_Jessie Staley is a freshman studying political science and international studies at MU. She is an opinion columnist who writes about student life for The Maneater._
Living in the 21st century is nothing if not efficient. It comes with self-driving cars, wireless internet, online shopping, live video chats and dating apps. Most of our days are filled with more information and activity than our ancestors could have had in a month. The new world is exciting, busy and crammed full of opportunity and competition. As the technology race results in more innovation in shorter amounts of time, at what point do we ask ourselves what is being sacrificed for the sake of efficiency?
Safety is what’s being sacrificed.
Samsung recently faced some extreme safety issues with its new Galaxy Note 7. This version of the phone was updated with a new battery that could reportedly last for up to nine hours of use. However, there were multiple reports of phone batteries catching fire. The new battery was involved in 26 reports of burns and 55 reports of property damage, according to the September 2016 recall notice.
Phones are not the only devices that can be released without proper safety considerations. Even some cars have been purchased before every “i” was dotted and “t” crossed. Tesla, one of the leading electric car manufacturers, has had a long run of safety and utility issues. In late 2016, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began an investigation in response to safety complaints about suspension failures in Tesla’s Model S luxury vehicle.
New cars, phones and online applications should not threaten the buyer’s physical safety or the security of their personal information. Back in 2010, Twitter settled with the Federal Trade Commission after charges that the social networking site did not properly secure its site and made users’ private information vulnerable to being hacked.
This should not happen. It is the responsibility of regulatory agencies, as well as manufacturers, to ensure the safety of consumers.
There is nothing wrong with trying to get new products onto the market. Competition is important to a competitive free market. But it is also important that the material being sold as “the next best thing” is safe for consumers. Technological efficiency in the 21st century is crucial to our livelihood, but safety is the utmost necessity. The tech race should work to maintain both.
