Impacts of Technology on Our Society - Essay Example

? Impacts of Technology on Our Society Impacts of Technology on Our Society Introduction Technology influences almost all aspects of human life and it continues to grow and develop every day. In this way, society depends on technology to perform daily activities and fulfil various needs and this means the demand keeps on rising. Technology has come a long way from the olden days when people did things manually but today, it is part and parcel of life. From the large computers that took up a lot of space to notepads that fit in the palm of the hand, technology has grown faster, smaller and it is easily accessible with time (Burk, 2006). People today, depend on technology in communication, transport, education, business, social interactions, and many other parts of human life. This is because technology advances assist people to live easier, connect easily, produce faster, and live in a global community. In many ways, technology has impacted positively many aspects of human lives but it also has negative effects that need to be addressed (Mangold & Faulds, 2009). Impact of Technology on Communication Communication has greatly changed society from ancient days when people depended on face-to-face communication to connect with each other. This method of communication was limited and consumed a lot of time to send a message from one person to another. However, today with the innovation of things like cell phones, email, webcam, radio, television, and the internet, communication has become easier and faster. It is possible to communicate with people across the world through webcam at a fast rate and get instant response. This technology advancement has enabled communication to enhance and make it easier for people to access one another. This technology also enables people to exchange ideas faster and efficiently which is used to develop our society. For instance, a person in United Kingdom can communicate with another in Africa to offer a business idea that the person can use enhance one’s economic situation (Woolgar, 2002). Essentially, email and other forms of modern communication allow fast, efficient, uninterrupted, and in many instances correct information to be transmitted in a matter of seconds. This fast connection through technology has enabled the world to be a tight nit community where people can connect instantly (Woolgar, 2002). Communication is a basic and fundamental part of life and technology has ensured its efficiency to support human interactions. People across the world can now become more educated, more informed, and adopt ideas from others that change our society. Today, sending and receiving information is through a touch of a button and this has created an opportunity for people to become more united (Mangold & Faulds, 2009). Impact of Technology on Transport In essence, the growth of technology has also influenced greatly the development and expansion within the transport sector. In the olden day, animal carts and walking was the most efficient way that was available to move from one place to another. The development of the automobiles came into being which increased the speed for people to travel around. Transport is an important aspect of human life to move goods, people, and other resources for economic and social gain. Today, through technology the mode of transport has become faster, easier and effortlessly accessible to people. The development of airplanes and electric trains enables people to move from one place to another easily while saving time (Banister & Stead, 2004). In Britain, people travel from one constituency to another while going to their workplaces, and this is made easier by electric trains or air travel and this enables people to get jobs far from their residential places and still work comfortable without any problems. In this way, technology in the transport sector has improved travel arrangements and economic conditions for many countries. In reality, the road, air, and water transport have enabled the development of transport infrastructure creating better environment for businesses to grow. Airplanes have high-tech airports that allow thousands of people to get employment while road network ensures that people reach their workplaces without hitches. In this way, technology has enhanced the transport system for the betterment of society and growth of economic activities (Banister & Stead, 2004). Impacts of Technology on Agriculture Another area of our society that technology affects greatly is the agriculture sector, which is the backbone of food supply. Modern agriculture allows food to be grown by less people in large quantities and harvested within a short duration of time. This is because of technology and government support to ensure that farmers get better yields to feed the large population. The advancement of technology in agriculture has led to the development of genetic crops that grow extremely fast and they are mostly resistant to diseases as well as pest. There are also artificial fertilizers to enhance the soil viability to enable the crops to grow faster (Phipps & Park, 2002). In reality, developed countries like the United States depend on genetically modified crops, which grow fast with high rate of success to feed the large population. It would be difficult to feed the huge population in the world without such crops and therefore, this advancement on agriculture has enabled food availability at all times. In addition, countries in dry area like Egypt use technology to feed the population. This means use of water pumps and sprinklers to direct water from available rivers to the farms while this procedure saves time and generates enough food for the population. For instance, Egypt is a country lying on the desert but uses water from River Nile to generate sufficient food for the entire nation (Huang, Pray & Rozelle, 2002). Technology and Business Technology has impacted our lives in the area of business, advertising and even entertainment. In reality, many businesses today are able to reach their client base anywhere across the world because of technology. The internet is a vast location for businesses to engage in advertising and marketing their products to customers across the world. In addition, websites like Amazon allow businesses to sell their products to customer and even offer shipping serves to those oversees (Pae & Hyun, 2002). Major business enterprises do not even have to be run through a physical office because of the presence of virtual offices. Managers make use of technology like video conferencing to brief their employees on various issues. Many people today, use the internet as a market place to buy and sell goods that they please regardless of their location (Honeycutt, 2005). The business world has been transformed positively by technological advances such that the customer base has widened and a chance to improve on returns. The World Wide Web is the best method that most businesses adopt to attract customers with their various designs and products. For instance, a person can easily buy a laptop or mobile phone online without visiting an actual shopping mall or area. Companies like airlines let customers cut tickets online to make it easier for them to access these services. In the fast growing world of business, the use of technology is crucial for successful access to customers and clients in any corner of the world (Honeycutt, 2005). Impacts of Technology on Education The aspect of education has improved with technology because of accessibility and availability of various educational systems or resources. Education is the backbone of any enlightened economy and a structured