Enrique R.

Navarro

Technology growth and danger

We live in a world based on technology. Everything that we imagined, whether it was on science
fiction movies or thought of is on the verge of happening. Examples of technology that were dreamt of
in science fiction movies are: nanotechnology (machinery or technology as small as a cell) to treat illness
or nano-tubes (strands of engineered structures the size of single strands of hair or smaller) to better
reinforce structures. However, I choose to focus the field of technology to the world of computers. The
reason why I chose computers is because I have a Computer Engineering Technology associative degree
I received from Sullivan College of Technology and Design and the growth of computers to todays thin
computers have out stounded me. With my degree and tinkering in the field I have learned that
there is danger in relying solely on computers is a dangerous way of thinking that I will explain. Also I
theorize that people are mis-using the technology and that by using the computer on an everyday basis
there can be harmful side effects. For starters though I will begin with the history of computers since
today they are faster and lighter than they were of previous generations. To quote Carl Sagan (2015),
You have to know the past to understand the present. (qtd. Good Reads: Carl Sagan)
The history of computers really began with the difference engine, which was essentially a giant
calculator that did calculations, created by Charles Babbage... (Virginia Montecino, 1 November 2010)
After the difference engine the famous Colossus and ACE really started the growth of a computer...
(Virginia Montecino, 1 November 2010) Along the years after computer technology became more
compact as well as powerful. The reason why computers were so big in the first place is because of the
devices that were used to control the current within the machines. The device to control the current
was a called a vacuum tube, which were glass tubes filled with a gas to control the current... (Nobel
Media, 16 March 2015) The invention that replaced the tubes were called transistors. The transistor was
the size of a penny and still was able to control the various currents within the computer (Nobel
Media, 16 March 2015) The change from vacuum tubes to transistors rapidly made the machines more
compact and replaced many of the devices using vacuum tubes.
Along with the transistor, another invention was made that reduced space and material within
computers. The secondary device was the integrated chip, IC for short... (Nobel Media, 16 March 2015)
The reason why integrated chips were so important is because of how computers fundamentally work.
Computers fundamentally work based on their own language called the binary code, which is a set of
defined ones and zeros that produce code... (Nobel Media, 16 March 2015) The binary code is read by
various devices within a computer to decide on what to do and how to act... (Nobel Media, 16 March
2015) Even the letters typed into a computer or word document have lines and lines upon coding that
computers have to go through in seconds for a person to be able to read it. The integrated circuits
within the machine shrunk the circuits that were reading the basic binary language down to sizes of less
than an inch.
Since the components to make decisions within computers decreased, the makers of a
computer had more space within the machines. After those years of developing the computer,
developers got it to fit on the lap of someone sitting. The super-computers of today can have
quadrillions of computational math instructions done in the blink of a second. The super-computers can
be faster than a human brain since the brain can do 1 quadrillion computations a second and possibly
more. (howstuffworks, 01 April 2000) Along the years a man created the Moores law stating that the
number of transistors in a computer will double every six months. (Li, 2013) Since the number of
transistors were to double, the speed of computers should increase theoretically.

E.R.N

Enrique R. Navarro

Technology growth and danger

Besides Moores law people also theorize about where computer technology might end up one
day and others have predicted how long artificial intelligence might be realized. The predictions have
pointed to 600 years that artificial intelligence can happen... (Wolchover, 2012) People have theorized
other things happening like even quantum computing. The machines of today though affect everyone in
the world, especially computers. Computers are in almost every persons home that live in developed
countries and some in underdeveloped countries.
Since we live in a world filled with computers, all the information is the binary language which
creates code. Since all the information is stored binary, even on ones cell phone, it is dangerous to rely
or trust too much on computers. By trust what I mean is to save the password in the machine when a
window of google or internet explorer prompts up with a question, if you want to save your password,
then clicking yes.
One could save their password but the danger in that is another might steal that password and
use it for their own malicious intent. Even when putting the password in manually, there still a risk of
that but it is mitigated by using preventive action. The prevention action would be using firewalls.
Making sure the computer is clean of viruses and making sure the website itself is not a dummy website
as well as having a security layer called socket security layer (https) secured, or the updated version,
when it comes to financial or life security information.
If the information isnt secured, it can and most likely will be stolen. If that information were to
be stolen, your account information can be drained as well as your life be stolen. Since the information
today can be more likely stolen about ones life today my theory is that people are too reliant on
technology and in fact misuse the technology. By hacking the information stored on a computer, people
steal money and other valuable information like ones social security card. Stealing all that information
can cause a company hundreds of thousands of dollars or even millions. An article from Small Business
Chronicles it stated that businesses had a cost of 55 billion dollars due to hacking instances. On a single
instance in 2011 a hacking event on Play Station cost Sony more than 170 million dollars and google
500,000 dollars... (Will Gish, Demand Media)
While hackers misuse computer technology and do harmful things to companies as well as
people there are others that try to prevent that from happening. That is where firewalls and anti-virus
ware comes in as well as life lock that tries to prevent social identity theft from occurring. While
misusing technology is one aspect another aspect is that people are too reliant on computers which
causes ill effects that can be seen. One aspect is of too much reliance is computer addiction which has
several effects. The most drastic instance is where someone died from the addiction to computers,
mainly gaming. An article from Ed Grabianowski posted in How Stuff Works stated:
Addiction to online computer games seems to be a growing problem in Asian countries. China and South
Korea have both had incidents in which someone died after playing games nonstop for an incredibly long period,
sometimes two days or more. A man in China died after a three-day gaming binge at an Internet caf (where most
online gaming in Asia seems to take place) in 2007 [source: CNN]. These countries have set up special counseling
centers to deal with gaming addictions, and China has enacted strict laws limiting Internet caf access. (Ed
Grabianowski, 18 February 2015, http://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet/basics/computer-addiction2.htm)

