The possibility of modifying the genetic make-up of an unborn child is one of the few things that futurists and scientists alike are anticipating will become possible in the near future. This developing technology will allow parents to choose almost every aspect of their child; From hair and eye color, to height and skin tone—and maybe even down to their gender!
This reminds me of a computer game called The Sims 3. Some of you probably know it already, but in this highly-addictive game you get to create and "design" a Sim character, in addition to controlling their whole life. You can have a Sim who goes to the gym often and is very athletic, or another one that has a green thumb and eventually becomes a famous chef—but I digress.
The main point is that every single part of the Sim character's appearance is in the player's hands. Body type, weight, voice pitch, size of nose, amount of freckles, you name it.
But what always bothered me while playing this game was that it always felt like I was playing some sort of God. This is the same feeling I get when I read about how a couple will soon be able "mold" their child to their liking. To me, it would be like playing God and that's just...so wrong.
On the other hand, this technology would be revolutionary to the health of future generations. Most, if not all genetically-inherited diseases would cease to exist. Never will a child get hemophilia or diabetes just because someone in his/her family has it too. This would ensure a brighter and more prosporous future for the human race—or will it?
Since mortality rates would decrease significantly, this would also cause the earth's population to rise even more. Think of the implications this will have on our planet. Natural resources are already scarce due to overpopulation, but it will get even worse as many genetically-transmitted diseases are eliminated. Sooner or later, the planet won't be able to keep up with human demands or needs and then we'll have no choice but to compete with each other for food. (or am I just being paranoid here?)
Another downside is that the diversity of our species will be thrown out the window. In this day and age where everyone is already so focused on unhealthy superficial ideals (read: skinny), why should we encourage this mindset by allowing parents to decide how their children will look? Everyone's going to end up choosing only the "ideal traits" (e.g. fair skin, lighter hair, green/blue eyes) and the whole population will look like clones
All in all, I do think we have gone too far with our research into genetic processes. This would surely help the state of the next (next next next) generation's health, but at the same time, we should learn to love what we are given as parents—imperfections and all.
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