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The Cost of Progress: Are We Building Tools or Chains?

In today’s world, smart devices—phones, laptops, tablets—have become so ingrained in daily life that it feels almost impossible to function without them. From banking and healthcare to education and even basic communication, the expectation is clear: if you don’t have access to technology, you risk being left behind.

Think about something as simple as applying for a job. For most employers, the entire process is online. No computer? No internet? No chance. Or consider healthcare: patients are increasingly required to book appointments, review test results, or communicate with doctors through digital portals. Those without access—often the elderly, rural residents, or low-income families—are excluded from essential services.

On the surface, this looks like progress—an evolution of human capability through technology. But we must pause and ask: progress toward what, and at what cost?

The danger lies in forgetting our roots. Humanity existed long before digital systems, and our worth was never tied to whether we had the latest device or fastest internet connection. Yet as we build more complex systems, we risk creating a future where survival—or even social inclusion—depends on plugging into a network controlled not by natural law, but by man-made structures. And history has shown us: where man builds systems, corruption and control often follow.

This raises a sobering possibility: that what we call “advancement” could also become a form of digital dependency, or even digital slavery. If the next generation is born into a world where access to technology is not a choice but an obligation, then we have built a society where freedom is conditional.

True progress should empower, not suppress. It should expand opportunity, not reduce it to those who can afford the right devices or access.

So here’s the challenge: as leaders, technologists, educators, and community members, how do we build systems that connect without excluding? How do we ensure that innovation remains a tool for liberation, not a chain of dependency?

The answer will shape not only the future of technology but the freedom of humanity itself.

— Written by Douglas Fessler 

Note on Writing Assistance

This article was crafted with the assistance of AI-powered writing tools to help clearly express the ideas.