The Unintended Consequences of Technology. Chris Ategeka
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CHRIS ATEGEKA
THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF TECHNOLOGY
SOLUTIONS, BREAKTHROUGHS, AND THE RESTART WE NEED
Copyright © 2022 by Chris Ategeka. All rights reserved.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Published simultaneously in Canada.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Ategeka, Chris, author.
Title: The unintended consequences of technology : solutions, breakthroughs and the restart we need / Chris Ategeka.
Description: Hoboken, New Jersey : Wiley, [2021] | Includes index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021027157 (print) | LCCN 2021027158 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119817598 (hardback) | ISBN 9781119817581 (adobe pdf) | ISBN 9781119817604 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Technology—Sociological aspects. | Technology—Social aspects.
Classification: LCC HM846 .A79 2021 (print) | LCC HM846 (ebook) | DDC 303.48/3—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021027157
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021027158
Cover Design: Wiley
Cover Image: © Sashkinw/iStock/Getty Images
Dedicated to my parents, my siblings, my partner, Caroline, and my son, Matt.
Thanks for making it all worthwhile.
INTRODUCTION
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
—Albert Einstein
Humanity is at a crossroads. The explosion of technology and its exponential advancements are reshaping what it means to be human. As technology continues to expand, its incredible imprint on our lives continues to deepen. Our algorithmic lifestyles have completely taken over our lives. Today technologies make decisions about what we buy, the news we read, who we vote for, the jobs we get, the people we meet, and the ads we see.
Along with the benefits and victories provided by new technologies are many consequences that are alarmingly detrimental to society and to our planet.
When you take a closer look at any technology, you will find that it's a double-edged sword. If it's used correctly, it can and has made our lives easier, more efficient, and better. However, that same technology, in the wrong hands or used incorrectly, can do serious damage to humanity.
Progress always comes at a cost. Paper fundamentally changed the way information was stored and distributed, but its production, to this day, contributes heavily to deforestation. Technology, just like medicine, is not free from side effects. For example,