Christian Pabellano 11-JNC
Do we still have control over technology or is it already controlling us?
Cons:
Cons of Technology in our Daily Lives
In the Philippines, technology has greatly changed daily life. Social media and entertainment apps keep
people hooked with notifications, likes, and personalized content. Algorithms track preferences, subtly
pushing people into echo chambers and shaping what they see, think, and do. Filipinos spend an
average of 10 hours a day online, reflecting the high engagement with digital platforms (Kemp, 2021).
This "digital addiction" shows that technology often controls routines and habits.
Cons of Technology in our Economy
In the economic sector, technology is quickly automating jobs and replacing human labor. While
businesses may initially see this as a way to reduce costs and increase efficiency, it comes at the expense
of workers who have little control over these changes. Large tech companies like Google use consumer
data to influence what people buy. Automation could displace millions of jobs in the Philippines by
2030, further highlighting how technology is shaping economic decisions once solely in human hands
("Average daily broadband internet traffic per capita in Romania from 2017 to 2023").
Cons of Technology in Education
In education, technology has made learning more accessible but has also created dependency. Students
now rely heavily on digital platforms and AI-driven tools to study, often at the expense of critical
thinking and problem-solving skills.Many Filipino teachers lack the necessary training to integrate AI
into their teaching practices, leading to a gap in effective implementation (Chi, 2023). The constant
presence of screens in classrooms often leads to distractions, making it difficult for students to focus
and engage in deeper learning.
Cons of Technology in our Health
In terms of health, technology's control over us is evident in both physical and mental health outcomes.
Wearables like smartwatches and fitness apps track every step, calorie, and heartbeat, creating a sense
of dependency. People are becoming more reliant on technology to tell them how they feel or what to
do for their well-being. Excessive social media use is linked to higher levels of anxiety and depression
among Filipinos (Tomacruz, 2018). This manipulation directly affects how people feel and interact
with their environment, signaling that technology has taken control over a significant aspect of human
life our health.
Cons of Technology in Transportation
In the Philippines, technology has changed transportation a lot. Services like Grab and Uber
make it easy to get a ride quickly. These apps use smart systems to pick the best routes, but
this makes us depend on them for our daily travel. If the app is down, people can feel stuck.
Also, these apps collect a lot of data about where we go, which raises privacy concerns.
Economically, traditional taxi drivers have had to compete with these tech-driven services,
which has changed the job. There are over 500,000 registered ride-hailing vehicles in the
Philippines as of 2023 (Balita, 2023)
References:
Balita, D. (2023). Passenger transport in the Philippines - statistics & facts. Statista
https://www.statista.com/topics/8720/passenger-transport-in-the-philippines/#topicOverview
Chi, C. (2023, October 15). How teachers and school leaders can embrace the use of AI tools
the classroom. Philippine Star. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/10/15/2303970/how-
teachers-school-leaders-can-embrace-use-ai-tools-classroom/amp/
Kemp,S.(2021).Digital2021:ThePhilippines.DataReportal.
https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2021-philippines
Statista. (2022).Future of jobs: Automation and job displacement in the Philippines.
Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1189614/philippines-impact-automation-
jobs/
Tomacruz, S. (2018, September 9). A cry for help: Mental illness, suicide cases rising among
youth. Rappler. https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/211671-suicide-cases-mental-
health-illness-youth-rising-philippines/
