The Computer: A Menace or Blessing to Society?

In today’s society, the computer has become part of our lives. It has become so essential to us that we use it in almost everything we do. Owning a computer has almost become a social necessity, such that if one does not own a computer, he is discriminated and considered primitive. It is incontrovertible that the computer is of great use to us; it gives us convenience and power to do our daily tasks more effectively. It is indisputable that the computer has, time and again, arrived like a deus ex machine to enable us to solve the problems we face. However, is the computer truly a great miraculous blessing? Is it truly the gift from heaven that it is made out to be? I, for one, do not think so. Just as any coin has two faces, the computer, despite its advantages, also has its fair share of drawbacks.

I do not debate the fact that the advance of technology has brought a cornucopia of benefits to the world. However, what I am saying is that this very advance of technology also has its drawbacks. Arnold Bennett, the English playwright and novelist, once said, “All change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.” Perhaps the computer is indeed a change for the better, but even so, the drawbacks this change is accompanied by are not merely a bagatelle to be ignored.

With the computer, much more can be done nowadays. On the outset, this can be seen as a huge benefit. Productivity improves; our control of the things around us is growing by the day; our knowledge and power are ever-increasing. However, if one explores deeper, he will realize that this increase in power also causes more problems.

Workers today, and even students, are expected to do so much. The computer has raised the bar of productivity to such a great extent that perhaps man is unable to scale these heights. So much more is expected on people today, the burden placed on them is heavier than ever. People are forced to work unceasingly. Even children today are not spared from this pressure. They are expected to produce so much more in their academics. Juxtaposed with the carefree life of the past – the life where the lack of advanced technology meant less competition and pressure – one cannot help but wonder whether we have indeed improved.