The 21st century has brought many improvements in the field of technology that have made people’s lives easier. In main domains, such as education, health and economic opportunity, technology has contributed a great deal, so to improve. However, like many things in life, every coin has two sides. Therefore, technology has also brought some problems to society.
Negative effects of Technology in the Society
The greatest advancement during the last decades is the internet, and how it has evolved in time. Despite the fact that the digital world, and technology in general have brought people together, making communication much easier than before, it has also alienated them. It seems that the most advanced technology becomes, the more people lose control over their lives. It seems that people do practically everything online: work, play, love, and communicate (Siegel). People now spend more time online than any other time of the past, and according to Siegel (2008), when an individual preoccupies their mind in front of a computer screen for long, their mind stops “thinking”, meaning evolving/developing (64).
The internet makes people deviate from social behaviours that are considered normal. For example, people used to hang out and meet in cafes, to have a chat and interact with one another. Now, the internet world provides them with all the comforts they need to have interaction with another individual, yet deprives them of the chance to engage socially with other people. In a very short time frame, the internet has managed to change almost every part of human experience (Siegel). For example, if people lived far away from one another, they would write letters; and, get a newspaper, if they wanted to read the latest news. This has all changed now.
Almost everything around people seems to be assimilated into technology. The entire Earth’s map is documented by Google Earth; people submit their tax reports online; they shop over the internet; read their books on Kindle; chat with friends in chat rooms; and, make their own movies at home, using a Windows Movie Maker. It appears as if technologists are trying to turn people and everything surrounding them into peripherals that are directly connected with the Cloud Computing.
Technology has managed to make people think that they are dependent on technology to catch up with times. For instance, taking a look at ads that most times urge people to purchase the latest gadget, or create the need to upgrade the software or any other gadget someone has previously bought. The necessity to be connected to the digital world is rapidly increasing and so does the need to be part of the social media, to be considered interesting and updated. Just a few years ago, in 2009, only 13 percent of the older internet users, meaning those above the age of 65, were involved in social networking sites (Duggan and Smith). Now, more than 43 percent of people belonging in that age group use the social media and social networks (Duggan and Smith). However, the true question that arises is whether people actually take their lives where they want to go, or if they live mostly in their heads, rather than enjoying life at its most.
With the technology, personal contact is becoming scarce, and life is getting more technology-dependent than ever before. Societies are extremely work-driven places where people try to fit as much as humanly possible within a day. With such rapid and stressful daily rhythms, there could come negative psychological effects, too. For example, people are becoming more and more dependent on technology to meet their daily objectives, at the expense of having some quality time for themselves, or with family and friends. Also, it is amazing to see young people hanging around and spending their entire time together checking their cell phones for messages, or their Facebook profile for updates, until they eventually get back to their homes, after having said only a word or two with other people.
Technology has made everything way too easy for people. Although this could be a benefit, it has made people lethargic. They do not have to try hard to become something they desire. If one makes a big impression in the digital world, then he/she is popular. It is as simple as that for the ones that want to become an internet phenomenon. What one has to do to become popular is to be the one with the most heart-breaking story, or the cruellest, or the funniest, or anything else, just taken to the extremes. People do not have a choice. Things are clear, and it is a one-way road. As Siegel (2008) said, “The internet’s premium on popularity as the sole criterion of success gives the lie to its claims of ‘choice,’ ‘access,’ and increased opportunity for individual expression” (98). So, technology is used so to fulfil personal desires or the desires of other people, and have the lion’s share on popularity and success.
Positive Effects of Technology in the Society
Technology can be a powerful tool to motivate ad engage students. And, if a student is engaged, learning is made easier. If educators manage to connect students with real life situations, they become even more engaged and interested in learning, plus technology sharpens important skills such as communication, problem solving, and scientific analysis skills (Salpeter). Also, students’ writing fluency seems to have improved ever since technology has entered education. For example, when students would use word processing, they would write more per minute, and their vocabulary would become more “descriptive in the types and numbers of different words that they used” (Salpeter). Moreover, with technology education, students realized the value of working with other peers, and developed more positive attitudes towards other students (Stables). Furthermore, with the introduction of mobile devices, interactive whiteboards, online study tools, and podcasts, among others, learning is so much fun.
