The Impact of Technology on Society
The modern society revolves around technology which is spreading fast and taking the place of human beings in our lives. There arises a debate on how we use technology to improve our lives in the modern setups. It is, however evident that the wide spread use of technology is replacing the previous human roles and values and hence making technology dominant over the previous human roles. The over dependence on technology has made human beings slaves to technology and in the process lose their identity and authenticity. Although technology has taken the roles of human beings, it also has its advantages like making life easier in terms of communication, creativity and accessing a wide base of information within a short spun of time. The overdependence on technology has subjugated and devalued the presence and validity of human beings and thereby thrashing the human values and sovereignty.
Sings of being dependent on technology
Most offices and work environments are currently connected to internets which make it easier for the employees to access and store information online. Although this system has proved to be effective, cheap and reliable, it also pauses some challenges that could be detrimental. With the over use of the internet to store and access information, there has been an increase of cyber-attacks and cybercrimes through hackers who access and even alter information online without the consent of the owners (Carr, 51). As a result, no information that is online is safe and secure from the prying eyes of hackers. There is also the threat of viruses which can alter the initial set up of information and hence destroy the information. Viruses closely relate to the hackers who use these techniques as to alter and even destroy online information for their own agendas. Another challenge is that, when there is no internet connection people in the work place often get stranded and work comes to a halt. In most organizations, when there is not internet connectivity, people often call it a day as all information is backed up online.
The Disadvantages of Online Shopping
The internet connectivity has been a blessing in making shopping convenient. In the modern set up, most people often make orders and shop online which saves on time and gives more alternatives as opposed to the previous physical shopping. The online shopping tendencies have killed the previous "brick wall shopping" and made shopping a lopsided affair. However, online shopping has also proved to be disadvantageous and ineffective (Kunstler, 112). Most of the online shoppers say that in many times they receive substandard products from what they expected while placing their orders. Additionally, placing details online possess a greater risk of hacking of people's accounts and credit cards. Shopping online makes people lazy and non-creative as they miss out on the aesthetic part of it which entails making rounds in the streets or shopping malls. Online shopping is has limited options and does not give the customers a wide range of options like inspecting their products and bargaining.
The Impact of Technology on Human Interaction
Technology is important and effective as it makes us live in the moment for the lives of millions of people. An example is in the case of the riots in Egypt or the active wars in the Middle East. Capturing information through our phones and cameras gives us the option of living in that moment whenever we see the videos either through our phones or online. Sharing video, images and pictures online (Moss, 57) is a great way of interaction as they become visible to a large number of people. The emphasis on capturing information or taking videos which is a common trend makes life unrealistic and fake. The overreliance of technology has pushed people to the brink whereby they emphasize on capturing videos and images as opposed to taking part in the action. In some instances people have gone as far as capturing disturbing images and videos and posted them online so as to get multiple views and likes. Furrow (42) affirms that, the over emphasis on posting pictures online to get views has altered personality traits and made people become introverts in their normal lives and expressive on the social media. People on the other hand now treasure the views and likes from strangers online and do not have real friends with whom they can have direct conversations.
The Negative Effects of Technology on Memory and Communication
The overdependence in technology makes the human mind less active and thus leads to brain drain. Technology has taken a big chunk of the roles that were primarily performed by the human memory. In the modern times, people often rely on reminders and alarms on their phones to remember special dates and functions. Some information like birthdays and passwords are often stored in computers and mobile phones to make it easier for people to remember them. As a result, the human mind is slowly becoming dumber and ineffective due to the lack of constant use. According to (Khosrowpour, 119) most people are losing their short term and even long term memories in the process of relying on their devices for information. Some people do not even have their spouse's phone numbers memorized in their heads but instead refer and access them from the contact lists. In scenarios where a device breaks down or is stolen people often plunge into depression and distress. Storing information in devices can improve the security of the information through backing up and having different storages for the same information.
