The Middle Ground

 Justin Moses Vera

John Paul II Junior College

Trivium 101

September 22, 2017

The Middle Ground

“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ‘em” (Shakespeare, pg. 82). The writer from the renaissance stated an argument of how people become who they are today. Back in his time opportunity came to some by birth right, others toiled and bled for their opportunities, the rest were the fortunate to have opportunity knock on their door. This nowadays can be tied into another common issue of the effects technology has on young people today. This issue can be explored from sides. Technology helps youth obtaining a better education, but technology can also devour ones time with useless habits. The idea that technology is good or bad is all up to the user. One can come to the conclusion that technology works not to build or destroy but to guide and be guided by the user so as to seize and achieve greatness.

To illustrate, go back a hundred or even fifty years ago, one had to physically be present in a classroom to receive an education, be it college or any other. Now this presented a few challenges. Mainly: how to get there, and when there what will one wear, what will one eat, how will one get back? The list is lengthy and the education back then was really mediocre. Fast-forward to the twenty first century and look at education and how it no longer is provided in the confines of a concrete quadrilateral. Students now receive their associates, bachelors, even master’s degree in the comfort of their home via online school programs. The use of technology in this situation seems noble and a valuable asset to the user. Then again, what happens when one is not studying or one has no drive to study?

Then does technology become a bit unconstructive and a bit useless due to the user undermining its great potential. Too many times have people young and old place walls on their ears through their phone. They block the outside world and curl up into their own. Too many times have people given their gaze and fixated it upon planes of glass emitting lights only to be rewarded by a robotic praise. You won! Good job! Nice one! Winner! Has society lost its brotherhood to the point that it ignores conversations in the real world only to be eloquent in the virtual world? Is it all of humanity that falls time and again in this murky abyss?

Nay! The choice is up to the user. Technology mirrors one of man’s greatest ability, that of choice. Man’s free will is employed in the usage of technology daily. There are those that benefit from it and those that do not. There are those that abuse it and those that do not. Technology is not the driving force in the corruption of our youth. Perhaps it’s the way that everyone paints it that has given it such infamy.

Technology is not good or bad; it does not build or destroy, but guides. Its creation has paved a highway for us that is now splitting. There is the way the sloths that neglect the beneficial existence of technology and seek the mind numbing. There is also the way of the real user who denies the trashy part of technology and urns to build and uplift, by this they achieve greatness. Though the question still stands … what path are you on? Will you end up in a dead end or reach your destination? Will you, “…achieve greatness…” or have “…greatness thrust upon…” you (Shakespeare, pg. 82) and not able to catch it? The time to choose is now…

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William. “Greatness.” The Students Companion. Wilfred D. Best. Caribbean edition. San Juan, Trinidad: Longman Group UK. 1990. Print.