By Lindsey Bever/editor-in-chief

   With the consumer bombarded with camera phones, laptops and iPods, it is no surprise technology is evolving. So in a technology-savvy society, is it possible to take advancement too far? Yes.
   An entrepreneur in Vancouver, Canada, has a radio frequency identification computer chip embedded in his hands, using himself as a human remote control. Evidently, Amal Graafstra can open his front door or log onto his computer by waving his hand.
   Worst case scenario, if Graafstra is locked out of his house while nude, he still has a way inside, he said in a New York interview. Graafstra makes a good point; however, I have one question: ever heard of a Hide-a-Key? In the face of growing technology, sometimes old-school methods perform equally as well.
   With an economical cost of approximately $2 for the computer chip and $50 for the “reader” devices, the price does not deter me, but the potential for personal invasion deeply concerns me.
   For several years, vets have injected similar devices created by Applied Digital Solution into animals to track and identify them. In 2002, researchers predicted within the next five years a chip called The VeriChip would be implanted in children to safeguard against abduction. This chip could even be used as a personal ATM or credit card. I recently heard of a system to track consumer purchases using microchips. But these tracking devices sound far too 1984.
   These advances could enable people to store, transmit and access encrypted personal information, Mikey Sklar, a Brooklyn resident, told Yahoo News.
   Shortly after Sept. 11, Richard Seelig, a New Jersey surgeon, implanted a tiny computer chip in his forearm and hip to transmit data to a scanner.
   While I understand advancements in technology mean greater government performance, I also see repercussions: corruption, deceit, communism, murder.
   I support the American government, but the thought of the government tracking my every move frightens me. I cannot imagine a world where humans are identified and tracked as animals.
   Who is to say the crime rate would not hit an all-time peak? Who would be surprised if terrified criminals murdered innocent people soley to assume their identity? It may sound futuristic and ridiculous, but if technology crosses the line, it just might come to that.