Technology dictating lives

Dear editor,

I read a Dec. 9 article, "KT bucks ruling on 2G service." This story made me think about how technology changes our everyday lives. Sure, it makes society a lot more comfortable ― we hold the Internet in our hands wherever we go. I still can't help but think that improvements in technology cause a lot of complications too.

According to the article, it says that all the 2G users will be "comfortably" shifted to a new upgraded 4G LTE service. What happens to those who prefer 2Gs? My grandma, for instance, she doesn't like touch screen phones. More like, she has a problem with getting used to the complications of a touch screen phone. She loves the big buttons on 2G phones. Does it mean that she will not be able to use those comfortable phones that she was so well adjusted to?

I know KT is trying to make the majority of its customers happy. I'm not trying to criticize KT. I am just questioning whether technological improvements help our lives. Just a few years ago technology existed because of us. Now, it's more like we exist because of technology. Whenever I ride the subway, everyone is using their phone for recreation. They are either listening to music, browsing the Internet, or social messaging their friends. What happened to all the books? The newspapers?

I feel that it is sad that technology is dictating our lives, blinding us to our natural resources. More and more people are becoming robotized, becoming into little smart phone aliens. It comes to a point where more than half of the teens in high school are addicted to phones. They become so addicted to the point where they get nervous when not holding their phones. I think that we all should look back on our lives and think more about how technology affects us, and how we can rule technology instead of vice versa.

Yena Yun

High school student

Seoul

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