The Age of Information transforms into the Age of Paranoia

Computers have come to play such a vital role in our society.  Sometimes I like to envision a world without technology.  Utter chaos...  Say, for example, a worldwide EMP goes off somehow and we are completely lost as a civilization.  We would be literally and figuratively in the dark.  Now what the hell does this have to do with the future of the computer?  Well we already have such a huge dependence on technology that I believe that this dependence will only increase in the coming years.  Said dependence will drive us to improve technology to the point where it would be virtually impossible to shut computers off.  So essentially creating these impenetrable death machines that wreak havoc all over the world.  That's a scary thought...

Honestly, I think dependence will increase and technology will become an even bigger part of our lives (if that's possible).  Computers have helped accomplish so much in areas of science and medicine and they will continue to play a pivotal role in the future.  They have made so many aspects of life more convenient and helpful.  They've also revolutionized the field of communication.

Now while technology has had a positive impact on communication, it has not all been great.  When I envision the future I tend to think of WALL-E.  WALL-E examines a major theme of the massive disconnection that exists in our culture.  Communication has flourished in some areas while suffering in others.  This kind of goes hand in hand with the convenience of technology.  Technology allows us to put less effort into certain things and that includes human interactions.  Instead of talking in person, we began talking over the phone.  Now instead of talking over the phone, we email or text.  We've become so preoccupied with our own lives that we have reduced the amount of time we put into human relationships.  In that aspect, technology has crippled us as a civilization.  Now I'm not saying that years from now we'll completely shut each other out, but I'm also not ruling it out.  I'd like to think there is still hope in that aspect.  Technology is so beneficial and it does not have to have such a negative impact on communication.  Even if it means calling someone on the phone as opposed to sending a text.