Every now and then, we are all succumbing to technological paranoia, whether it’s stressing your phone is watching you or predicting the enslavement of the human race by robots. Most of the time we’re overreacting, but as the following examples illustrate, sometimes there’s a legitimate reason to think that your technology could lead to your death.
Selfies
We just want the perfect image on our Instagram, but some of us are going faster than most. The selfie cult has evolved exponentially as mobile phones have become more and more professional. Sadly, the amount of common sense used to take selfies has not evolved with it.
Numerous selfie deaths have been recorded, including a man who plunged to his death in Machu Picchu while posing for a video. A hiker in Wales was killed when the lightning hit his selfie stick; a businessman in China drowned a walrus with whom he attempted to take a selfie; and a man was killed in Pamplona Spain after attempting to take a selfie at an annual bullfight.
Video games
Video games are fun, but a lot of playing them will ruin you, unfortunately. In February 2017, a man died in Virginia after a 24-hour gaming marathon. Brian Vigneault was collecting funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and took 22 hours to the event, which was broadcast on Twitch, before telling audiences that he was going out to smoke. It has been confirmed that he had a heart attack and never came back on the screen.
Self-driving cars
Self-driving vehicles may well be incredibly secure as they reach the street, but the prospect of an artificial intelligence technology regulating our travel poses some fascinating theoretical concerns. For example, if three people jumped out in front of your car, will the car run them over to save you? Or would it weigh three lives against one and force you off the route and into danger?
AI taking over the world
If you trust Elon Musk – and many people do – the greatest threat to the species is artificial intelligence. AI was painted a number of times in the past by Hollywood, from The Matrix to The Terminator, but Musk ‘s messages are far from fiction. He believes that human beings are creating technology that they would not be able to control; and that all AI ventures will be open source to ensure that no organization has a monopoly. But AI’s not quite there yet, just ask Siri.
Memes
Memes can be funny, irritating, divisive, and even dangerous. This month, a Russian man was sentenced to three years in jail for making a joke that led to two teen suicides. The Blue Whale Meme encouraged people to perform a series of tasks over the course of 50 days. The final task is to take a life of your own.
Reference: https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/articles/11-ways-your-technology-could-kill-you/
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