Abstract
This paper highlights the influence of sophisticated technological advances on the current social and economic aspects of life. The overview of the main advantages and disadvantages of the process is pointed out along with the conclusion in the favor of technological progress. It is stressed that the most crucial Pros of the technology comprise the time saving and information accessing issues. In contrast to the mention above advantages, the Cons include the distress in the communication process which affects the sound forming of the future generations. Youth is considered to be the most influential part of the society and therefor the study is aimed first of all on its values and feedback on behalf of the technological advances. As a result the research paper is based on the influence of the technology on the whole society with the example of its impact on the young generation.
Keywords: technology, advantages, disadvantages, influence, generation
Dependency on Technology
Problem Statement
Technology plays an important role in our daily lives. In cars with which we move, where we live, work and study. We are faced with technology everywhere, and it facilitates our daily life and helps to perform tasks more efficiently. “There is a lot more data, all the time, growing at 50 percent a year, or more than doubling every two years, estimates IDC, a technology rese. arch firm” (LOHR, 2014)We must accept the fact that nowadays technology has become an essential attribute in business. Just one day without the internet and the mobile phone is able to make the life of any human unbearable. Therefore it is difficult to imagine there can be no opportunity to call someone, because often the only contact details people leave are mobile number and email address. As soon as people loose internet access they just feel lonely and isolation from the world. There is no possibility to check e-mail for new mail, visit the page in the social network, view the weather forecast and read the news. It is scientifically proved that "people who are online an average of 5 hours a day have trouble remembering people’s names, forget pots on the stove and even their own birthday" (Hosale, 2014).
Significance of study
Any large organization is nowadays entirely dependent on technology and if all the equipment stops functioning at one moment, the company's operations will be immediately paralyzed. The sustainable development of organization and economy is totally dependent of the technological progress (Uow.edu.au, 2014). Elementary power failure or simply a power outage can stop the work of any organization.” More than half of organizations (58%) responded that their CEO promotes technology as a critical/high priority for driving business innovation” (Idgenterprise.com, 2014).
Advantages and Disadvantages
However, the development of modern technologies, as well as any other phenomenon that takes place in the modern world is very ambiguous process with many obvious advantages, greatly improving the living standards of most people, and undeniable flaws that turn everyday tasks of almost each person in the chain of intricate and not always understandable actions.
Naturally, on the one hand, these technical gadgets save a considerable amount of time required to perform one or another not always feasible for the average person tasks. This is, of course, a huge plus as modern people mostly suffer from the lack of free time, long-term absence of normal rest, chronic fatigue, decreased performance and other unpleasant effects. But on the other hand, the study of the principles of engineering devices often takes much time and requires additional efforts and even financial resources that are not available in crisis periods.
For example, think about your workplace. Before entering the room, you will surely encounter the devices of modern technology such as automatic parking tickets and a system of automatic doors. And when you finally get in what do you see on your desktop? Yes, the computer. This amazing device allows connecting several people to the network at the same time, printing documents and accessing files. They are so ingrained in our lives that it is difficult to imagine how we used to live without them.
Another advantage is, of course, the simplified access to information. Let us take "Wikipedia" or banal well known newspaper ads "Hand in Hand" online. Previously, in order to rent an apartment or get some sort of goods it was necessary to find and buy a newspaper often coming out only once a week and call all the possible numbers just to get an inquiry. Now it is enough to have access to the Internet, to find the website of the newspaper and make a call from your cell anytime from home, work, or other any convenient place for you. Previously, the search of some sort of articles or books could take more than one day but now it is enough to access the Internet having the minimum searching skills.
But still we are on a dangerous road. We have too much trust in computer storage devices and other mechanisms, that fail from time to time like everything created by man. Therefore we expose ourselves to great danger because mechanisms may eventually fail leading to significant problems.
In addition, advances in technology inevitably lead to degradation of youth, who starts to doubt the effectiveness of written communication. It also adversely affects the ability of the current generation to express their thoughts and reasons grammatically and syntactically correct. «Some 42 percent of Americans agree that in 2020, young technology users will be easily distracted, lack deep thinking skills, and thirst only for instant gratification” (Socialmediatoday.com, 2014). Another problem of the recent years is the lack of live communication. Rather than take a walk down the street a modern teenager spends evenings playing online games, communicating with friends only in social networks. “According to a Northwestern University study 70% of parents saying that smartphones and tablets - so-called "digital babysitters" used to appease bored or fussy kids -- don't make parenting any easier.” (Brandon Griggs, 2014)
Conclusion
Technology is undoubtedly useful, but do not forget that it could potentially lead to serious problems. We should be careful with new technologies to protect and ensure the stability of the future generations. “The lack of community engagement will not be solved by technology alone. But for social innovators, it’s hard to imagine technology not playing some important role” (Knightfoundation.org, 2014). Taking the all above mentioned minuses such as lack of communication, high costs and technology addiction into account it is still difficult to overestimate the role of sophisticated gadgets in the everyday life. Obviously, technology can make our life easier but traditional values such as communication and human relationships should always occupy the first place.
References
Brandon Griggs, C. (2014). U.S. parents not worried about kids' digital-media use. CNN. Retrieved 20 December 2014, from http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/04/tech/gaming-gadgets/parenting-digital-devices-study
Hosale, S. (2014). 25 Negative Effects of Technology - RooGirl. Roogirl.com. Retrieved 19 December 2014, from http://roogirl.com/25-negative-effects-of-technology/
Idgenterprise.com,. (2014). IDG Enterprise » Role & Influence of the Technology Decision-Maker — 2014. Retrieved 20 December 2014, from http://www.idgenterprise.com/report/role-influence-of-the-technology-decision-maker-2014
Knightfoundation.org,. (2014). Retrieved 20 December 2014, from http://www.knightfoundation.org/digitalcitizenship/technology/
LOHR, S. (2014). Big Data’s Impact in the World. Nytimes.com. Retrieved 20 December 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/12/sunday-review/big-datas-impact-in-the-world.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Socialmediatoday.com,. (2014). The Effects of Media and Technology on Young Children in the U.S. [INFOGRAPHIC]. Retrieved 20 December 2014, from http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/effects-media-and-technology-young-children-us-infographic
Uow.edu.au,. (2014). Role of Technology in Sustainable Development. Retrieved 20 December 2014, from http://www.uow.edu.au/~sharonb/RoleTech.html
