Is modern technology becoming a threat to traditional skills?

Rajeev was traveling on a bus. He was listening to music on his mobile phone. Soon he realized that there was no sound coming out from his earphones. He had lost his phone. He thought of contacting his parents by borrowing someone else’s phone. But unfortunately, he could not remember the phone number of his parents. He was so dependent on modern technology that he could not act according to his own will without it.

This is what modern technology is doing to us. Our traditional skill or even basic skill of remembering some emergency numbers is getting impacted by technology. The impact is both positive and negative. In this essay, we shall look into the impact of modern technology on traditional skills. Finally, we will try to conclude whether it is a threat or not.

Before we start, it is important to understand that modern technology is the advanced way of doing things with the help of software, devices, and new innovations. Examples could be Artificial Intelligence (AI), mobile, nuclear technology, space technology, social media, and mobile applications (apps) etc.

On the other hand, traditional skills could mean our thinking, reasoning, and cognitive skills which are basic to human existence. This also includes skills we humans as a social group or society have evolved. These include ways of communication, empathy, compassion, brotherhood, culture etc.

Technology changed our way of doing things and our skills in the past also. Humans were forest dwellers who used to hunt for food. Modern technology at that time, such as agriculture, changed this hunting-gathering skill. From forests, we moved towards civilized society in urban areas. But here, technology threatened our traditional skill but it made our existence more sustainable.

Today in the 21st century, modern technology has changed the processes and methods of agriculture. Early ripening chemicals, pesticides, etc. are a case in point. This modern technology has changed our traditional skill of organic farming. Moreover, it is harmful for human life and life on the mother planet Earth.

These man-made factors invade natural laws which used to sustain life on Earth. Use of modern technology without taking into account traditional skills has led to haphazard urbanization. Blockage of sewers, water pipelines, drainage system during monsoon are testimony to it. Bihar, Assam, Gujarat etc. are some of the sufferers at present due to such floods. Our traditional baolis, tankas, water harvesting methods have not been utilized in rapid urbanization. This modern technology is indeed a threat to our traditional skills.

Not only our infrastructure but also our communication methods and skills have changed. Person-to-person relation is impacted by new technology such as social media, WhatsApp etc. Text messages cannot replace human words, voice, expressions, and touch. Earlier we used to employ our cognition as well as emotions to understand a person through his/her words, verbal and non-verbal cues. But today this understanding has been paralyzed to some extent due to intermediaries – machines, software applications.

Mobile phones have started replacing human friends, assistants, diaries etc. But this man-machine touch and mobile phone’s touch screens are devoid of human touch. The skills of empathy, compassion, and emotions are missing. People prefer to make videos of criminal events like mob lynching instead of helping the victim. This virtual world is away from reality and originality humans used to have.

Modern technology has invaded the field of education also. The market is flooded with learning apps for school-going kids. They tend to replace a human teacher. If they do so, would they be able to take responsibility of our students like our human teacher? Of course, they couldn’t. They are just robotic machines and software which are devoid of such values. This shows it is a threat to our traditional skills and teacher-student relation.

Employee-employer relations have been changed in a similar way modern machines and the wave of automation has started replacing human employees. Use of robots to serve foods in restaurants is a living example. But these robots cannot satisfy the needs of every customer. This is because at the receiving end is a living, rational, and emotional human; this threatens our traditional skills.

New technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine learning etc. add to it. They are even trying to make decisions for humans. These self-conscious machines are a threat to human existence as Stephen Hawking cautioned. Hollywood movies like ‘TERMINATOR’ tried to depict the same idea.

Not only this, the rise of nuclear weapons and cyber crimes throughout the world are a threat to our brotherhood, fraternity, and existence. The world has not forgotten Nagasaki and Hiroshima Bombings; such technology is indeed a threat.

But before painting all modern technology as harmful, we should take a pause and think. Isn’t it the human who is responsible for all modern technology? We are the ones who have invented it. We are the ones who use it. Misuse of technology is the root cause of our fear. There are many instances where technology has made our lives better.

Mobile phones have connected us in a way which is beyond geography and physical distance. The same is the case with social media. Digital means have made the system of governance more transparent. Rapid flow of knowledge via modern technology has empowered the so-called “common man”. Digitalization of RTI, citizen charter, and availability of the internet is testimony to it.

In a nutshell, if modern technology is a threat, then its inventor and user are equally responsible for it. This modern technology can, in fact, aid our traditional skills. For instance, integrating tsunami early warning systems and traditional knowledge of tribals of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

In similar ways, food processing technology and traditional agriculture methods like Zero budget farming can be integrated. A balance between human touch and usage of technology needs to be made. Then, this technology can help in improving human relations as well as international relations. An example is cultural diplomacy via video conferences. The basic idea is to master technology so that it is not a threat but a wonderful servant to our traditional skills.