Does Technology Improve Our Lives or Just Complicate It - Assignment Example

Running Head: TECHNOLOGY IMPROVING LIFE OR COMPLICATING THEM? Technology Improving Life Or Complicating Them? Submitted by: XXXXXXXX Number: XXXXXXX Tutor’s Name: XXXXXXXX University of XXXXXXXX Date of Submission: XX – XX – 2010 Introduction: Technological developments have been immense over the years in all sectors. There are a number of advantages and disadvantages. Technology can be a rather empowering at times but often can also be very frustrating. The computer related technology is becoming one a very important part of the society, and the usage of these technologies has increased a lot over the past few years. With the introduction of Internet there has been a great improvement in the over all lives of many. Internet has infiltrated almost every aspect of life, making it a necessity rather than a luxury. In a survey conducted by International Business Machines (IBM), it has been reported that over 60 percent of the people surveyed used Internet for personal purposes for an average of 6 to 7 hours compared to only 3 to 4 hours of television viewing (Helm, 2007). This paper aims at discussing the impact of technology on people and whether technology has positively impacted the lives and improved life or has had a negative impact and has complicated life. The first section will discuss the increasing influence of technology. Influence of Technology: Unlike the traditional media the internet has provided audience with a very different approach in a variety of fields. It has combined one or more of the traditional media and provides the end user with more than just information. Along with being personalized and interactive, the Internet has facilitated a variety of things like it provides information, advertisements, entertainment, shopping, news, social interaction and also acts as a mode of communication. The internet has become extremely famous and useful due to the low costs in a number of ways like transmission of information and a wider reach to a larger audience, etc (Martin and Leckenby, 2008). Considering the use of technology in our daily lives, it is seen that some of the simplest tasks that we do each day is based on technology. Technology takes up a major part of our lives each day and the use of technology is much more in the daily lives than people realize. Technology has to a great extent been taken for granted in the lives of the majority of people across the world. Technology has taken up a very big place in every field. This is the case for education as well. Considering the difference in technology since the arrival of the digital computers, the difference has been immense. Technology has been used in numerous ways in the field of education. The different computer aids that are available for students in the current situation are very vast and diverse. The society and the surroundings have largely been impacted by the use of technology and in some cases the implementation of technology has allowed the economies to develop. There have been a number of debates that have been presented by experts regarding the present and future of technology and the impact on society. Types of Technology Users: A recent study by Pew Internet regarding the users of technology has divided the population into a few segments and discusses their takes on technology. The study shows how different people use technology in different manners, where a few use technologies to simply get through life in a simpler method while other use gadgets modestly and find the use of technology as a burden rather than a blessing. The table below provides an insight into the various groups and their usage of information and communication technology. Groups of Information and Communication Technology Users (PEW Internet, 2010) The above table clearly highlights the different views of people and the different approaches to use of technology. As Mike Leven (the founder and ex chairman of US Franchise System, Inc.), recognized as an industry icon once at a Strategic Conference on Hospitality Operations and Technology told a story which highlighted that how people who don’t understand technology or its potential can be terrified of using it! Technology as a Life Changer: Technology provides a number of opportunities including life changing in a number of cases. A simple example is of ‘David after Dentist’, a simple home video which was taken of a child and posted on You - Tube (You Tube, 2010). The video is rated to be the highest watched videos and has around 8 million views. The owner of the video used this to start up an online business and has been able to get sell the ‘David after Dentist’ aka. ‘D – A – D’s t – shirts and goodies on the internet. The family has been able to earn enough to send their child (David) to university and have also been able to contribute quite a bit of the sum to charity as well (D-A-D, 2010). This is one of the best examples that can be considered for the use of technology. A simple home video which turned out to be a major income generator for the family is all thanks to the use of technology. Personal Views on Technology: Based on the above table, the author falls into 7% of the total American Population and can be classified as a ‘Connector’. Technology has a major impact on the lives of all people across the world and has not only helped in making communication simpler but also in many ways has improved the quality of life. Yes, there is not arguing that technology can be very annoying at times and can impact the overall working of a person. ‘Too much of anything is very bad’ and hence there clearly needs to be a balance between the uses of technology. As seen in an article by Jay Matthews, there is a straight forward formula that can be used to understand the importance of technology. Matthews explains, “The equation is very simple, and its our choice how we use this to our advantage: B = S + E – C, where the technology benefit (B) comes from simplification (S) and efficiency (E) minus the additional complication (C)” (Matthew, 2006). It is important to realize that technology is basically developed for life lives to be easier and to assist the people live a little comfortable life in the current world of rush and over exertion. It is true that the times where cars and high level technology was not available and people still found it simple to live life, however, in an information age like the present, it is essential that technology is present to assist in basic daily duties. Conclusion: Based on the discussion above as well as personal experience, I feel that technology improves our lives because it reduces so many factors which are not very productive and can be done in simpler and faster methods. As long as a person knows what they are doing with technology, it helps and improves life. Use of technology as an assistance is basically using technology to help in daily work to help complete tasks easily and effectively, however misuse of technology is to make technology the crux of life and to focus solely on technology. An example of this is where a child uses the PS3 or PSP to play games like soccer rather than moving out and playing the actual game. Once people loss control and becomes addicts to technology, then it is a matter to worry about and to be concerned about. However, keeping a balance between the use of technology as assistance in daily lives, and that of misusing technology is essential. Hence to conclude, technology is in fact a medium to improve the lives of people and less to complicate the lives. References D-A-D. (2010). How It Happened. Retrieved April 26, 2010, from http://davidafterdentist.com/how-it-happened/ Helm, C. (2007). IBM consumer Survey shows decline of TV as primary media device. Retrieved April 24, 2010, from http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/22206.wss Martin, W., & Leckenby, J. (2008). New Media Development: The Internet vs. Traditional Media. Retrieved April 24, 2010, from http://www.ciadvertising.org/studies/reports/presentation/AAA_mediacomparison3/sld001.htm Matthew, J. (2006, January 06). Does Technology Improve Our Lives or Just Complicate It? Retrieved April 26, 2010, from Macs to the Max: http://lowendmac.com/jay/06/0601.html PEW Internet. (2010). A Portrait of Information Technology Adoption . Retrieved April 26, 2010, from http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2007/A-Typology-of-Information-and-Communication-Technology-Users/3-A-Portrait-of-Information-Technology-Adoption/4-Americans-sort-into-ten-distinct-groups.aspx?r=1 You Tube. (2010). David After Dentist . Retrieved April 26, 2010, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mor1dL9YDb0 Read More