Impacts of Technology on Society - Essay Example

English

Impacts of Technology on Society

Human life has cyclical relationship with technology. Technology is in application in daily day life. With each day that passes, human needs tend to necessitate technology and its improvement. People have advanced technology for use in transport, entertainment, communication, learning, healthcare, sports and for general comfort. People apply technology differently. While the majority may use it to meet certain needs in society, others manipulate it for selfish personal interests that may cause harm to themselves as well as others. Technology keeps on developing and improving and it will continue affecting lives. It could be a threat or an asset to society. That all depends on its application. Throughout history, technology has and continues to affect society both positively and negatively. It has made it possible to overcome many challenges such as the obstacles of time and space. It has also changed the social landscape and continues to dictate socialization in the modern era. The impacts of technology on society, both positive and negative, depend on the application of technology by individuals and institutions.

Agriculture

Different aspects of technology affect society differently. Technology has affected different sectors including business, agriculture, education, transport, communication, health and even security. In agriculture, technology has led to the mechanization of the sector. With modern technology in agriculture, a fewer number of people are now able to grow large quantities of crop with less inputs. Machines are taking over functions such as ploughing, watering, sowing and even harvesting. Work that required a lot of effort initially now only requires handling of the machines to accomplish. Technology is also responsible for genetic crops that have the ability to grow fast and resist pests and diseases. Farmers are also able to use irrigation technology to grow crops even in dry conditions. Sprinklers and advanced water pumps come in handy when carrying out irrigation in farming. Other applications of technology in agriculture involve precision technologies such as GPS soil and yield mapping, tractor guiding systems and variable-rate input applications (Schimmelpfennig, 2016). Such technologies have boosted productivity as well as profits in the agriculture sector. Therefore, technology has affected how people go about producing crops efficiently with minimum effort, increasing production and profitability.

Transportation

People need to move about in their pursuit of various goals and needs. For some, movement allows them to meet other people or be with friends and family. For others, it helps them carry out business. Advancements in technology continue to make transportation easier and faster. That solves the problem of time and space. By providing mobility of goods and people, technology has aided the functioning of society. Society needs transportation for many reasons. There is the need for communication as well as the need for commodities and services. Through transport, people are able to transfer information as well as goods. The transport system also makes it possible for people to move about to provide services to those that need them. Technology continues to aid the improvement of air, rail and water transport. There are continuous improvements on vehicles and vessels that are used for transport. From control to operation, technology plays a big role in the functioning and safety of transport systems.

Communication

Developments in technology have enhanced communication. That has made it easy for people to communicate effectively even over long distances. It has therefore helped maintain and strengthen relationships. Constant communication keeps people connected and in contact even when they are physically worlds apart. Technology, through communication, has also enable people create new connections to serve different interests. People are now able to link with others from different countries and do business with them even without ever meeting (Human Kinetics, 2010). It has thus made it easier to carry out business as well as rally people for a common cause. While technology may have revolutionized communication and made it easy for people to create, maintain and strengthen relationships, it has also had a negative impact on relationships. The use of technology has also led to increased distraction and stress among the users. It is distractive in that some people may end up spending more time on it rather than doing something constructive with the time. For instance, social media has had a very telling influence on people. Studies indicate that more and more people are spending more time on social media than on other constructive activities. For instance, some studies indicate that about 85% of undergraduate students use social networking sites (Human Kinetics, 2010). A big percentage of this group also use the sites on a daily basis. While the sites help people reconnect with friends and family, they also have a down side. Excessive use could lead to addiction, which could lead to people wasting time on the social sides. It also affects their other aspects of life such as studies or even work. Too much participation in such social networking sites may take a toll on their studies and work. Their performance may eventually start deteriorating. Another effect of social networking sites is narcissism. Social media tends to encourage people to take an excessive interest in their appearance. It creates perceptions that they ought to look perfect at all times. Rather than build meaningful relationships, people end up focusing on building their popularity. It encourages them to spend a lot of time polishing their looks for social media. A PEW Research Survey indicates that girls may be more prone to narcissism compared to boys. That is evident by their dominant use of the visually oriented social media platform. The study shows that 61% of girls use Instagram compared to 44% of boys. Snapchat usage is at 51% girls and 31% boys while 23% of girls use Tumblr compared to only 5% of boys (Lenhart, 2015).

