all its beauty. We are able to connect in a matter of seconds with people all over the world, computers have enabled us to radically improve our productivity, innovation in healthcare tremendously improved our life expectancy and we cannot even start to grasp what will happen in the next 20, let alone 50 years.
To quote a famous Dutch footballer that probably didn’t even have a smartphone: “every downside has its upside”. As true as this is, we can also look at it the other way around. What are the negative effects that technology bring us and should we already be worried? My answer? Yes we should.
We can already see it in our direct environment. I originally come from a small village in Brabant and I remember having a conversation with my best friend’s dad on why he stopped being a farmer. His answer: “With a heavy hart I have to say that in today’s landscape, it is simply impossible to make a living just working with a few cows and your hands.” It is commonly accepted that robots will replace human work in countless industries, far more than we can probably imagine [1] [2].
Although I am extremely curious and thrilled to find out where technology can lead us, there is also a small part of me that sees a darker future. Bright and clever students aside, who are probably blessed with a life full of opportunities, but what about low-skilled workers? Are we willing to just train people to be programmers or mechanics? Is that what brings us and them happiness? I think we all have our doubts [3] [4]. The purpose of technology should be to add to our living, not replacing it.
None of us have a crystal ball to see into the future, but I do know WE are the future. So if there is one thing I hope you will take away from reading the above it would be to not only invest in society’s productivity but also in its happiness.
