Introduction.
It is the satisfaction of societal needs which has lead to digital age. Technology is neutral but it’s those who create, make or develop it or end users who may be of bad or good intentions.ie it’s the society which determines technology (social determinism). People of acceptable values will cause positive impacts of technology to the society, while others of uncouth vices will cause negative impacts of technology. So it’s the society to choose how to use available technologies and make necessary improvements.
Global economy has been enhanced by automation of production processes due to advancement of technologies such as spreadsheets, rational database technology ,word processing software and computer aided design has really super perfected commercial business(commercial advantage). Industrial revolution lead to flourishing of trade and better working conditions. Improved technology is not being shared equally within a society. The rich have more chances of obtaining sophisticated technologies which further enable them to acquire more wealth at the expense of the poor. There is alienation since technology can create jobs which demand no specialist knowledge .E commerce has encouraged efficiencies which have edged out middle men in chain of distribution which have effectively removed the demand for a long supply chain at the expense of social interactions. Currently no barrier between individuals, nations or companies and consumers. Product information can be obtained through sophisticated search engines resulting into globalization of ideas. Biotechnologists are battling to control all the world’s food and textiles through genetically modified organisms (GMOs).GMOs can not be withdrawn once released into the environment .This will endanger the indigenous species (original varieties) e .g. genetically modified tilapia that grows much faster will destroy the existing weaker communalities .
Internet has enhanced unregulated free exchange of information reducing the world to global village. Social sites such as facebook and tweeter is slowly taking away humanity .People are facebooking strangers throughout the world with no time left to go and pay a visit to real friends or relatives but they would rather prefer calling or emailing them. Digital TV gives better quality watch as you can trace what was watched and when’. Monitoring tools such as global position systems can be used during rescue mission when one is abducted or missing but the same tool can be used by evil minds to oppress and control opponents or subjects e.g. they can tap phone lines, hack the emails and check credit card statements, Most feared is the nuclear technology in modern society. It has many applications mostly as nuclear energy, medicine and weapons. Nuclear weapon is of mass destruction, has incredible power to destroy, flatten buildings and kill. During World War II two cities in Japan were leveled and many Japanese killed. Given holistic view it helped in ending the gravious World War II, though killed people but prevented further loss of life. The need to protect society has really enhanced the technological abilities of governments more so when going to war or gathering intelligence e.g. the manufacturing of war planes such as the B2 bomber.
References.
ScienceDirect ‘Technology and society’ retrieved from (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160791X02000040).
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, technology retrieved from (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology).
