Farheen Wani
All of the biggest technological inventions created by man – the airplane, the automobile, the computer – says little about his intelligence but speaks volumes about his laziness. – (Mark Kennedy)
Society gives purpose to technology, for technology is made to help man—for better or for worse. From the moment man picked up the first tool in his hand to aid him in his task, to where he is today with all the advancement he has accomplished, technology has always been there at man’s disposal.
The symbiotic union of society and technology has led the world to improvements beyond expectation, and yet, the future still holds an untapped growth potential, especially in the area of digital technology.
Digital technology gives birth to making our world reachable with its augmenting information highways like the Internet and the net. Across it, we have reinvented the way we interact and communicate with emails, conference calls, and social media apps, among others. It has improved the lives of students and teachers with digitization in the education sector. It has saved thousands upon thousands of lives with advanced machinery and innovations that have been introduced to the health industry.
We could go on and on, but the baseline is that digital technology and society are in this synergistic relationship that will get stronger further into the future as we dive deeper into the 21st century.
Technology is around us everywhere, from simple devices like our smartphones, laptop, and TV to background tech that we don’t notice. It isn’t taking off anywhere anytime shortly, we hold to get familiarized with it. Once we get the hang of manipulating technology in a privileged manner, it can enhance our vitalities.
On the other hand, tech can also make our lives harder. Whether tech has a positive or negative effect on our lives, it all depends on how we use it.
Positives impacts of technology on our lives
Technology has, without a doubt, made all our lives easier over the past two decades. From connecting with people across the globe from the comfort of your home to running a full-fledged business without a physical space, technology has impacted our lives positively in several ways.
1. New technology continues to come out faster than we can keep up with. The purpose is to boost business and make the daily management of enterprises more systematic, structured, and successful.
Tech has boosted businesses by improving the hiring process, error-free collection and analysis of business data, and better communication with clients and partners.
Additionally, tech has also changed the way we work remotely for the better. It is now commonplace for people to work from home. However, certain tech, like the cloud, has made it easier than ever to work whether you’re at the office or not.
2. Advancements in tech have made it easier for more people to access the internet, resulting in online shopping being more popular now than ever.
Currently, most people prefer to shop online without leaving the house because of its sheer convenience. Instead of wasting hours in the shopping mall, tech makes shopping simple. A few of the benefits of online shopping include cheaper products, saved time, fuel, and energy, easier-to-find items, a wider variety online, and no added pressure.
3. One of the most downplayed areas of technology that has dramatically improved over the past few years is education. Technology has been beneficial for those in the business world, but it has impacted education in a big way.
A few examples include the availability of online courses, accessibility of web seminars, and unlimited online resources for research. Before tech, you’d have to physically go to class, attend a meeting or go to the library to do research. Now, education is easier for everyone, no matter where you live. Online classes have made it possible for all students to enroll without leaving their homes.
Today, you can find several great sites for free college courses online, such as Udemy—a fantastic website that offers thousands of free and paid-for courses to choose from. Whether you want to create virtual reality games or become a yoga instructor, Udemy has a course that’s perfect for you.
In terms of technology, Udemy also offers a wide variety of great tech-related online courses. The categories available range from IT hardware and software to operating systems and network and security. So tech can help you master your chosen path and possibly broaden your career opportunities.
4. Most technology these days is created to improve businesses and generate profit. However, tech can also make our daily lives so much better.
Tech has made an immensely positive impact on the daily lives of everyday people. Some positive examples include improvements in the transportation system.
Negative impacts of technology on our lives
As much as we appreciate technology for the convenience it brought to our lives, several aspects of it have impacted our society negatively in more ways than one.
1. As technology advances, we are connected now more than ever, and it has become a huge part of our lives. That’s why technology negatively impacts physical health.
These physical health problems can be severe. Nevertheless, you can avoid most of them by creating healthy tech habits instead of bad ones.
Apart from creating unhealthy sleeping patterns, electronic devices can cause digital eye strain, poor posture, and increased inactivity, leading to health problems like obesity.
Taking regular breaks from these devices can help you avoid these health problems. You can find a range of apps that remind you to take frequent breaks.
2. Job loss and downsizing are two significant adverse effects of technology. Because of advances in the tech field such as AI integration, automating and accomplishing tasks have become easy. In this day and age, most companies need to stay up to date with the latest technology, but in the process, low-skilled employees, like factory workers and cashiers, will be replaced.
Machines can now carry out tasks that only humans could do so far, which creates a massive shortage of jobs. The bottom line is that people aren’t necessarily needed for work tasks anymore because of how efficient tech has become.
3. Technology grows incredibly quickly, so the digital devices and gadgets that we use have a short lifespan and become outdated in a matter of months.
Since these devices are so important in our daily lives, we need to maintain and upgrade them regularly. Besides maintenance and upgrades, these pieces of tech may just become outdated and pushed aside by newer, more advanced versions.
Technology is a boon and bane to society
Overall, tech is amazing, and it has changed the world for the better, from improving our daily lives to building better businesses. The majority of the adverse effects of technology stem from its misuse.
The way we choose to utilize tech can help or harm ourselves and others. Instead of blaming the tool, we need to use technology in a healthy, more disciplined way. By doing this, technology can continue to benefit our lives.
(The writer is a journalist and can be reached at [email protected])
