Technologys Positive and Negative Impacts on Society - Example

Student Name Professor Subject DD/MM/YY Technology’s Positive and Negative Impacts on Society If we look back during the times when man wore animal skins for clothing and used dull axes to hunt and lived in caves, I’m sure we can only shake our heads and wonder at how fast times have changed. From the animal skins, we now have clothing made from the finest fabrics; from axes, we have rifles and knives and sophisticated weapons for survival; from caves, we now live in mansions and bungalows in suburban areas. Man himself and his constant search for things that would make life easier are responsible for these changes. His discovery of science and its applications brought us many wonders that would not stop anytime now. Technological advancements have great impact on our society. Without these advancements, we would still be living like cavemen. Thus, it is important to study and analyze the impact technology has on our society. According to Clarke, technology affects individuals and the society in many ways. Some areas where technology has an impact are the following: pricing, equity of access to information, electronic freedoms, consumer rights, privacy and regulation. Clarke added that there should be equity of access to information and to the infrastructure where information is accessed. At the time-being, the World Wide Web (WWW) and the Internet are available and accessible to everyone at a relatively low cost. But there have been speculations as to whether this will remain the same for the next years to come. There were also questions whether the information infrastructure will be available to everyone or to particular classes of people. Another impact involves pricing, especially on information that the government gathers and makes available. This relates to statistical collections, statutes and court judgments, spatial information and copyright (Clarke). Electronic freedoms are another impact of technology. What this implies is that every person has the same rights in the cyber world as they have in the real world. Moreover, this means that unconcerned people are not allowed to listen to conversations of two persons or more. But this will prove difficult for the law enforcement and national security agencies in preventing crimes and terrorist groups. Another concern is the impact on consumer rights. Questions arise about the laws which should protect consumers’ intellectual property in software and materials that they sell, distribute or produce using the information infrastructure. Clarke stated that the government must make sure that they protect public interest while at the same time maintaining the open, free and self-regulatory nature of the Internet. Privacy, meanwhile, has been an issue ever since Internet was discovered. This was because everything a person does online can be monitored and recorded. It is hard to maintain privacy. There are postings that other people can read and transactions that others can keep track of. Moreover, privacy is compromised due to hacking. Personal information becomes available for anyone who knows how to hack databases and private sites. Clarke mentioned that technology’s impact on privacy is more theoretical than real. He added that agencies such as government and commercial have data surveillance. They become interested about the information from the behaviour of individuals who use the Internet. While the Internet was developed for sharing information and aid communication among research institutes, universities and offices, many have become addicted to it because any one can produce, store and disseminate information. Because of the excessive use of computers and the Internet, this resulted to a condition that resembles autism in humans (The Impact of Internet). Regulation of the information infrastructure also received a lot of attention lately. Due to the nature of materials posted on the Internet, such as sexually explicit materials, regulation should be done to protect the consumers. Possession, reproduction and distribution of these materials should be illegal. However, due to difficulties in controlling the vast amount of information available online, there are still risks. One example is the instructions on how to make homemade bombs, or how to perform terrorist acts, or how to commit suicide. These reasons alone should be enough for the government to exercise some form of regulation over the contents in the Internet. We should also look at the impacts of technology in our community. Impacts can be seen in the emergence of electronic communities and changes within existing communities. However, we must recognize the negative impacts technology has on these two areas. Since information technology applications deliver most of what a person needs at either a workstation or playstation, he does not need to get up and walk around. This is unfavourable because it diminishes one’s direct interaction with another, which is the foundation of existing communities. Another negative impact to consider is the fact that the need for humans to work is reduced. This was brought about by the white-collar work that information technology brings. As a result, self-respect, people’s commitment to themselves, to their community and to their society is compromised. It is also important to look into the impact of computers in our society. This is because, according to Liffick, computers have been very useful in many areas, such as computers in medicine and military. Moreover, computers have been at the forefront of some situations that used to be impossible to achieve, such as space flight. Computer technology has become so important in space flight, and also in other applications. Liffick added that other technologies may have similar impacts as with the computer. However, computer technology “has greatly amplified their effects to the point of entirely overshadowing any previous technology’s impact.” Liffick also made it clear that the term computer technology includes other devices controlled by a basic computer. Microwave ovens, modern telephones, CAT scanners, VCRs and supermarket scanners and so on are included. With the emergence of these computer-assisted technologies, people are becoming too dependent on them. This is one of the negative impacts of technology. Shoff