Everyone knows that society today is based on computers. People don’t use typewriters for papers anymore; they use high tech computers. Nearly every job available requires some form of computer use, including fast food! A career in computers will make the most money in the world of business. Computers run the world now, and this enables us to do much more than anyone had ever thought possible. Today, we can type out a paper with absolutely no mistakes in spelling and very few in grammar, and we can choose from over 50 different fonts in different sizes and colors. We can electronically access a Thesaurus or dictionary, and even change the language from the one we had written the paper in. And this is all in just one word processing program! We have CDROM, which lets us play interactive computer games with amazing graphics, and puts information at our fingertips. And then we have the Internet. On the World Wide Web, we can sift through thousands of pages of information on just about any topic. We can create our own pages to share with the world. We can communicate with people from all over the world in seconds. We can send mail instantly, without needing paper, stamps, or postmen. We can even send an electronic recording of our voice or picture instantly across the globe. Computers are incredible tools of communication, and with them, we are able to do anything we put our minds to.
When computers were created, they were bulky, slow, and rather inefficient. Over the years, they have rapidly become an incredible power source that can fit in the palm of you hand. Every day, someone invents something new for computers. People don’t just use computers anymore; they modify them. Today, a computer that is a year old is obsolete. New and better software and hardware is available every week. As I have explored the Internet and other new computer programs, I have found many things that amaze me. Java and CGI can be embedded into a computer program written thousands of miles away, but allow anyone who accesses it to interact with the program. The speed at which computers today can run is incredible. We are already able to do things that we never thought possible. What could be in store for the future?
As I see it, the road that computers are taking is one that will eventually lead to an entire world that runs on computers. Even today, this idea is not so far fetched as one might think. Computers have begun to interact with the world. They are not just the hard drive, keyboard, and monitor that we normally think of. There are digital phones that can allow a person to check email when not at a traditional computer. Many things have a computer inside now: cars, calculators, video cameras, you name it! The only thing that could happen next is for computers to begin being integrated into every feature of our world. If current technology is a good indicator, computers will interact with the world. Right now, that interaction is limited, but growing. In a decade or so, who knows how much could develop? No one will have to stop at a tollbooth to pay anymore, an interactive computer program between the car and the tollbooth will take care of it. The push of a button will automatically register someone for a doctor’s appointment. I do not think that it is unrealistic to see the world being connected in a giant web of computers.
A world run on computers raises some concerns for many people. When computers run everything, will there be any jobs left for human beings? To this I would reply that computers are still only machines. They need constant care from people. There will be many jobs for people to develop new programs, monitor existing programs, and update computers and their information. Because of 'hackers,' could a computer-based society present problems in matters of personal safety? Now this is a possibility. But then again, how safe is it to walk down to a café to comfort a friend in the middle of the night? I think that being out in the world is much more dangerous than sitting behind a computer. Wouldn’t a world where no one needed to leave his or her house take the ‘social’ out of ‘society?’ I don’t think that our society could survive without person to person contact. Just because a man would not need to leave his house doesn’t mean that he would not want to do so. People need people, and there could be no computer system so elaborate as to eradicate that need.
Computers are fast becoming a huge part of our society, even of our individual lives. The technology is growing almost faster than we can keep up with. It is hard to say what the future will bring when speaking of computers. Computers are already able to do things that many people would never have thought possible. It is quite likely that we will eventually come to live in an interactive world. Though this would result in many changes, and probably require new laws, a computer-based society could prove to be an incredible leap into a more efficient future. The technology needed for this kind of society may be developed within a few years. It will probably take longer, though, for the world to catch up. A transformation of this type would require a great deal of money and dedication from governments. It would ask a lot of acceptance and support from the people. It is a big step to take; one that would not be taken without a lot of support and proper preparation.
Molly Walker