To the Journal editor:

Is technology a good thing? Of course it is. Imagine where we’d be without it.

For example, look at how it’s dramatically improved the ability of medical specialists to locate and treat life-threatening diseases. And that’s just one example out of countless others. And for that we should be thankful.

However, there are also certain aspects of technology that can have a negative impact on our lives. As we’re all aware, people sometimes have a bad habit of turning a plus into a negative by the abuse of what’s been given to them.

This is something that appears ingrained in certain people, and probably isn’t going to change in the foreseeable future. One example that I’ll cite here are cellphones.

What a fantastic idea right? A device that gives you the ability to be in touch with other people when the need or desire arises. And as this technology has advanced, they’ve now become miniature computers as well, and that certainly is a good thing.

However, let me return to the matter of the negative impact. Where should I begin? How about the alienation they have created among people. For instance, those people who surrounded by a group would rather gaze at their phones than communicate with those around them? Or, the people you see stumbling down the sidewalks oblivious to the world around them? What’s even more tragic is the fact that now kids are using them as a means of harassing others without any concern for the damage they’re causing.

While at a restaurant recently I watched as a father sat across the table from a young boy. During the entire time the man never interacted with the child, but sat staring into his cellphone. During this time the poor boy kept looking around appearing consumed with boredom.

Yes, technology is a wonderful thing. It serves an important purpose. But, when things such as cellphones become an instrument for alienating people from each other, then we have a problem.