Other than that, with technology, academics have also benefited. Any emerging practice in their professional field can be instantly reviewed; hence educators can become more competent and knowledgeable. That way, the lessons they teach become more interesting and conducted in a different, more engaging, way. The more educated are the people of a country, the better potentials the country has to develop even further.
Technology makes people more skilled in their workplace. With so many lessons and courses running online, everybody has a chance to sharpen a skill, learn a new one, or add up to the existing ones. Employers can also conduct online seminars to train their employees that are far away. That way, a country’s work force, becomes more productive and people’s capacities to work, as well as their opportunities at work, provide a valuable platform for people to get more satisfaction at work and more creativity (International Labour Office). If a country’s workforce is highly skilled, growth is more possible than ever. It is also believed that a country’s economic growth is dependent on education, productivity, and skills (International Labour Office). And, if a country is prosperous, its citizens live in well-functioning societies.
Communication is another field where technology has benefited societies. People used to rely on letters and the phone to communicate with other people that were living far away. Today, technology has helped connect people that are miles apart. With Skype and other applications, where video-calls are available, people see each other, and it feels so real, as if they had a chat over a cup of coffee. Technology can never replace human contact; however, it is the closest available tool people that are separated by distance have nowadays.
Another great benefit comes from medical technology. With the use of tools provided to people by technology, human lives are saved on a daily basis. People can now live healthier than a few decades ago. Those chronically ill and disabled have a normal, or almost normal life. For example, people dying from cardiac attacks stand a greater chance to keep their arteries open and live longer, with the use of coronary stents (Euromed). Also, those at risk of experiencing a sudden heart death can benefit from an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator and have 98 percent of a chance to survive after a heart attack (Euromed). Also, people that suffer from diabetes can use specified glucose monitoring technologies so they can monitor their glucose levels more efficiently than before (Euromed). What is more, hospital stays have also been reduced ever since the introduction of medical technology. Finally, medical technology has provided people with medical problems, such as arthritis, to enjoy life and return to their daily routine at much faster paces than a few decades ago (Euromed). And these are just a few of the situations where medical technology can benefit societies.
Conclusion
Modern technologies are a two-sided coin, and like a double-edged sword, they can create problems or benefit societies. Unquestionably, there are significant advantages in using technology nowadays. People that are far away from one another can be brought closer, with enhanced communication means. Students are more motivated and engaged in learning now, than a decade or so ago That way, learning and teaching is more fun and enjoyable than ever before. Besides, people can become more productive and competent in the workplace, because they can have acute and updated skills while employers can train their staff quickly and effectively, regardless of the distance between them. With three of the most important factors that can foretell a country’s prosperity –education, productivity, and skills- people can have better lives by reaping the benefits of technology. But, societies do not only comprise of happier people with the help of technology, but healthier, too, since medical technology has helped people to live longer and the closest to a normal life than ever before.
However, technology could backfire on us. Depending on the use, people can become alienated from one another, and be living according to the demands of technology and what is passed on to them through the technological means. Moreover, if technology is not utilized properly, it can turn people away from communicating with other people and care only about how to fit as many tasks in a day as possible. With no hobbies and no personal contact with other people, the world could become a very hostile place, where the only thing people would “live” will be the life inside their heads.
Works Cited:
Euromed (n.d). “How does medical technology benefit people?” Web. March, 18 2014 < http://www.eucomed.org/medical-technology/value-benefits>
International Labour Office (2010). “A Skilled Workforce for Strong, Sustainable and Balanced Growth”. ISBN 978-92-2-124278-9.
Duggan, Maeve and Smith, Aaron (2013). “Social Media Update 2013”. Pew Research. Web. March 18, 2014 <http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/12/30/social-media-update-2013/>
Salpeter, Judy. "How Can Technology Benefit Our Students?" Benefits of Technology. 1999. Web. 18 March, 2014 <http://www.k12.hi.us/~teono/teri/benefits_of_technology.htm>
Stables, Kay (1997). “Critical Issues to Consider When Introducing Technology Education into the Curriculum of Young Learners”. Journal of Technology Education. Vol.8, nr 2.
Siegel, Lee (2008). “Against the Machine: Being Human in the Age of the Electronic Mob”. Siegel and Grau Publications. United States. ISBN-10: 0385522657
