By Noah Wright and Sarah Ayala
The Pros and Cons of Domestic Drones
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no, it’s a drone! Eventually drones will patrol the skies detecting fires, providing Wi-Fi, and delivering packages.
Drones, also known as UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), are basically very advanced versions of remote control toys.
As products of the United States CIA, drones are commonly seen as tools of war. Although they have been used to wage modern warfare and spy on possible threats, drones have the capabilities to do much more for humanity. Now, drones are headed in the direction of commercial enterprise, straying away from their violent roots.
There are many pros for domestic and capitalist use of drones. They can detect wildfires, ship goods faster and more efficiently, and provide internet connection. Drones can also be used to improve the agricultural industry. UAVs can be used in searches for missing persons as well. Angelina Lindsay, a high school senior, believes the use of UAVs can “get more jobs.” This is true, because drones are an exponentially growing industry and needs people to make, program, and test these flying machines.
“Drones will make people more dependent,” claims Sophomore Summer Van Orman, leading the cons of UAVs with an assessment of society’s growing dependence to technology. It is still up for debate whether or not human dependence on technology is a good or bad thing. Another possible con of domestic drones is “they are vulnerable to being hacked,” says Nick H. Terrorists could use the nation’s own UAVs for their own vile purposes, but it is more likely that hackers would use software weaknesses to steal people’s mail.
There is no definite answer to whether or not drones should be used domestically, but next year it looks as if they will become legal and part of the consumer world.