“Everything that has an Advantage has an Equal Amount of Disadvantage”
And
“Excesss of Anything is dangerous , Moderation is the Key”
We begin with these Two quotes which most of us have heard at some or other point of time in our Life. In this world everything that has an Advantage has an equal amount of Disadvantage. For an example, i.e. “drinking water is good infact a necessity but if someone drinks excessive amount of water it will create problems in the body”
Same way “eating good food is good it’s in fact a necessity but if someone eats excessively it will create problems”
Same way “exercise is good but if one does it too much it will create problems”
So we can say that “everything which is good can become bad if it’s done in excess”
Because learning the balance is the key, excess of anything is dangerous.
“Learning Balance is the Key in Life as excess of anything destroys Life”
So as we see in above examples, everything has advantages & disadvantages. The same applies to Computers, Smartphones , Internet & Artificial Intelligence. Before we embark upon our journey to see the benefits & drawbacks , we should first see the importance of Computers, Smartphones, Internet & Artificial Intelligence.
History of Computers Smartphones Internet & AI
Computers have been a big revolution of the recent past , the innovation of electrical computers dates back to time after World War 2 but for general public computers became available chiefly in the 1990’s. The Internet was started in 1983 but again for the public it was chiefly available in 1990’s. Similarly mobile phones became publicly available in 1990’s to 2000. Prior to mobile phones there was Pager. Then after mobile phones smartphones were evolved. And as we know artificial intelligence was very recently introduced. As such the talks & development was going on since long but for the public at large the concept of artificial intelligence and the technology became very recently available.
Initial Response of Public to Computers,Smartphones Internet & Artificial Intelligence
Now all these things were so revolutionary that it quickly transformed the lives of the humans. And whenever any new technology comes it always transforms the lives of people. Now what will be the overall impact of the technology that the time can only answer & it’s always possible to tell about its impact only after 5-6 years of it being adopted by the masses.
Recently we have seen a lot of craze in public for AI. Just as there is craze for any new technology. The initial reaction is that people are overwhelmed & they are still figuring out the new technology.
Importance of Computers, Smartphones , Internet & Artificial Intelligence
Certainly these things have made drastic changes to human lives and quickly became part of human lives. As such, the purpose of technology itself is that it makes a difference to human lives & helps it to improve the standards of doing things.
There is no doubt that computers, smartphones and the internet have changed the method of doing things drastically. The ease of doing things and the benefits of connecting with the whole world instantly is certainly huge as prior to the internet Television was the only source of knowing other parts of the world.
It has also helped methods of working & there are indeed endless advantages of it. Now it’s practically not possible for any human being to survive without it after being exposed to it.
Artificial intelligence
The latest arrival in the technology field for the public at large and just like any arrival of any technology there is a lot of craze among the people for it , it has its own set of merits & demerits. Hence first we will look at the merits & demerits of Computer, Smartphones & Internet & then we will separately look at the merits & demerits of AI.
Kindly Note : Internet can be accessed through computers , laptops, tablets & smartphones hence it’s merits & demerits are covered in merits & demerits of Computers & smartphones.
As Without internet Computer , Smartphones are just a box. Albeit it can still be used for somethings but most of the features can’t be accessed.
Merits of Computers & Smartphones
Computers came initially then came laptops & then smartphones. Smartphones are nothing but mini computers .
Ease of Computing
The biggest advantage of Computers is its ability to process huge amounts of data. In fact the word computer has meaning itself to Compute.
Complicated work becomes easy
There are many types of work which are very complicated & which becomes easy through using computers. There are a wide variety of softwares which are available to purchase like Microsoft office, Adobe Acrobat etc & all of it has revolutionized the methods of working.
Research
Computers do help tremendously in research work using the internet . A lot of research can be done & it becomes very easy.
Maintenance of Records
Physically maintaining voluminous records becomes very difficult & it also occupies a lot of space however with computers large amounts of data can be easily maintained.
Audio Video calling
Just like smartphones you can connect with anyone anytime through computers & with the internet, many computers have inbuilt cams these days, otherwise separate external cams are also available.
Customized Software
There are different kinds of companies having different kinds of work and mostly they need customised software to manage their business operations. There are many Information technology companies who create customized software as per the requirement of the clients.
Large Storage
Computers have inbuilt large storage most computers have 1 TB storage which can be further enhanced through external drives.
Heavy Load of Work
Computers can easily handle heavy loads of work.
Ideal for office work
Computers are ideal for office work.
Ideal for gaming
Computers are ideal for gaming , the bigger screen is much better to play games.
Now we will look at the merits of Smartphones.
Merits of Smartphone
As such smartphones are nothing else but mini computers with smaller screens & sim cards having features of normal phones. Smartphones have almost all the benefits of Computers as mentioned above , However for storage of data it’s not possible to have the same amount of inbuilt storage.