stated that it will continue to affect us negatively in our minds, our interactions with other people and advancement as a society. He added that the negative impact of technology is evident in that it allowed us to be “more casual” in our daily interactions with people. This means that we no longer give importance to meeting our friends or relatives in person when we want to chat with them. Sometimes, we don’t even need to talk to them or look at them. Through a computer or cell phone, we just have to type a few letters and click “Send.” This is the case with Electronic mail, or E-mail. Many became addicted to its use because it facilitates faster communication. However, people use it to avoid contact with others. We have to remember that communication through e-mails does not facilitate human touch. It may arrive to the point when gestures, body language and other essential ingredients of communication become entirely lost to humans (The Impact of Internet). This just shows that instead of bringing us together, technology is pushing us apart. This should not be the case because humans are social creatures. We need the presence of other people and to have physical contact to satisfy our needs. However, technology just seems to “separate and sterilize” us from others (Shoff). Although the quantity of our interactions with others increases, their quality decreases. Shoff furthered that technology is slowly disconnecting us from others, and we become just screen names. Furthermore, the article The Impact of Internet stated that the emergence of technology has made people retreat from the society. One example is the fact that now people can do their work at home, away from the rest of the world; conduct business and shop through online stores (web shopping) and study away from their classrooms. A time may come when we become a society where we have a synthetic connection with others in the world. Another negative impact that Shoff mentioned is that technology has substituted our natural behaviours with artificial substitutions. Since technology makes our life easier, we no longer have to gather our own food. What with the fast food and restaurants, we just have to click a few numbers and order. Other people even prepare them for us. What’s more, we have cars to take us everywhere, and we can go online if we want to purchase something and if we don’t want to go to malls. We want to modernize our lives. We want replacements for the activities which we used to do. Now people have more time watching television, playing video games and making more money. These do not provide mental stimulation, thus we depend too much on medications such as antidepressants. This is the result of believing that faster is better. Shoff also mentioned about Charles Darwin’s natural selection. Technology ha enabled humans to live longer. Although there is nothing wrong with that, it affects the natural selection process. This is perhaps because medicine changed the most basic principle of natural selection, which is the “Survival of the Fittest.” Technology made way for us to live longer and reproduce. Shoff commented that this “pollutes the gene pool with weaker genetic material.” According to Crow and Sarewitz (97), the rise of technological innovations and their impact on societal transformation have brought three observations. First, the impact of technological innovation in people’s lives is not consensual. Second, social changes that new technologies bring create winners and losers. Crow and Sarewitz (97) stated that what is lost can range from a job to an entire community. Third, speedy technological change can be harmful to the economic stability, social structure and spiritual meaning that people want to achieve. A further look into the impacts of technology in our society will show us that it affects society’s values, ethics, lifestyle, and institutions and groups. Technology affects values by changing realities and expectations. It makes people want for more durability or convenience, or for something that is safer, smaller and easier to use (WGBH Educational Foundation). Technology also affects ethics in several ways. First, it challenges traditional ethical norms. This is because technology has an impact on the relationships between individuals. Second, technology creates collective effects. Although the harmful effects of technology are small, they are usually cumulative. Third, technology changes the distribution of justice. This means that those who have technology have more access to justice systems, or vice versa. Lastly, technology equals power. Those who have technology have more power than those without. For instance, Bill Gates became powerful and influential in human affairs mainly due to his implementation of computer technology. Technology also affects people’s lifestyles. As was mentioned above, technology makes our life easier. Through the many technological innovations within reach, we can complete tasks in less time with less energy. Although technology simplifies life, it also complicates life. Although technology presents countless benefits for the individual and the whole society, we should be aware of the negative impacts and effects and the threats that are brought about by excessive dependence on such technology. On the other hand, people can maximize the benefits they can get from the technological advancements. We should not forget that it is still more important to see our friends face-to-face even for a short conversation than a lengthy email. Technology should not control us. Works Cited Clarke, Roger. Information Technology Impacts. The Australian National University and Roger Clarke. 18 May 1996. The Australian National University. 10 Jan. 2008. . Crow, Michael M. & Sarewitz, Daniel. “Nanotechnology and Societal Tranformation.” Technology’s Impact on Society. National Science and technology Council Workshop on Societal Implications of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, 28-29 Sept. 2000. “The Impact of Internet on Society.” 10 Jan. 2008 . “The Impact of Technology: Society.” 2002-2007. WGBH Educational Foundation. 10 Jan. 2008 . Liffick, Blaise W. Social Impact Characteristics of Computer Technology. 28-30 Mar. 1995. De Montfort University. 10 Jan. 2008. . Shoff, Brian. The Impact of Technology on Society. 10 Jan. 2008 . Read More