According to Carl Sagan, “Technology is a way of organizing the universe so that man doesn’t have to experience it” (qtd. In “Technology Quotes”). Television brings viewers The O.C. and Laguna Beach to show what life could be like; it brings American Idol to show other people reaching for their dreams; it brings America’s Funniest Home Videos so the audience can watch other people’s funniest moments instead of creating their own. Technology lives life while society just watches. The fact that cell phones are now being sold in vending machines is a clear sign that there is a new dictator in the world and his name is Technology (“Motorola Unveils Phone-Selling Machines”). Because society’s dependence on technology pervades all aspects of modern living, the U.S. Government, its citizens, and other organizations have an obligation to promote lifestyles and instill programs that curtail the addiction. As stated by Daniel Boorstin, “Technology is so much fun but we can drown in our technology. The fog of information can drive out knowledge” (qtd. In “Technology Quotes”). Because information available on the internet is infinite, people can find out virtually anything at any given time using little to no brain power. At least some amount of information is being transferred however, but what about the media? The media can inform the public of the latest world and local news, but more often than not, the media is used for entertainment purposes. It is a shame that such an astounding resource is being spoiled for pure amusement.

            “By the time kids reach senior citizen status, they will have spent three years of their lives[…] watching commercials” (Thoman 3). This statistic shows that after 65 years, 4.6% of an average American’s life will have been spent watching commercials alone. So assuming that during a 30-minute program, 23 minutes are devoted to the program and 7 to commercials, by the time a person reaches senior citizen status, he/she is likely to have spent 12.86 years watching television. Does this make technology an addiction? Is it more of an addiction than alcohol or cigarettes? It would appear so. With 66% of the American population owning cell phones, 11% owning iPods, and 14% with palm pilots (“Who’s Buying iPod’s? 1), the odds of you, the reader, having a mobile device in your pocket right now are pretty high. In a lecture to the I.S.I. Honors Program, by Peter Lawler of Oxford, England, he states:

Technology is a problem because we cannot do without it, and our use of it clearly makes us both better and worse. Human beings are—among other things—technological or tool-making animals. We use our brains and our freedom to transform nature, and in doing so transform ourselves. We also have a perverse capacity to make ourselves unhappy and a singular pride in our misery. We are both proud of and wish to free ourselves from the burdens of our technological success. So we find it almost impossible to judge how much and what kind of technology would be best for us. In principle, we should be free to accept or reject various technological developments. Technology, after all, is supposed to be means for the pursuit of whatever ends we choose (1).