Why people resist new technologies

Many people do not like to accept new technologies because people feel insecure about these technologies. New technologies come out one after another at an amazing rate. Thus people are uncertain whether these new technologies have been fully tested, in addition, people are worried about the consequences. One example is genetically modified (GM) food which caused a stir a few years ago. When GM food first appeared in the 1990s, people felt blessed because GM food could feed many more people than traditional agriculture could. However, a few years later, many criticisms arose. Most researchers thought GM food had potential hazard to people’s health and the environment. In addition, GM food is not as nutritious as traditional agriculture products. In 1998, a Scottish professor published a report on American TTV, saying that one kind of GM potato could damage rats’ immune system and some other organs; he suggested that this GM potato would also harm people. In 2005, Hungary took the lead in forbidding GM food. Hungary made a law to stop GM food importation because there was not enough evidence to prove GM food’s safety. Moreover, GM food has been tainted by pesticide and growth hormone overuse, which damages our earth as well. Today, researchers are still working on ensuring GM food’s safety, but many people reject GM food since GM food has been reported to be potentially risky. Since this technology is so new, people know too little about it. It is normal for people to fear the unknown, and unsettling news makes GM food questionable to people. In conclusion, people reject new technologies because they do not have enough information and doubt the safety of new technologies.