What do you think of drones suddenly being accessible to the public?

By Cassandra Ordonio

It seems as though new types of technology are being produced every year and advance us by a decade. We have large, flat screen televisions installed in the walls of our living room, and we have electric cars specifically made to help the environment.

A lot of people have the latest iPad or iPhone. When the iPhone 5s came out, I was nervous about the new feature that came with it. Apparently the phone can recognize your thumb print as a security passcode.

That’s pretty scary.

What else is going to be sold on the market? Since 2014, Drones have been available to the public.

These unmanned aerial vehicles may have some benefits. Drones have been used for military purposes as a war camera, and they have also been used at the southern border of the U.S. in search of illegal immigrants and smugglers.

However, drones should not be included in the consumer world of new technology because it may lead to an invasion of privacy.

Now that drones have made it to the mainstream marketplace, this may cause more havoc in the civilian world. Drones in the hands of teenagers would likely be used as cameras to post pictures on social networks like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. If used by the younger generation someone’s privacy may be invaded if they kept their window blinds open.

Drones might also invoke potential lawsuits. What if a drone had a technical problem while in flight and crashed into someone’s window? What if it landed on someone? This type of technology should not be used as a toy: it’s too dangerous and could lead to serious consequences.

Drones should stay in the hands of the military or any other government agency to keep out the possibility of civilians using it irresponsibly. I’m not saying all civilians are irresponsible; I’m saying the majority of civilians can be irresponsible. Some parents don’t monitor what their children watch on TV, or what they post on social media.

There are online predators on many forms of digital media. If this drone technology makes it to the mainstream, this would be another way for online predators to adapt the use of drones into another way of stalking their prey. This is another form of invasion of privacy. Now, online predators would have an eagle’s eye from the drones.

I don’t think that drones should be sold in the mainstream marketplace. As my generation gets older, technology will improve. It’s overwhelming keeping up, and what people may forget is to enjoy life without the thought of the “newest big thing.”

My youngest sister was four years old when she could fully operate an iPad and she learned quickly. As someone that grew up in the 1990s, I feel that everyone should enjoy what they have and be patient: drones can wait.