Irma Romero
Staff Reporter
Imagine in today's society having a microchip implanted in the back of your hand, between your thumb and your index finger, or on your neck, a chip that can do everything your wallet does and more.
In 1998 a man named Kevin Warwick who is a professor at Reading University in the UK, was the first person to implant a RFID (radio-frequency-identification) into his arm. The microchip is the size of a grain of rice, and the whole purpose of the RFID was to see if his computer can wirelessly track his movements within the university. It is now projected that RFID chips can also carry our identity information as we walk through any security checkpoint and use public transport.
In 2017, a company located in Wisconsin called the Three Square Market, the RFID microchips started to reoccur. There were people lined up waiting in the office cafeteria, waiting for a local tattoo artist who would implant an RFID. According to Theguardian.com, "Jowan Österlund, a Swedish tattooist and body piercing specialist whose company Biohax provided Three Square Market with the microchip." Jowan Österlund also implanted a microchip in himself years ago. These microchips allow people to enter work places, ride on trains, and go into other businesses.
There are downsides to having RFID chips implanted in us. For example, a disadvantage is that the chip can cause a threat to our health. These microchips might not always stay in place, it also causes infections. According to an article on Medicalnewstoday.com, "A study conducted in France in 2006 where scientists detected tumors in 4.1 percent of mice with microchip implants." Yet, when the study started, the scientists were not looking for cancer-induced microchips. They were testing chemicals but ruled them out as the cause of the tumors.
Another example is if we are forced to take the microchips, then our freedom will also be taken away. If we need a job, enter a store, go into school, etc., and do not have the chips implanted, we fall at the hands of this new technology.
One advantage is being able to open your car doors and switch channels in the palm of your hands. Also, we could have our medical history at easy access. RFID chips could allow us to have easier access to our identification. For example, our passports, IDs, and driver's licenses are already inside the microchips.
Although RFID chips have their advantages and disadvantages, Here at The Eagle's Eye newspaper, we continue to encourage our readers to look into topics and create their opinions.
Image credit: Thomasnet
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