Would You Still Be Around?

My first post on technology and health focused on just a couple health risks associated with technology usage. However, as an avid optimist and rational thinker, it would be absurd to neglect the positive health outcomes associated with technology. By simply looking at average life span expectancies over the last few hundred years, you can see we are living much longer. But why?

One could argue on behalf of evolution – that the current humans are more resilient, stronger, better adapted. The truth is, technological advancements are keeping us alive longer. This is due to better prevention methods such as screening abilities, medicines, and surgical procedures, as well as prolonging the lifespan by delaying the effects of terminal diseases.

ABC news published a list of their top 10 advances that have changed the world. I thought this article was extremely interesting since we take most of these advances for granted. I like to play the fun game I call “Would I still be here if _____ didn’t exist?”. The truth is, there is a high chance I wouldn’t have made it the 21 years I have without some of these health technologies, so I thought I would share them and give some insight into their consequences.

1. Vaccines

2. Surgical Anesthetic and Antisepsis

3. Clean Water and Improved Sanitation

4. Antibiotics and Antivirals

5. Birth Control Pills

6. Improvements in Heart Surgery and Cardiac Care

7. Randomized Controlled Trials

8. Radiologic Imaging

9. Advancements in Childbirth

10. Organ Transplantation

You may be thinking that these don’t meet your typical definition of technology. The images that first come to my head when I think about technology are computers, machines, new synthetic materials, etc. However, if you look at each of the above health advancements, they are all possible because of technology. Technology was needed in order to analyze and test medicines and vaccines. Technology is responsible for clean water. It is pretty easy to see how technology is responsible for radiologic imaging and surgical improvements.

If I lived a few thousand years ago, I probably would have died at birth due to sicknesses that were easily treated in 1989. However, if I survived that, oh and all the other diseases that I was vaccinated for as a child, and all the sicknesses I took antibiotics for, I probably would have been eaten by a predator. Seriously, I have really bad eyesight. This isn’t even a problem today with glasses and contacts, but now, there is Lasik. Lasik eye surgery takes minutes, and uses a machine that is so accurate that there are really low risks, and there you go, perfect vision just like that.

While having perfect eyesight is obviously not the most important health improvement to come along, it is a perfect example of how technology can improve our lives in ways previously thought unimaginable. Sure, having easy access to information and constant social contact is convenient and nice, but the technology that really matters the most is often overlooked and taken for granted. If we play the “would I still be around” game a little more often, we can really appreciate what technology can do for us. It is also important to remember that many people across the world still die from things that are easily treatable. We have the technology, but now we need to share it and give others the same chances that we had.