Social Media Usage among Teenage Students According to PEW Research (February 2015)

Percentage of U.S. Adults Using Each Social Media Platform (PEW Research)

Facebook

Instagram

Pinterest

LinkedIn

Twitter

Total

68%

28%

26%

25%

21%

Men

67%

23%

15%

28%

21%

Women

69%

32%

38%

23%

21%

Ages 18-29

88%

59%

36%

34%

36%

30-49

79%

31%

32%

31%

22%

50-64

61%

13%

24%

21%

18%

65+

36%

5%

9%

11%

6%

High school or less

56%

19%

18%

9%

14%

Some college

77%

35%

31%

25%

24%

College graduate

77%

32%

33%

49%

28%

Less than $30,000

65%

29%

23%

16%

18%

$30,000-$49,999

68%

27%

27%

11%

16%

$50,000-$74,999

70%

30%

29%

30%

26%

$75,000+

76%

30%

34%

45%

30%

Urban

70%

34%

26%

29%

22%

Suburban

68%

24%

29%

26%

21%

Rural

65%

25%

20%

15%

19%

One may argue that technology has aided people create meaningful relationships through sharing experiences and moments. People share moments and events of their lives through photos, music, videos and texts (Human Kinetics, 2010). That may create strong social bonds as people connect with those with similar interests and experiences. However, it also affects how people interact. Thanks to social media, people are now more distracted in their real life than before. The excessive use of social media tools has robbed people of their social skills. Some people find it challenging to maintain conversations with people face-to-face while they are able to do so online. In conversations, it is common to see someone checking their phones from time to time while they are unable to focus on the conversation they have. It becomes quite disrespectful to the other person especially when only one party keeps checking their phone. The matter becomes worse when at home, everyone finds themselves busy with their electronic gadgets that they seem to forget the existence of others. Their interaction becomes poor as everyone is constantly engaged on their phones. Such habits lead to a disconnection in the family.

Apart from social media, the mass media has also had a huge impact on society. While the objective of mass media is to inform the public, several developments have seen it influence society both positively and negatively. For instance, television and radio affect people’s social behavior both positively and negatively. Some programs inform and educate people on the happenings around the world. They develop the knowledge of the listeners and viewers. They may even inform decision. Some even tend to promote moral social values. They also tend to strengthen family and friendship ties as people enjoy watching them together and later sharing and discussing about them (Human Kinetics 2010). However, other programs tend to have a negative impact on society. There are programs with violent and explicit content that may be harmful to society. That is because they tend to advocate for such behavior. It is especially a problem when children learn things from such programs and wish mimic as their favorite show star idols. It leads to bigger societal problems such as, teen pregnancy, violence and drug abuse. Another negative effect of television would be the negative impact on social skills. Some people may form an addiction to watching television, reducing their interaction with others. They tend to become detached from the real world and may be unable to maintain meaningful relationships with those around them.

Gaming

Technology has also had changes to the entertainment industry. For instance, the gaming industry continues to grow with more people developing games for entertainment. While such developments help take care of leisure time, they also have profound effects on people’s social behavior. Spending too much time on video gaming reduces one’s ability to engage in meaningful conversation. People tend to lose touch with other aspects of life. The video games may also lead to increased aggression in those that play them. Due to exposure to the violence in the video games, some people may borrow aggression from such games and end up showing it in their lives. Studies have suggested that excessive playing of video games with violent content may lead to physical aggressive behavior (Human, Kinetics, 2010). A research by PEW Research indicates that boys tend to play video games more often compared to girls. That may explain why aggressive behavior is more prevalent among men and boys. According to the research, 70% of girls have access to a game console compared to 91% of boys. While only about 59% of girls play online video games, 84% of boys play online video games (Lenhart, 2015).

Conclusion

Generally, technology has had a huge positive impact on society. It has improved the transport sector, making it fast, safe and reliable. It has also improved communication and made it possible for people to maintain relationships. It continues to aid business activity even for parties that are distances apart. Technology has also had other impacts in agriculture, education and health. The use of technology has improved efficiency in many ways. It has reduced the need for huge labor inputs. However, technology has also had a negative impact on society. It has led to deteriorating social skills among people due to use of certain aspects of technology. People tend to be constantly distracted by technology in everything they do. It has also created new addictions that are damaging to socialization. Technology has also allowed vices to permeate society. Imitating what technology offers through channels such as social media and mass media has led to degradation of morals. The impacts of technology are all dependent on its application. It requires careful application of technology to limit the negative impacts of technology on society.