Secondly it’s possible to use all softwares through application but it’s ideal for personal work in small quantities for lots of work & heavy load of work as it happens in office. Computers are the only best option.
Merits of Smartphones
Easy to Carry
It’s easy to carry smartphones everywhere & easy to use.
Ease of use
It’s very easy to use smartphones.
Connectivity
The best part of Smartphones is the ability to connect with the rest of the world through internet connection. The same thing is also available in computers but this is much more convenient to use as a smartphone is always with you.
Good Source for timepass
When you are bored & have nothing to do , smartphones are one of the best options to do timepass & get rid of boredom.
Audio Video Calling
Computers also have this & smartphones also but here it’s more beneficial as you can’t carry a laptop & hold it in one hand when you are outside. Smartphones are the best option to do audio Video calling even in such situations.
Necessity
smartphones have become a necessity of life as practically it’s difficult to survive without it. especially when you are living in metro cities , working or doing studies and all.
Accessing Services
In order to access any service you need a smartphone these days. Let it be Booking Tickets, booking a ride, purchasing online , banking, Job search , location search , finding through maps etc etc there are endless things & all is possible through smartphone.
Taking Pictures & video recording
Taking a selfie or pictures or video capturing all can be done easily through a smartphone.
Gaming
it’s good to play games albeit a bigger screen is always better but it’s good enough to play games.
Knowledge
You can access endless amount of knowledge through internet, it offers endless opportunities & possibilities of development.
Many more advantages
There are many more advantages of digital technology, efforts have been made to cover as much as possible but certainly there are many more advantages of it.
Now we will discuss about demerits of Computers & smartphones.
Demerits of Computers & Smartphones
Excessive Reliance
Many times people tend to have excessive reliance on computers & smartphones even simple things which can be done by their own mind are done through computers & smartphones.
Spending too much time
People spend too much time on Smartphones & computers, it badly hampers physical & emotional health.
Mental Peace
Excessive use of smartphones affects mental peace. Mental peace was much higher before the arrival of smartphones.
Mental Health
It also creates bad impact on the mental health of individual because it creates vicious circle of Stress , anxiety, Obsessive Behaviour & Depression.
Physical Health
It is needless to say that excessive usage of Smartphones and computers create a number of health problems.
Cervical spondylosis is one of the most frequent problems created by excessive use of computers & smartphones. Eye problems, ear problems caused by headphones the list is huge, indeed anything in excess is fatal.
Family Problems
Excessive use of smartphones & computers does create family problems. There is no time for each other even when they are together. All & everyone is busy with Smartphones, very few people are able to control its use.
“Those who are not yet exposed to smartphones are lucky as smartphone addiction is rampant like a disease”.
&
“Very few users of smartphones know how to control its use , as most of us are always on mobile”
It’s unfortunate but yes it’s a bitter truth of modern day life & majority of the people will agree with this .
Hampers Productivity
One of the biggest problems created by the so-called Smartphones is that it is ravaging the productivity of people.
“You don’t have to look far just look around & You will see almost everyone busy in their phones”
Mostly this will happen. If you look around, you will see most people are busy with their phones & it’s possible you may be one of those too.Unfortunately , the addiction of smartphones has spread like a pandemic.
It’s a bitter truth but yes a modern day reality.
Social Problems
The Internet has endless advantages but it’s also used to spread a lot of fake videos.
Many people believe it to be true & act upon it, so much hate & misleading information is served using the internet. It’s not only the cases in which violence happens but also all other cases in which a divide is created among the society.
Albeit it’s not the fault of the internet but the fault of those who are using the internet for spreading hatred and violence.
Cyber Crimes
Cyber space also exposes a number of cyber crimes, like financial scams, cyber stalking, virus attacks etc. it’s also used for planning many traditional crimes .
Location shared in social media is used to plan abduction, murder etc.
Infringement of Privacy
There is no more privacy after the development of cyberspace. Everything we do is under the surveillance of Cyber space as most of us feel the pressure of sharing and staying in the Limelight of the cyber world.
Yes we can restrict the infringement of privacy by not doing many things on the internet and the social media such as sharing the location of the places which we are visiting sharing all the pictures of everything we do however most of us at some or the other point of time do feel the pressure of sharing & not staying aloof from the rest of the world.
Adult content
In the digital world we are also exposed to a lot of adult content. Especially the risk is much greater for young mind children who are exposed to such adult content at a very tender age.
This tene to corrupt the young minds.
Makes us Futile
If the cyber space is carefully used it can give us lots of opportunity & knowledge but its improper use can make us futile. We tend to spend a lot of time on the internet just to pass time. Many times these kinds of things affect our productivity and it makes us futile. Obviously these kinds of words do sound to be very harsh but if we honestly ask ourselves then this looks like a reality.
