People respond to technology in many different ways.

New technology can cause indifference, fascination, and sometimes, even fear.

Fascination

Most advancements in technology fascinate us. Personal computers, telephones, and walkmans were all the neatest things to have when they were new. Sending astronauts to the moon in the 1969 awed the entire world.

Even the simple things seemed cool; remember the first time you could change the font in your document or used a cordless telephone.

Fear

But at times our fascination leads to fear. Some people are afraid of technology. Many teachers and prorspective teachers are scared that computers will one day replace them in the classroom.

Will their hesitation or concerns halt the advancements? No. These teachers will eventually learn to adapt to the new technology.

But other professions also fear computer technology. Robots already perform the jobs of human workers. More and more jobs will be lost due to technology. Will their fear or troubles cause businesses to stop using technology? No.

For some, there is adequate reason to be afraid of technology. But the key is to adapt.

And eventually, everyone does adapt.

Commonplace

Many of us adapt so well and so fast our fascination is short-lived. Advancements in technology remain novel for very short periods of time. Soon the technology that once stunned us becomes commonplace.

We presently have astronauts — and cosmonauts — living in space, and we send up shuttles regularly throughout the year. But it no longer amazes us — it’s normal.

We fly back and forth between continents in hours that at one time took us months by boat. But it’s normal.

Take the World Wide Web. It’s only been around for a few years, but a basic Web page no longer excites the average user. The Iowa State Daily has been on the Web for only one year, but that achievement is not very noteworthy; too many newspapers have done the same thing. It’s normal.

Whereas, printed newspapers can move slowly with changes in layout and design, online papers must constantly update and try new things. We constantly require something bigger, faster, more innovative.

Is this superfast advancement causing us to become numb to technology?

Indifference

Some of us cease to be excited by new advancements. Many advancements don’t phase us anymore.

My fiance‚ (my wife as of this coming Saturday) once said she is no longer amazed with computer technology.

Even though each year computers get faster and can do more things, some people don’t care. It moves so fast, the newness doesn’t seem to phase us.

Do we believe that technology fixes our every problem and does anything we want it to do?

That is the purpose of technology: to solve our problems and fill our needs. Will it eventually complete its goal?

So, how should we take new technologies?

Should we fear them, celebrate them or ignore them?

Eventually, new technologies will influence us in some way, so we can’t ignore them forever.

Being afraid won’t help and the excitement will quickly die, anyway.

Instead, we must all adapt and use technology according to its purpose: to improve our lives.

It already has done so in many, many ways.

Jamey Hansen is a senior in elementary education from NAS Sigonella, Sicily. He is the editor in chief of the Iowa State Daily.