How Technology Has Changed Our Lives

Hook Examples for Technology Essay

• A Digital Revolution: Enter the era of smartphones, AI, and the Internet of Things, where technology is the driving force. Join me as we explore how technology has transformed our lives and the profound impact it has on society.

• An Intriguing Quote: Arthur C. Clarke once said, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Let's delve into the magical world of modern technology and how it shapes our daily existence.

• The Paradox of Connectivity: Technology promises to connect us, yet it can also lead to isolation. Explore with me the paradox of our hyperconnected world and how it affects our relationships, both online and offline.

• The Impact on Work and Leisure: Discover how technology has revolutionized our work environments, blurring the lines between office and home. Together, we'll examine the changing landscape of leisure and entertainment in the digital age.

• Looking Ahead: As technology continues to advance, what lies on the horizon? Join me in discussing the future implications of emerging technologies and how they will further reshape our world in the years to come.

Technology Essay Example

To understand how technology has changed our lives, this essay starts with past achievements and continues with how technology is changing our lives in the present. Technology has allowed us to connect with people with ease and has made many tasks so much easier. From desktops to iPhones, the world we live in allows us to communicate with anybody with wireless access with just a couple of clicks of the mouse. From listening to our favorite songs, to going to the mall, technology has made everyday life more convenient. We can text on cellphones, connect on social media and facetime with little to no effort at all. It really is amazing to see how much technology has advanced and what it allows us to do today. Even though it seems like technology has reached its limits and will stop changing, it’s still improving and will probably stop improving itself. Just 20 years ago, personal computers became small and affordable enough for families to buy and use them at home.

Technology now is a concept that we cannot survive without; an average North American needs technology to, eat, entertain, to cook, and to do many other daily functions. Let’s face it, we need technology to survive. But this is to an extent, for example, a computer can be one of man’s best friends, it helps us write speeches, like the one you’re listening to right now. It helps us obtain knowledge through the internet, and it helps us entertain ourselves with games, movies, and music. Since then, technology has shown no signs of stopping or even slowing down, it almost makes you wonder how people lived just fifty years ago. Imagining attempting to live the way your grandparents or great grandparents did, seems unimaginable right? Now within the last 10 years, technology has evolved.

The Dark Side of Technological Advancement

With all the new technology that is introduced, it is difficult to see how technology can evolve. It seems as if every year there’s a new piece of technology in our hands each year. But I can assure you that technology has done things over the years. For example, we can ravel all around the country without using a physical map. With the capability of GPS, you can easily track were u are and where you’re going with a push of a button. We also have computers and tablets that we can take anywhere, with internet that works at very high speeds. We can find out what’s going on around the globe instantly with online news and apps. Also, with the help of Wi-Fi you could be at almost any location and still be able to access the internet.

The first part of the essay showed how technology changed our lives in a positive way. But technology also affected us negatively. The impact of technology on our social, mental, physical and environmental health can be devastating if we don’t keep ourselves in check. There’s no denying the benefits we have gained from technological advancements, but as with all things in life moderation is key. Being aware of the harmful aspects of the overuse of electronics will help you avoid any unnecessary pitfalls. We have also compiled a list of reading material that delves deeper into this relatively new area of study.

Here are 5 negative effects technology can have:

• Increased Bullying

The use of technology has caused an increase in bullying and escalated the degree of severity. Kids are no longer able to escape their tormentors once they reach the safety of their own homes. Bullies infiltrate the security of their victims’ homes through online avenues. It is also easier to get more kids involved in bullying because people are more likely to say things online that they wouldn’t say in person.

• Lack of Privacy

The internet has stripped the world of privacy. Long gone are the days of having an unlisted telephone number and staying offline to keep your information safe from prying eyes. With a few flicks on a keyboard the average person can find anyone’s address and contact information. For those with more sinister intentions, the use of phishing, viruses and hacking helps to find any information they wish to obtain. Plus, people have no sense of privacy online. They don’t think twice about tweeting every move they make, freely giving out their location on Google Map and putting their entire life story on Facebook.

• Constant Distraction

When we are focused on a device instead of what’s going on around us we miss a great deal. Think of the number of times you have been texting or talking to a friend and missed the opportunity to flirt with the hot guy standing beside you. There is also a rise in the number of injuries incurred by people texting while walking.

• Addiction

People are not only dependent on technology they are also addicted to it. Studies have shown that when cell phones are taken away subjects heard or felt fathom vibrations, continuously reached for phones that weren’t there and became fidgety and restless. These are some of the same withdrawal symptoms you would expect from doing drugs.

• Depression

Technology creates the perfect recipe for depression with the lack of human contact, overeating and lack of exercise. There is a reason the use of antidepressants are on the rise and the blame can’t be completely dumped on the pharmaceutical companies. They aren’t carting people into the doctor’s office and force feeding them the pills. This isn’t to say that depression isn’t a real problem, but some people could cure their depression by living a healthier lifestyle. Even though technology has changed our lives in both positive and negative ways, be more mindful of the time you spend using technology. If you have longer conversations with Siri than you do with real people, it’s probably time to put the phone down. Force yourself to have an electronic-free day or weekend. When you go on vacation, don’t take your phone or at least put it on “do not disturb”. Creating balance will help you enjoy the benefits of technology without becoming a mindless internet zombie.

Balancing Technology in Our Lives

There are a lot of positive effects of technology on our life. We use technology to eat, entertain, to cook, and to do many other daily functions. It makes our everyday life more convenient and even can help us to survive. But there are also persuasive arguments showing us the negative side of technology. Cyberbullying, distraction, addiction, lack of privacy are just a few of them. In conclusion, the wise use of social media is an ideal way to enjoy the benefits of technology without being negatively impacted by its drawbacks.

Works Cited

1. Anderson, M. (2018). The Effects of Technology on Teenagers. Verywell Family.
2. Brown, B. W., & Bobkowski, P. S. (2011). Older and newer media: Patterns of use and effects on adolescents’ health and well-being. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 21(1), 95-113.
3. Calvillo, D. P., & Downey, R. G. (2010). Mobile phones and interruption in college classrooms: Instructors’ attitudes, beliefs, and practices. Computers in Human Behavior, 26(2), 223-231.
4. Clarke-Pearson, K., & O'Keeffe, G. (2011). The impact of social media on children, adolescents, and families. Pediatrics, 127(4), 800-804.
5. Livingstone, S., & Smith, P. K. (2014). Annual research review: Harms experienced by child users of online and mobile technologies: The nature, prevalence and management of sexual and aggressive risks in the digital age. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 55(6), 635-654.
6. Oulasvirta, A., Rattenbury, T., Ma, L., & Raita, E. (2012). Habits make smartphone use more pervasive. Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, 16(1), 105-114.
7. Przybylski, A. K., & Weinstein, N. (2017). A large-scale test of the goldilocks hypothesis: Quantifying the relations between digital-screen use and the mental well-being of adolescents. Psychological Science, 28(2), 204-215.
8. Rosen, L. D., Lim, A. F., Carrier, L. M., & Cheever, N. A. (2011). An empirical examination of the educational impact of text message-induced task switching in the classroom: Educational implications and strategies to enhance learning. Psicologia Educativa, 17(2), 163-177.
9. Schulte, B. (2018). The human costs of bringing smartphones to every student. The Atlantic.
10. Twenge, J. M., Joiner, T. E., Rogers, M. L., & Martin, G. N. (2018). Increases in depressive symptoms, suicide-related outcomes, and suicide rates among US adolescents after 2010 and links to increased new media screen time. Clinical Psychological Science, 6(1), 3-17.

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