Definitions: Tool

Lately, I’ve been assessing the place of various forms of technology in my life. As a result, I cancelled my cable and have greatly cut back on the time I spend on Facebook. My assessment led me to see television, social media, and my iPad for what they really are:  tools.

The fifth definition of tool on dictionary.com is "anything used as a means of accomplishing a task or purpose." Many seem to forget to apply this meaning to technology. It’s easy to identify a hammer or a screwdriver as a tool and what they are intended to be used for, but sometimes the intended purpose of a smartphone or app is lost, and the fact that they are tools is completely forgotten. 

In such a fast-paced, ever-changing technological culture, it’s easy to forget the purpose of tools. Remembering that we control the tools and not the other way around is critical, lest we become the sixth definition of a tool:  "a person manipulated by another for the latter's own ends."