Is Technology Good or Bad?

The fundamental role that technology has acquired in our lives is undeniable. The inclusion of technology in our processes has radically transformed our way of living during the last decade. But is technology good or bad? Undoubtedly, this question raises many doubts since the shift to the technological era brings with it as many challenges as benefits.

The conversation around challenges is vast. Nowadays, we can find debates where people mention and analyze the need to raise solutions to challenges such as the robotization of processes in value chains and how it means risk for jobs; the digital gap in the world, which increases social inequalities; the privacy and stored data management in all our interactions with technology; and even fake news and hacking. 

With that said, we cannot lose sight of the fact that new technological developments have been of great relevance for improving and perfecting different industrial processes, such as calculating results, reducing time, or increasing security.

In Nakasawa, we have experienced first-hand the benefits of technological research for new technological developments in terms of instrumentation, monitoring and control systems. The development of new generation and injection systems of high-quality steam, allows us to optimize and facilitate the management of the different phases of the system, improve the quality of the steam, optimize the available resources, diminish the environmental impact, as well as assure the physical integrity of the equipment and the personnel. 

The inclusion of technology in our processes has allowed us to be more competitive in the market. It has given us the advantage of being at the forefront of delivering more thermal energy to deposits with lower water and fuel consumption, among other benefits; therefore, without a doubt, technology has been positive for us. 

So, where do I think the question arises as to whether technology is good or bad? From two points: 

1) The use that people make of technology, since, at the end of the day, we are the ones who define the use and purpose that we give to technology in our day-to-day lives. 

2) How naïve we are sometimes to underestimate and forget the value of people and their ability to reflect, think, and learn with the highest ethical standards.