Accidents
As such smartphones can be very helpful for finding the location through the map, however it’s also true that the improper use of the smartphone has caused a significant increase in the number of accidents. Just analyse the number of accidents before the arrival of the smartphones and after the arrival of the smartphones there will be a sharp increase in the number of accidents caused by improper use of the smartphones.
Selfie Craze & reel making craze
The craze for the selfie has caused a lot of accidents. Many people like to take selfies while reaching the mountains or on the ocean & you will see a lot of accidents while doing so. Similarly there is a craze for reel making and while making such reels in such places a lot of people have lost their lives.
No more time for other things
After the arrival of the smartphones it seems that there is no more time available for any other thing and people are always busy with their smartphones. Let it be weddings, parties , celebrations, work , education, even while walking on the road many people are using smartphones.
No more Joy
It feels like there is no more joy in doing other things as we used to do. Just imagine a situation when the husband and wife arrive from work instead of greeting each other or spending quality time together. They are always busy with their smartphones.
Or imagine a situation while watching TV. People are still using smartphones.
Quality of Life
As such the quality of life has improved tremendously through smartphones but its excessive use has also hampered the quality of life.
Nobody has time for anyone anymore, all are busy with their smartphones.
Pressure
It seems we all feel a lot of pressure from social media & always want to be present there. This has badly hampered our peace of mind.
Jealousy
Social media has also created a lot of jealousy among us. If someone buys something or goes somewhere they immediately post the status on social media and it creates a feeling of jealousy in many people.
Creating Rifts
Before the arrival of the smartphone joint family system and traditional values were respected. However now there is always a lot of rift which is created by the constant status update. Somebody will say something then the other family member will directly or indirectly taunt that person.
Many more disadvantages
It is not possible to list out every single disadvantage as disadvantages are many. However the effort has been made to cover out all the major possible disadvantages of the smartphones.
Merits & Demerits of Artificial Intelligence
Merits of Artificial Intelligence
One Step Solution
It is is one step solution for many things. Just type something in the chatgpt & you will get a solution to most of the problems that you will type.
Helps in Research
It helps tremendously in the research work. By using the traditional search engines, collecting the data is difficult and time consuming but with the help of artificial intelligence it is very easy to do the research.
Collecting Data
Collecting the data is not an easy task and it is very time consuming however with the use of the artificial intelligence collection of data becomes very easy.
Administration & monitoring
It is a very good tool for administration and monitoring. It helps in a lot of things.
Ease of doing work
It is very easy to do work by using artificial intelligence.
Complicated work becomes easy
There are a lot of complicated tasks which become very easy through the use of artificial intelligence.
Many more advantages
There are many more advantages to artificial intelligence. It is a newest arrival in the technology field hence the study on the benefits and disadvantages of artificial intelligence is still going on. But certainly there are endless advantages to artificial intelligence provided it is properly used.
Demerits of the Artificial Intelligence
Hampers Creativity
One of the biggest disadvantages of artificial intelligence is that it hampers creativity. People are using artificial intelligence for everything even before using their own minds.
Makes lazy
The excessive use of artificial intelligence has made people lazy and are now lethargic to do many things. For every single thing that type a question to Artificial Intelligence & get the solution.
Over reliance
There is an over reliance on the use of artificial intelligence. For every single thing people are using artificial intelligence. This is badly hampering the natural tendency, the natural functioning of human beings.
Incorrect information
The information which is collected through artificial intelligence may not always be correct exactly as it is. Hence cross verification of the information is also required. If used without verification it may create issues.
Hampers Job market
Artificial intelligence has badly hampered the job market. A lot of engineering jobs & various other jobs are badly hampered by artificial intelligence.
Problems for Writers
The innovation of artificial intelligence has badly hampered authors and writers. Especially when submitting work now many people ask for AI detection reports. This is so bad because you type anything on your own it will show some percent of AI detection.
Once even the 50 percent of the USA constitution was detected as AI created , this is disgusting to say the least.
Problems for Students
While submission of any assignment in the colleges AI detection reports are asked which has created huge problems for Students. Because AI detection reports create false alarms & creates lot of panic & stress on students for submission of their assignments.
Fake Videos & images Look Real
On the internet there are endless fake videos & images which look very realistic. Anyone can take two pictures & make kissing videos. Now this poses serious threats. What if someone takes pictures of mother & son from their social media & makes such videos?
As such most of these features are available in paid versions & there are many who do it.
Used for Political Propoganda
Fake videos are also used for Political Propaganda & it’s very dangerous. Those who look at it, many of them believe it to be true & accept it.
Many more disadvantages
There are many more disadvantages of Artificial Intelligence, it’s still new so time will reveal more benefits & demerits.
