One of the topic covered in the last few modules was genetically modified organisms. Basically, genetically modified organisms are transgenic species because they contain genes of other organisms implanted in them through genetic engineering. There are many benefits of G.M.Os such as creating plants with better resistance to pests, harsh climate, and diseases. G.M.Os can also help produce food that has longer shelf life so there is less wastage of food. They can also be used to lead to more yield and more efficient use of farmland. Lastly, they are also a sustainable source of food for the growing population of the earth (Benefits, 2005). Yet, despite all these great benefits of G.M.Os they are still primarily portrayed negatively in media. This made me question why are they depicted in this manner?
The article, The Psychology of Distrusting G.M.O.s, also tackles this issue. The article essentially talks about the phycology of mistrusting genetically modified organisms or any other object for that matter. The article highlights many studies showing that the main distrust of G.M.Os comes primarily from unfamiliarity. The research states that if an object is unfamiliar and strays from normalcy, it leads to a decreased trust in that object. G.M.Os are not considered normal by regular people due to a lack of knowledge about what they actually are and what they do. On top that, people are bombarded with media that negatively highlights G.M.Os and combining that with a lack of knowledge about genetic engineering leads to a fear of them, when actually there are quite some good benefits of G.M.Os. The article goes on to talk about how until future generations, this fear of G.M.Os won’t go away, quite frankly because the concept of G.M.Os is still new. However, as future generations are born into a time where G.M.Os are quite normal, the unfamiliarity will go away, and eventually the fear.
Even though there are many great benefits of G.M.Os, they are still viewed cautiously in public eyes. This main mistrust of G.M.Os comes mainly from its unfamiliarity and negative representation in media. According to researchers, only time can solve this problem of mistrust because eventually as time goes on, they will be viewed as normal and people will begin to trust them.
Works Cited:
“Benefits of GM Food.” Genetically Modified Foods. University of California Santa Cruz, 2005. Web. 10 Apr. 2016. <https://classes.soe.ucsc.edu/cmpe080e/Spring05/projects/gmo/benefits.htm>.
Konnikova, Maria. “The Psychology of Distrusting G.M.O.s.” The New Yorker. The New Yorker, 08 Aug. 2013. Web. 10 Apr. 2016. <http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/the-psychology-of-distrusting-g-m-o-s>.