Value and Understanding: the Role of Youth in Utilizing Technology for a Better World

“Why is this beautiful science, which saves work and makes life easier, just take very little happiness? Science is supposed to liberate us from spiritually exhausting work but in fact makes human beings as slaves of the machine. The simple answer is because we have not yet learned how to use it appropriately.” (Albert Einstein, 1879-1955)

When speaking about the development of the ages, It feels incomplete if we do not discuss the development of technology. Our life, this time onwards, will always be surrounded by many kind of technologies which the existence to facilitate us. On the other hand, our daily humanity activities are application of science and technology both intentionally and unintentionally developed. Technologies that facilitate human life evolved along with the development of mankind needs which is also supported by the development of scientific and knowledge. At the Stone Age, the first technology was a sharp stones used to assist human in processing foods and making clothing. In the period after Industrial Revolution, human developed the technology to be used in mass production and show dominance over nature. However, in this modern era, the development of technology is not limited neither to help fulfilling basic needs nor for mass production purpose. The developing technology allows human to interact without boundaries as well as to explore the Outer Space. They are manifestation of human need for resource efficiency (cost, time, or space) and unlimited conquest to the new stage (growth).

I am among those who believe that everything that exists on this earth was created in pairs. Like a coin with two different sides, the existence of any technologies has a positive side and a negative side. In addition to ease of human life, the existence of technology also can be destructive to human itself. Who would have thought that the development of atomic technology could be used to burn Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan which cause thousands of victims and had further implications because of its radiation effects? Or I think the Wright Brothers had never imagined that, after a hundred years, their innovation in realizing people’s dream to fly turned into a pair of destroyers which used by terrorist networks to destroy a twin skyscrapers in the 911 tragedy in the United States.

It is true that technology is developed using intelligence and rational. But they are not enough, they just meet a basic requirement (necessary condition) in the usage of technology. We need also affection and values which form the ethics as a condition of completeness (sufficient condition) in empowering technology for human kind. Intelligence and rational are only worked to decide the possibility in achieving a goal, but they cannot assess the appropriateness of the decision. For example, rationally the existence of nuclear technology for mass destroying weapons are not to blame, but from value’s point of view, we can assess that the use of nuclear for destructive purposes cannot be justified. Nuclear technology shoud be develop for more useful things such as power plants in order to meet the areas that still lack of electricity like in the Africa or India.

Then how is the role of youth in meeting the challenges associated with the use of technology? I am sure that youth have an important position in various issues that exist especially in the relation to the use of technology for human life. There are at least two reasons, the first one is in the future youth will become a leader who will make policies and lead the direction of the world. The second, the era will be faced when they lead has different and more developed technological capacity than the present. As implication, the era has new problems that need be solved with at least a level higher technology. Therefore, it is make sense that youth should prepare as best as possible ourselves so when the time comes, we will be wiser in taking a policy and not repeat some mistakes made in the previous periods by our predecessors.

Some things can be done by youth to prepare themselves in facing their tenure. The First, youth must always follow and understand the various progress related to technology and human development issues. Second, not only limited to care and know, youth should also improve the capability in terms of knowledge, scientific and development through research to acquire new technologies that can benefit the lives and solve various problems faced. The last but not least, improve intercultural or mutual understanding among civilizations to reduce misunderstandings that can lead to either intercultural or intercommunity conflicts. Mutual understanding can be formed by building crosscultural communication and dialogues through forums, internet, mass media, as well as cultural exchange missions. As a follow-up action, cooperation can be carried out in various fields which involving young men or women from various backgrounds to collectively take part in solving joint problems.

In conclusion, various problems related to the use of technology and the creation of peace are very closely related to the consciousness of all mankind in utilizing the technology itself. There is nothing wrong with the technology as long as it can be empowered appropriately and fairly. The party that can determine the appropriateness of the use of technology is man himself, and the value or ethics are needed as a guidance to determine such appropriateness. The role of youth is very important to get involved because youth today are candidates for a world leader at least in a couple decade. To ensure these youths have a positive outlook towards the use of technology, a human resources development for creating integrity and an adequate understanding is needed. It is expected that with the availability of human being with a better understanding of each other, the use of technology can be performed on the positive side and supports some efforts to achieve a peace in the world.

Translate of “Peran Nilai dan Pemuda dalam Pemanfaatan Teknologi untuk Kehidupan Manusia”

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