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Future Technicians: Glorified Part Replacers
Most people appreciate and enjoy technology and the benefits it bestows upon society. Besides
the benefits though, negative side effects of technology do exist. These side effects include
a more anti-social society, a myriad assortment of distractions from everyday responsibilities,
and an ever-increasing knowledge gap between average citizens and their impressive techno-gadgets.
Some people would argue that a more anti-social society isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact,
large cities such as NYC already epitomize an environment filled with citiznes generally
apathetic to fellow citizens and yet the city continues to thrive. Likewise, many people
would also disagree that the introduction of distractions thanks to technology is a truly bad
thing. The distractions may decrease productive time for individuals but the same technology
also allows the individuals to produce more with the diminished time.
But what about the distancing of people from knowledge; is there any possible way to spin that
side effect to sound positive? It's doubtful. As technology improves and the building blocks
we use to create our technology shrinks ever closer to the fundamental level, fewer and fewer
people truly understand the science behind what makes their stuff work. Consider for example
previous time frames before electricity, internal combustion engines, and telecommunications.
Who during those eras wasn't capable of understanding how the candle's flame lit the room, how
the horse drew the buggy, and how a rider could be sent to a nearby town to solicit help.
Basically, the more simple the concepts that technology is based on the more people that will
be able to understand the technology.
Why is understanding our technology important though? Well, when a device malfunctions, and
they all inevitably will eventually, someone will have to fix it. It is beneficial to have
a large pool of people capable of fixing the technology when it does break; however, the
exact opposite is what is actually occurring. There is a secondary reason why fewer people
actually understand technology now as well. With increased technology comes more effecient
design. These more effecient designs are more modular to help with diagnostics as well as
production costs. These designs also make the needed knowledge of technicians lower because
instead of fixing, they can simply replace the broken module.
Are you skeptical if this is actually occurring? Next time you or someone you know has to
take their car to a mechanic to be fixed pay careful attention to the bill of work they
hand you after your car is fixed. What will be on the bill....a list of all the parts
the diagnostic computer said were not functioning and were therefore replaced with new ones.
Automobiles aren't the only place this phenomenon is easily observable, did you know TV
and electronics repair shops once existed!
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