Deepening Dependency on Technology Raises Risk of Breakdowns

When technology breaks down now, people’s lives go haywire, too
Deepening Dependency on Technology Raises Risk of Breakdowns
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SAN FRANCISCO—When technology breaks down now, people’s lives go haywire, too.

Wednesday’s confounding confluence of computer outages at United Airlines, the New York Stock Exchange and The Wall Street Journal delivered a jolting reminder about our deepening dependence on interconnected networks to get through each day.

For the most part, technology has worked smoothly while hatching innovations and conveniences that have made our lives easier and our jobs more productive. Computers, though, could bring more frequent headaches as they link together with billions of other electronic devices and household appliances— a phenomenon that has become known as the “Internet of things.”