Advances in technology have led to great improvements in all aspects of our lives. There is a touch of technology in almost everything we do, and it affects and influences us much more than we can possibly imagine. Technology is constantly redefining the way we communicate, the way we access information, how we get from place to place, what we do for entertainment, how we deal with home safety and security, and so much more. It is continuously evolving and reinventing itself in a pace we can hardly keep up with.

Much has been said about how technology has made the lives of people significantly easier and more convenient, and understandably so. It is hard to imagine a world where technological breakthroughs and advancements are nil. Numerous technological trends are continuously causing excitement and profit for many people. Needless to say, the world of technology is the largest and most powerful industry there is.

However, when used without caution, technology could be the very thing that destroys us. In one way or another, all of us have been victims of our own technological “addictions,” whether or not we are aware of it.

Now, let us examine how this affects the world in a larger scale. What is the next technological scare we should look out for? Here is a list of some of the few that we should be concerned about:

1. The Noise of Cyber War

Back in the day, an event is classified as a “war” only if there is violence and bloodshed. Today, however, a war can be waged with a simple click of a finger.

Because a lot of our day-to-day activities are so dependent on technology, it is difficult to execute offline activities without some form of online support. Operations in business, education, government, and military have become so inseparable from cyberspace—as this is where most, if not all, of crucial information can be accessed. It is no wonder then, that cyberspace has been a common point of attack in the world of cyber war. The privacy of an institution is compromised when their online “space” is accessed with malicious intent. This form of cyber attack has caused almost as much casualties as conventional wars, sometimes even more.

This is also the reason why security systems have been more in demand than ever. From large institutions to small households—everyone is keen on safeguarding personal privacy in every way they can.

2. The Power of Artificial Intelligence

The concept of technological singularity has been around for quite a while. Ever since the first computer was created, many great minds have been intrigued by how far the human mind can go and how sophisticated our inventions could be. So far, technological advancements have never failed to exceed most of mankind’s expectations. And because of this, talks of a possible conspiracy became rampant: What will happen if man creates intelligence greater than our own? What is the implication if an artifact that can surpass all intellectual activities of any man? What if all human activity is carried out by the “intelligent machines” we create? It’s a terrifying thought, but technological singularity and artificial intelligence just might render human beings obsolete.

3. Cyberbullying

This may be the least technical issue on our list, yet it is possibly the most prevalent technological trend there is today. Why? Simply because anyone is capable of doing it. You could be of any age, of any profession, of any nationality. There are no qualifications; all you need is an internet connection and an uncontrollable urge to attack someone online.

Consequences of cyberbullying have been overwhelming in recent years; teens are committing suicide, people of high rank are quitting their jobs, and politicians are being sued. Most countries have passed laws and created policies to keep cyberbullying in check, but the online community is so big that it is very difficult to track these types of assaults.

4. The Peep of DNA Hacking

This is identity theft? Credit: © Shutterstock

Technology and biology—When these two meet, amazing things are bound to happen. The amalgamation of these two fields have done wonders for the medical and scientific industry; diseases are given cures, premature aging is prevented, among other things. However, given the extent of how much intrusion technology is capable of, one might want to consider the perils of having too much biological information available to technology.

Although, contrary to what you may be thinking, DNA Hacking does not only happen inside the laboratory. It can happen as you key in personal information on your social media profiles, and doing whatever activity you need to do online. You may not like it, but as you engage in social media, more of yourself is available online. And since DNA is part of what makes you who you are, making your personality type accessible for surveying online can be a great invasion of your privacy. DNA Hacking doesn't quite qualify as harmless, otherwise it wouldn't be called “hacking.”

These are only a few technological trends we must always watch out for. There are so much more out there, some of them are possibly still unknown. Given this, we have to be more vigilant to the perils of exposing too much of ourselves online. Indirectly, our actions online lead to consequences we might encounter in the flesh—and that is why we must always guarantee home and family safety in any way we can. Be more responsible with your use of technology, learn more about securing your software, have alarm systems at home, be involved in maintaining office security—do whatever it takes to keep yourself away from any form of harm, may it be technology-induced or not. These days, sad to say, there is no such thing as “safe enough."