Technology is an astounding innovation. From writing by hand to typing on keyboards to dictating commands to a house, humanity has moved leaps and bounds in a relatively short span of time. It has reshaped every facet of life, simplifying tasks, saving time, and creating opportunities once deemed impossible. Thus, we can’t help but ask ourselves: Does this advancement truly improve our lives, or does it only shortcut the challenges that shape us to become who we are?

The benefits of technology are undeniable. For instance, in this day and age, artificial intelligence has become a real pillar in our lives. 

The Swedish health company “Neko Health” is using artificial intelligence to spot diseases years before symptoms appear, detecting health issues that regular checkups might miss, thus revolutionizing the healthcare system and making preventive care more accessible. 

With connected devices, phones, online conference calls, working from home, and more, communication has never been easier; people connect across continents in seconds, facilitating learning, business, and relationships.

Yet, the drawbacks are just as significant, because despite its many benefits, technology often creates new problems while solving old ones: they are counterbalanced by threats to mental health, privacy, and personal security.

Those very phones that are meant to connect us can seclude us further. Teenagers are increasingly isolated, with studies correlating excessive screen time with heightened loneliness, depression, and even suicide. In fact, social media fosters a culture of comparison, eroding self-esteem and unrealistic standards: even health suffers, as sedentary lifestyles contribute to obesity and related illnesses.

This is why Australia is attempting to curb these dangers by implementing a recent social media ban for children under 16, emphasizing how far-reaching the impact of unchecked technology can be.

For instance, a lawsuit against “Character.AI” highlights the dangers of unregulated AI interactions, where a chatbot failed to address a teenager’s mental health crisis, leading to tragic consequences.

Moreover, the invasion of privacy is a growing concern. With every application download and online transaction, we forfeit personal data for convenience. The devices that we call “smart” please us so much because we give them access to every aspect of our lives: they track our habits, preferences, and even locations, creating a digital footprint that companies and even hackers can exploit. 

Finally, automated systems threaten jobs in industries reliant on human labor, widening income inequality. 

So, are we truly advancing? Perhaps progress is not just about creating faster, smarter tools but also about addressing the challenges they bring. To ensure technology serves humanity, we must strike a balance between embracing innovation and safeguarding well-being. Only then can we transform the illusion of progress into genuine advancement.

At the end of the day, even the greatest progress cannot determine our fate, if we’ll wake up tomorrow, if we’ll be walking, if we’ll be healthy… We can try to pretend that we’ll reach this illusion of complete understanding, but some truths will always elude us. In my opinion, the progress we so admire is nothing more than a convenient shortcut, easing our daily lives but also cutting out important milestones and steps we should all have in our lives…