Our Future in Computer Maintenance by Diego

Our Future in Computer Maintenance by Diego - June 2018 Scholarship Essay

Out of all the elective classes I have taken, I think that above all else, computer maintenance should be a required class because of how reliant we are on technology. Computers have now become a part of our daily lives that we use them on a daily basis, however, we are now facing an issue because of the excess amount of e-waste.
Technology is rapidly evolving. Everyday computers are improving, and more advanced hardware is constantly being released. This means that older hardware becomes obsolete much quicker. It is because of the rapid evolution in technology, that whenever a single piece of a computer breaks, people will opt for a replacement rather than get the device repaired. For example, when the screen or camera break on a smartphone, most people will see this as an opportunity to upgrade to the latest technology available. The problem here is that even though only a piece of the device is broken, the entire device is thrown out which has led to a massive amount of e-waste, also known as environmental waste. To give an understanding of how much e-waste there is, according to an article on the International Telecommunication Union's website, "In 2016, 44.7 million metric tons of e-waste were generated. This is an equivalent of almost 4,500 Eiffel towers".
The reason why I bring this up is that I believe computer maintenance can be an easy solution to the problem, as well as a useful skill to possess. With people taking Computer Maintenance, everyone will have a better understanding of how computers work resulting in less e-waste since more people will know how to treat a computer for repairs. With more people understanding computers, more people will be inclined to repair their devices rather than throwing away old devices for new ones.
In conclusion, I believe that Computer Maintenance should become a required class because it gives people a better understanding of technology and can help reduce e-waste. Our planet is already facing a serious pollution problem and future generations should know how the device they use every day work, so why not computer maintenance?