Lighthouses have shone a friendly beam for sailors and fishermen for several centuries. However, the new technology, Global Positioning System(GPS), has gradually replaced the role of lighthouses.

The president of the America Lighthouses Foundation, Jeremy D’Entremont, said that “Everyone loves lighthouses, but as far as the government is concerned, they are not exactly a spending priority.”

Although there is 75% of lighthouses are still working in America, federal funding is limited to the mechanical maintenance of the lights. In Britain, the last light keeper retired in 1998.

So now, all British lighthouses are fully automated and monitored by computers, and they can even change light bulbs by themselves. Although that lighthouses are gradually replaced by new technology, they still keep many cultural and historical value. Many lighthouses have turned into hotel, resting places, or museums. Despite the fact that new technology is replacing the role of lighthouses, they still are an important role in sailors and fishermen’s heart!