Indulge me for a moment. Picture yourself in the mountains on a dirt hiking trail. There is blue sky above, a river flowing below, and a rainbow of wildflowers in every direction. The beauty and silence are intoxicating until an out-of-place sound pierces the moment. In a split second, your defenses are up as you try to determine what the buzz from above is. It’s not a bird or a bug, but even without visual confirmation, you know a drone is nearby. The magic of the experience is instantly marred by something akin to an invasive species.
Invasive species refer to living specimens introduced into non-native settings. They can be harmful or beneficial. Though technology isn’t living, there is a disturbing invasiveness about its existence. Technological advancements are crucial to many industries, such as science, medicine, and communication. Technology saves lives and advances nations. Without technological advancements, the world would be a very different place. There is a time and place for discovery and research that deserves to be balanced with the natural state of things.
Technology often oversteps the boundaries of privacy, both personally and collectively. The advancement of computers is responsible for the dwindling of personal privacy. Think about it. A simple search on your computer automatically shows up as an interest on your social media feed. The ability to track one another borders on stalking in terms of a violation of personal privacy. Drones appear in as many illogical as logical places. Technology is becoming an invasive species, and the balance of good aspects to negative ones is concerning.
Do we really need to have so much access to one another’s world? Not everything should be tainted by an “eye in the sky.” Nature is one place where only living species should be the subject of invasiveness.
