Most everyone realizes the many advantages that technology has. The majority of us use some form of technology in our lives everyday, and it is only a matter of time before you start seeing internet kiosks at all fast food restaurants or holographic images beamed into the space of air between your dashboard and windshield when you need to use the GPS.

Technology is increasing at a rapid rate, and while many individuals find their uses beneficial, there are a few groups of people who abuse this privilege for negative purposes. Some hi-tech tactics are being used by terrorists while some other people use technology via the internet as a means to find their next victim in cyberspace. Yet, even members of our own government are being questioned for their motives in using technology in what seems to be an abusive matter.

Take London for example. London is a premier hot spot destination for tourists all over the world. Known for its fine dining, shopping centers, and many royal structures, London seems like a great location to visit. Many have complained, however, about the camera surveillance system that is currently in place in the streets of London. There are currently over 4.2 million cameras that line the streets in all of Britain, and each person is said to be seen on camera an average of 300 times daily. While some will argue that cameras have helped to track down abducted children and to help pinpoint suspects in various crimes, others will argue that these cameras are an invasion of privacy and a way to keep everyone under watch constantly, as if they are already guilty of something. Like George Orwell wrote in his book 1984, many cannot argue that the age of Big Brother has arrived.

The 2008 attacks in Mumbai, India were carried out by Islamic terrorists but with a technological twist. Leaving at least 101 dead in the attack, the terrorists relied heavily on their phones to communicate with one another, used satellite phones to communicate with their leaders back in Pakistan, used satellite images and video footage to train for the real event, and used GPS navigation on the boat they hijacked to get to their destination. Technology in the wrong hands has resulted not only in these 100+ killings but in millions of unwarranted deaths around the world.

In a less hi-tech situation but one that involves technology anyway, a murder of a New York masseuse by a man who met her through Craig’s List has topped headlines all over the world. The suspected “Craigslist killer” is believed to have murdered the masseuse, who posted her services on the site, and is also suspected of robbing other people who he met on Craig’s List to pay off gambling debts. This is not an isolated incidence. While this Craigslist killer topped headlines everywhere, many more crimes are conducted through online methods.

Technology has its advantages and its disadvantages. Abusing technology’s benefits is a decision everyone makes for themselves, and many maintain the hope that people will choose to do what’s right rather than doing what’s wrong.