The Addiction and Environmental Impact of Technology
The internet and technology have emerged as effective communication devices as they are convenient and efficient. Through technology, one can now reach a large number of people within a short spun and this saves on time. The improvement of technology has also incorporated other features like videos, pictures, gifs and emoji's that can be used in conversations. However, technology has slowly converted people into robots as they are slowly losing their initial interacting techniques. In most organizational set ups, communication skills are now becoming an important element as people have lost the skills due to the use of short texts and images while communicating. People now prefer to send a chat, text or a mail even when the person that they want to contact is sited just a meter across the table (Furrow, 57). It is difficult to gauge some expressions and meaning of some messages when they are relayed through texts or emails. The use of technology to relay information is also disadvantaging in the sense that when one makes an era is not possible to revers as the recipient will get the information within a short time.
Technology has become addictive as most people check their phones at intervals of one's of even twice per single minute. As a result of over reliance on technology, most people are often depressed and disturbed when the internet connection fails or when their devices break down. The addictive natures of the phones and mails have re-programmed the human mind in that people now have shorter concentration spans and tendencies of restlessness. In Carr's view (78), modern research has linked some emerging health issues to the constant exposure and access to technological devices like computer screens and phones among other devices. Most people have foregone other basic necessities an in their place purchased technological devices like computers, phones and tablets among other devices.
The Environmental Impact of Technology
Technology is however harmful to the environment and human beings themselves. Every year, there are new inventions and innovations that pertain to the improvement or the overhaul of some technological devices. When we compare the current technological devices to those that were in place 5 years ago there have been lots of changes and some devices have since gone out of the market all together. Most of the electronic devices that are made often have short life spans and often last less than 5 years thereby making them ineffective (Kunstler, 102). There has been an increment in environmental pollution in some countries where populations are high. In India for instance there is a high rate of disposing electronic devices that are outdates. The motherboard of these electronic devices contains poisonous elements like mercury and zinc which sip into the soil and cause damage to the soil.
Technology has also played a crucial task in revolutionizing environmental conservation strategies and farming techniques. With drones for instance, it has become easier to monitor and conserve wild life in vast areas as opposed to the times when that was done manually through forest rangers. The inclusion of new environmental techniques and strategies has also helped in creating more awareness and improving on the aesthetic value of the environment. On the agricultural sector, there are hybrids in both animals and plants which respond more effectively to nutrition and resistance to disease. The hybrids in both plants and animals (Moss, 63) have raised health concerns as opposed to the other traditional breeds. The use of technology in zoos and game parks has also altered with the natural niche of animals through noise pollution and environmental degradation. However, despite the improvements in technology, there is still a need to leave out a part for human beings to fill in both environmental conservation and agricultural techniques.
The Role of Technology in Society
Technology has been a blessing in many cases as it has added flavor and value to the human life. Communication has gone a notch higher as there are more elements in communication which were previously not available. The improvement in technology has made technology more holistic and comprehensive as opposed to the previous limited modes of communications. On the other hand, the human personality has gradually degraded due to the over reliance in technology. Technology has given human beings machine like features which kills interaction and creativity because of enslavement to technology. It is also true to note that; technology is an integral part of our lives and hence plays a vital role in ensuring that our daily activities run smoothly. Through technology we are able to live in a world of possibilities and broaden ours cope of interaction and livelihoods. However, it is also important to keep in mind that over indulgence in technology is catastrophic and detrimental to the initial position of human beings. People should reconsider their limits in the indulgence of technology and use technology when they need it most.
Works cited
Carr, Nicholas G. "The Glass Cage: Where Automation Is Taking Us." , 2015.
Furrow, Dwight. "Moral Soundings: Readings on the Crisis of Values in Contemporary Life." Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2004.
Khosrowpour, Mehdi. "Issues and Trends of Information Technology Management in Contemporary Organizations: 2002 Information Resources Management Association International Conference, Seattle, Washington, Usa, May 19-22, 2002." Hershey: Idea, 2002.
Kunstler, James H. "Too Much Magic: Wishful Thinking, Technology, and the Fate of the Nation." , 2012.
Moss, Mark H. "Education and Its Discontents: Teaching, the Humanities, and the Importance of a Liberal Education in the Age of Mass Information." Lanham, Md: Lexington Books, 2012.