educational infrastructure is crucial. In most modern societies, technology is also included in the education system using things like whiteboards, laptops, computers, projectors, and the internet. These facilities are incorporated in the classrooms to enable students to learn better using visual items that allow them to understand better. These tools of technology enhance student morale and understanding of most basic things in a style that young people are mainly accustomed to. In reality, computer and information technology is a centre stage for most courses in schools because they enlighten students on the value of technology (Wang, 2005). In addition, our society benefits from technological advancements of distance learning which is introduced in many educational systems. Distance learning enables students to enrol for courses regardless of their location and learn online through a virtual tutor. This process of education enables many people who do not have time to attend a physical school because of other engagements to benefit from the fruits of education. Technology also enables students to access educational material online without having to go search in a physical library. In essence, the internet has endless educational material that saves students when doing assignments and tuitions online. Technology has therefore, improved the education system and many students can longer fail to do their assignments when books in the library are all taken by others (Wang, 2005). Technology Impacts on Health Technology advancement has played a critical role in the field of medicine or healthcare system. In reality, modern technology in medicine has generated new medical machines, and even improved treatments like acupuncture that save lives. It is evident that today, the use of electronic medical records is influential, bio-medical engineering and other forms of health care improvements enhance how patients get assistance. For instance, the adopting and use of electronic health records has enabled saving on health care costs while at the same time ensuring the safety of patients (Shekelle, Morton & Keeler, 2006). It is evident today that health care systems are storing patient files in databases that can be accessed from any location or facility. This ensures time is saved, improved management of records, and patient record can be retrieved in whichever health facility they visit. Additionally, technological advancement in health care facilities non-invasive procedures that is better and comfortable. For instance, cancer screening can be done without having to perform surgery that removes tissues in the body for testing. This makes diagnosis of illnesses easier and accurate specifically after the development of nuclear medicine (Bates & Gawande, 2003). Numerous imaging procedures in health care allow practitioners to analyse the anatomy of a patient to get a diagnosis. Today, these procedures are rampant in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery to enhance patient safety and comfort. In this way, technology in medicine is a large step that has great benefits for both health facilities and patients at large. This is due to the coordination of services and easy access of medical information within the health facilities or even over the internet. There many medical professionals and researchers that put information regarding various health concerns online and people across the world access them easily. In this way, health care is everywhere and assistant can be found easily since medical professionals put their contacts online (Bates & Gawande, 2003). Negative Impacts of Technology on the Society There are many positive impacts that technology has created in our society today however, there are negative effects it brings. For instance, the social systems have been destructed by advancement in mobile phones, web cam, and social networking sites. This is because people mainly spend hours and days on the computer instead on focusing on things that add more value in life. There is evidence that many young people get addicted to mobile phones or social sites since they feel they are interacting with peers. In reality, this technology has reduced physical or face-to-face interaction that people need to create strong relationships. Children who get addicted to internet games do not have time to play with their friends and therefore, inactivity is common. This is hurting the society because children grow up without learning efficient methods of starting a conversation with others on a face-to-face level (Papacharissi, 2010). Our society is also facing depletion of resources as technology is growing faster and becoming easily accessible. The manufacturing industries of phones and computers are producing thousands of pieces to satisfy the demand of a billion customers across the globe. This large amount of computers or technological devices being produced is straining the earth’s natural resources such as aluminium since they are retrieved from the earth plates. These resources developed in a billion years and therefore, when they are removed they are not likely to return. This revelation means that with time it may be possible that the most valuable resources on earth would not be available anymore (Hansen, et al, 2000). The other major problem with technological advancement is increase in pollution of our environment. The rise in technological innovation means that many industries have also emerged and they release gases into the atmosphere. These gases like carbon dioxide affect the environment and today, most developed countries like Britain are facing threats of global warming. The more technology grows is the same way it continues to harm the environment that we live and hope to secure. In addition, technologically improved fertilizers also deplete the soil since they contain harmful chemicals. These chemicals may become concentrated in the soil and in future, they may result in crop failure or harm the human population. In reality, there is a serious threat of pollution as a result of technological advances and drastic measures need to be secured to avoid further damage (Hansen, et al, 2000). Conclusion It is evident that technological advancement has great impacts on our society depending on how it is used. Many areas of human life totally depend on technology including social, communication, education, health, business, and agriculture among others. In reality today, the world is controlled by fast communication devices that enable fast interaction and spread of information. These communication devices also enhance transport system that allows the economic development of the society. The world population depends on technology as a tool of growing enough crops to support life while education systems use technology to attract more students. Additionally, technology is largely used in health care to get correct diagnosis using new equipment that can non-invisibly access human anatomy. However, despite the many advantages of technology in our society, there are also negative impacts it brings. For instance, equipment like phone and social media are addictive to many young people reducing the amount of face-to-face interaction. The rise of many industries causes pollution while the natural resources are depleted to manufacture these technological devices. References Burk, R. (2006). Impact of Technology. New Directions in Reference, 93, 73. Banister, D., & Stead, D. (2004). Impact of information and communications technology on transport. Transport Reviews, 24(5), 611-632. Bates, D. W., & Gawande, A. A. (2003). Improving safety with information technology. 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