Technology has started to take over the world. Everyone has a smartphone or a smart device glued to their hands at all times, an understanding of technology has now become a must in the professional field, and even school are requiring students to use ebooks and devices in order to have a “paper-free” class. Technology may seem like a huge advancement to society, but with large advancements comes equally large setbacks. Here are a few advantages and disadvantages of technology in today's world.

Advantages:

1. Social connections: We now live in an era of social media. Everyone has a need to be connected whether it is to their friends and family or to information, and social media offers it all. With social media we have never been as connected as we are now. Everyone around us can be reached instantly with a single click.
2. The age of Google: Everyone has been in a situation when they didn’t know an answer to a question. Before we would have to use extensive research to find an answer, now we just use google. You can find an answer for almost anything on google and the information comes almost instantly.
3. Efficiency: The use of technology has made all of our lives incredibly efficient. Machines now build products at faster speeds, programs can help organize and maintain many different aspects of life, and even people can usually type faster than they can write. While living in a fast pace world, fast paced technology is a must.
4. Creativity: Today, a majority of people in the U.S. have access to technology. This widespread accessibility is helping people express themselves in many different ways. Now, you don’t have to be in media in order to have your opinions heard. You can post what you are thinking on many different platforms for people to see and spread your thoughts and beliefs in very creative ways.
5. Entertainment: Technology has given us many ways to entertain ourselves. Various websites, including Youtube, social media, and netflix, offer hours upon hours of entertainment for those boring nights.

Disadvantages:

1. Social Connections: While some may see social media a positive take on relationships, others can see it as the exact opposite. Social media not only helps us stay connected, but also keeps us from seeing each other face-to-face. The advantage of having access to everyone at our fingertips is causing us to no longer meet each other in person. If you have a question, you can just instant message someone to find out the answer. But, not matter how convenient social media is, it will never take over the need to social interaction in real life.
2. Paper-free classes: Although paper-free classes can be seen as an advantage to the environment, it can also be damaging to students. The use of technology in classes can sometimes be a distraction from the work at hand. While using a smart device with everything one click away (including social media), students are bound to let their minds and eyes wander to other sites, and not the assignment at hand.
3. Malfunctions: I think everyone has heard the phrase, “technology is great, until it doesn’t work.” There is nothing more frustrating than having technology not work right when it needs to. This can cause some major problems in a world that is so dependent on technology, and can set us back a few hours, and even days.
4. Dependency: I will be the first to admit that I am super dependent on my smartphone and even laptop. I cannot go one day without checking my notifications and seeing what is going on in the world. But, this can lead to problems. People have become so dependent on technology that they don’t try to explore life outside of a smart device and risk missing out on many amazing opportunities all around us
5. Plagiarism: Plagiarism has become a huge problem in academics. With information at our fingertips, it is very easy to be able to copy and paste information directly from a site, which can lead to very serious consequences.
6. False Information: With more and more people posting on the internet, the chances that the information being posted is factual becomes slimmer and slimmer. It can be very difficult for people to determine whether a source is credible or not. This can lead to false information being taken seriously, and changing perspectives of those who believe it.