Death from computer addiction is an extreme case of what happens when people rely too much
on computers but the less cases are more of withdraw from the outside world, loss of penmanship and
some hand injuries like carpal tunnel... (Grabianowski, 2015) The world of computer is great when used

E.R.N

Enrique R. Navarro

Technology growth and danger

in the right hands and moderately used in life, but people are too reliant on it today and too trusting. To
better understand if my theory were to be true or not I choose to conduct a survey.
In the survey I conducted I geared the questions to if the people were providing protection to
their computers, how much they were using it as well as if they were afraid that the data on the
computers may or may not get stolen in the near future. The reason why I geared the questions in the
way I did was to show a correlation between the amounts of computer usage to any side effects that
may have happened while they used the computer. By showing a correlation it would support the
theory that too much usage of a computer in life causes strife. The other aspect that I theorized was that
people was too trusting of the computer. By also gearing the questions to if they were using firewalls
and other security features the correlation would show that people are securing their networks as well
as their computers. After I set up the topics gearing them towards providing protection and if they were
afraid of data theft I set up the survey. The set up of the survey was of twelve questions that asked
around the topics I mentioned. I put the questions into a site called survey monkey that held the
platform to conduct the survey.
After in putting the questions and finalizing the questions I then choose several avenues for
people to take it. I put a link to the survey on my Facebook, LinkedIn as well as sent a mail both through
my own email and through a games mail. The procedure was for them to fill out all questions and
honestly fill them out too. The survey was anonymous in the fact that I requested no name just age to
see if there was a difference in using computers between the age groups.
The results then came in and I was able to see something interesting within the data I collected.
The survey acquired a total of 23 results that were mostly completed. Only four people who filled out
the surveys didnt ask one question at most. Though some werent answered the results still showed an
interesting thing. The interesting bit was that most of the people that used it the most where of the
older generation. The older generation, 45 or older, used it a large amount more than the younger
generation. The questions and results were as followed within questions one, nine, ten and twelve:

Question 1- What is your age?

More

Bin ranges

55
45
35

Frequency

25
15
0

number of people

E.R.N

Enrique R. Navarro

Technology growth and danger

Question 9 - Are you using such things like firewalls or Norton anti-virus?
0%
18%

Yes
No
Not sure

82%

Question 10 - How often do you use a computer?

9%

0%
4%
9%

Once a week
Twice a week
Three times a week

9%

Four times a week

69%

0%

Five times a week

Six times a week
All week

E.R.N

Enrique R. Navarro

Technology growth and danger

Question 12 - Has there been negative effect by using computers? (family

tension, work loss, neck pains or anxiety)

Yes
18%
Sometimes
23%

No
59%

My conclusion is that the results showed that people were using computers to an extreme
amount but while using the computer to an extreme amount not many if any ill effects happened. It also
shows that people are protecting their data online which shows prevention against hackers and
malicious intent. The prevention is in the firewall that most answered that they were using. To further
prove that what the data shows is opposite to my theory that people are too trusting of the computer
more surveys would have to be acquired from a range of people. Though people are using the computer
wisely and safe guarding to protect their computers people still have to keep on guard because the
dangers are ever evolving.

E.R.N

Enrique R. Navarro

Technology growth and danger

Bibliography
Gish, W. (n.d.). The Effects of Computer Hacking on an Organization . Retrieved from Small Business:
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/effects-computer-hacking-organization-17975.html
GoodReads. (2015). Quotable Quote. Retrieved from goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/194992-you-have-to-know-the-past-to-understand-thepresent
Grabianowski, E. (2015, March 16). How Computer Addiction Works. Retrieved from HowStuffWorks:
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet/basics/computer-addiction2.htm
HowStuffWorks. (2000, April 01). What is the world's fastest computer? Retrieved from
HowStuffWorks.com: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/question54.htm
Li, M. (. (2013, May 29). Keeping Up with Moore's Law. Retrieved from Dartmouth Undergraduate
Journal of Science: http://dujs.dartmouth.edu/spring-2013-15th-anniversary-edition/keepingup-with-moores-law#.VQb3p7l0ypo
Montecino, V. (2010, November 1). History of Computing. Retrieved from Education and Technology
Resources: http://mason.gmu.edu/~montecin/computer-hist-web.htm
Nobel Media. (2015, 16 March). History of Integrated Circuit. Retrieved from Nobelprize:
http://www.nobelprize.org/educational/physics/integrated_circuit/history/
Wolchover, N. (2012, September 10). What is the Future of Computers? Retrieved from LiveScience:
http://www.livescience.com/23074-future-computers.html

E.R.N