dark side of technology
1
6.2
- noun
- Many people are concerned about the dark side of technology, such as privacy invasion and job displacement.
Examples
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Some experts warn that the dark side of technology can lead to addiction and decreased face-to-face interactions.
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The dark side of technology often includes issues like cyberbullying and misinformation online.
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Some light has been shed on the dark side of technology: its cost, dehumanizing effects, and failure to solve important problems (Martens, 1997; Postman, 2000), and the fact that technology will not make a strong teacher out of a poor teacher (Silverman, 1997).
Academic text (2008)
Synonyms
143
5.7
Parts of a person, thing or situation that are hidden and harmful
Antonyms
How Harmful
3
6.1
1
6.2
Surface Forms
Morphology
dark + side + of + technology
The phrase combines 'dark' (negative/evil) with 'side' (an aspect) and the preposition 'of' to denote a particular aspect of 'technology', so a learner who knows the constituent words can infer it refers to harmful or negative aspects. This metaphorical but highly conventional construction (e.g. 'the dark side of X') is common cross-linguistically, making the meaning readily derivable for a B1 learner.
Etymology
The phrase dark side of technology may come from the image of a shiny device (technology) that also casts a shadow (dark side) you do not notice at first. So it is used to talk about the 'negative' or 'harmful' parts of modern technology.