Future dangers of Artificial Intelligence
There are grave dangers which are associated with the Artificial Intelligence in future. It’s highly possible that in future the artificial intelligence can become unbridled because of some error or virus & it can cause massive destruction to the mankind. Ultimately such risks are always present with any robotic type of technology.
However it’s not to say that there are no advantages of artificial intelligence certainly there are many & there can be many more but we need to look at both sides of the coin and move forward in a balanced way.
How to Avoid Demerits?
It’s a futile exercise if we just discuss the merits & demerits of something without looking at the solution to avoid the Demerits.
Use It Properly
Obviously cyber space & even artificial intelligence has endless benefits if it’s properly used.
Avoid Excessive Usage
excess of anything is evil , even something like Praying isn’t allowed 24 hours non stop by Religion itself.
Because God knows people need to work , relax , eat, have family time & all.
That’s exactly what most of us have forgotten. We have brought excessive reliance on smartphones & Artificial Intelligence.
Learn the Balance
Learning balance is the key. We have forgotten the balance. Just like we can’t work 24 hours the same way we can’t be on mobile phones 24 hours.
Digital Fasting
we need to adopt digital Fasting, there needs to be days in weeks & hours in days when we don’t touch mobile phones. The world won’t collapse if we don’t touch our mobile phones.
Exercises & Playing games
Instead of playing games on mobile we can play games on the ground. That’s much more thrilling & exciting than those mobile games.
Spending quality time with family
We need to spend quality time with our family forgetting about social media & just enjoying the moment.
Learning something new
We should always learn something new that always helps & keeps our mind healthy. Social media isn’t going to give us our bread & butter.
Self Discipline
such things can’t be taught by others. We all know we need to bring self discipline.
Discipline is needed in everything otherwise there will always be problems.
Self Development
We need to focus on self development. Social media is good till a limit but not beyond it.
Focus on broader things
our focus should be on broader things , life is much broader than social media handles & artificial intelligence.
Social Media can be a part of our lives but not life itself.
Offline world
we need to realise there is an offline world which is real & we should not forget that.
Conclusion
In this essay we have discussed importance of balance in life, as certainly everything that has an Advantage has equal amount of Disadvantage. Then we saw evolution of technology, the importance of Computers, Smartphones , Internet & Artificial Intelligence in our lives & its merits & demerits. Then We also discussed solutions to avoid Demerits & to use it properly.
Unbridled use of anything will ravage us. It’s not just limited to digital technology but anything for that matter. We all feel the urge to curb this menace but then we can’t go beyond the thought because we have become part of the menace itself.
If this is rightly used this can act like a boon and yes to a great extent it has been true. However knowing the imperfect nature of human beings many a times we tend to do mistakes even knowingly. This technology has ravaged our lives our peace of mind is also equally true.
The problem isn’t in the technology itself the problem is within ourselves. We tend to be imperfect by the very nature of being humans.
This essay has been written in a general parlance, as when I used we or us it doesn’t mean each & all of us but it means most of us & most of the times.
It’s also important to note that
Artificial Intelligence can’t ever be greater than Human Intelligence as it’s Humans who have created it. As far as computers , smartphones & internet is considered certainly it has become a part of our lives & now we can’t move forward without it.
However important for us is to learn the balance as excess of anything annihilates it’s good thing. It’s not limited to digital technology but anything & evrything in this world is only good till it’s used in moderation.
What we need to realise problem isn’t in the technology the problem is in the improper & excessive use of it.
The greatest computer is the human brain as ultimately it’s human brain only which has created computers.
&
The Smartness is not in the Smartphone but those who created it & those who will use it.
And The greatest communication is communication among human beings itself where even unspoken words , expressions could speak volumes.
Which is beyond the capability of any technology to comprehend. Certainly no technology could ever comprehend the most beautiful & the most complex creation of God that’s Humans.
And lastly we should not forget that
“The greatest Intelligence is God gifted Intelligence to human beings as certainly all this technology is created by human intelligence”
&
We should embrace this digital technology & make it part of our lives but we should not make it our lives itself. As outside the online world there is a beautiful world which is offline & the beauty of online world will remain only if we understand the beauty of offline world.
We need to Proceed carefully taking all advantages & avoiding the disadvantages only then we can be successful in using it.
Certainly we can’t turn our eyes away & ignore it totally & why should we? It has endless benefits the only thing we need to take care of is finding the correct balance.
As there is a thin line between what is excess & what is insufficient, this balance every human knows through God given intellect. Certainly it can’t be taught or preached it’s inherent in every human as it is God given Wisdom. As technology may have everything but they can never have God given Wisdom & God given Brain & indeed that is the ultimate technology.
By: AMIT LAXMICHAND GALA
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