How Technology Shapes The Future of Society

Technology has been heavily accessible since the early 2000s and has then exploded to become a social norm. This is true not only in relationships, but businesses have become heavily dependent on social media to make their companies thrive. Technology has played an integral part in shaping society in a variety of ways. Throughout history technological advances have changed everything from the way people are dressed and fed to the way we communicate and connect as a society. Examining the influence of technology on society demonstrates both how technology affects culture and society and how society can affect future technology. This can be seen by looking at a few of the major technological innovations in human history, followed by a look at new technology and how it can shape the future of society.

One of the technological innovations that is evolving most in life is the microwave oven. The microwave oven, invented by mistake in 1946 by Dr. Percy LeBaron Spencer, was originally received poorly like many other new technology forms Some of the concerns that many people had when this technology was released were fears that the microwave radiation would escape during use, or that it would ruin the art of cooking . However, the microwave oven has become commonplace in kitchens across the globe through years of refinement. Although concerns of people abandoning traditional methods of cooking have proven to be unfounded, microwaves have proven to be a valuable tool used by everyone from young children to master chefs. Furthermore, based on the ability to prepare food quickly, a whole new food service industry was created. Frozen foods and microwave popcorn are just a few of the items that we take for granted today that we can attribute their existence to the microwave invention.

The cell phone is another society transforming technological innovation. The way the world interacts and functions has literally changed because of this device. If you stop and think about all the things you do on a daily basis on your smartphone and try to imagine other ways to complete those tasks in today’s day and age it would seem overwhelming.. At the very least, you may just need to take the road to find a public phone to make a quick call or find a machine to check out an email or website. Those tend to be simple tasks, but the ability of the cell phone to perform those tasks saves endless amounts of time. In just minutes, human communication is now possible worldwide. Not only that, but events can be updated to keep millions of people up-to-date on breaking news, weather, and sporting events. Society as a whole has come to expect this immediate access to the point where many of us have felt lost momentarily when the ability is eliminated. Due to the sheer volume of things we now rely on them to perform in our everyday life, it is difficult to analyze all the changes this device has brought to the world in such a short span of time.

Perhaps the most recognizable technological advance of my generation is the personal computer (PC). I remember growing up with just a few computers to run basic educational programs for a whole class. Fast forward thirty years and now I, and many others like me, are emerging from the comfort of our homes. A PC provides the consumer with access to practically all conceivable knowledge from recipes to world history, how to treat poison oak, or the local automotive shop number. With a PC phone books, encyclopedias or even items such as stereos or DVD players are no longer needed. All these and more can be found at a mouse click. Like the cell phone mentioned above, the way we communicate has also been changed by PCs in a profound way. There’s no more need in writing letters to Grandma when you can send an email or use a video chat software to actually have a live conversation.

All of the previously mentioned technological innovations mentioned so far have been around long enough to see the effects they have had on society. While they continue to change, they have existed long enough to give us the ability to see their effects. Newer technologies’ effect on society are harder to predict due to the effects they have on us and vice versa. Take virtual reality (VR) technology for an example. While this technology has been around for some time, it is just now starting to be marketed to the general public at an affordable price.

VR will most likely have a profound effect on many areas of society. Some notable areas include computer gaming, training surgeons or pilots, or watching films. The gaming industry has really pushed the development of VR to create the most lifelike gaming experience. One would expect such games to only get more realistic and polished with time. Training costs could be drastically cut with the use of VR instead of logging long hours in a plane. It will be interesting to see how these predictions will play out, along with the many other possible impacts on society that VR might have.

It is amazing how everyone’s life is changing at the virtual hands of technology. “Technology by definition means the branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical means and their interrelation with life, society, and the environment, drawing upon such subjects as industrial arts, engineering, applied science, and pure science”. Today people use various types of technology such as: cell phones, iPods, laptops, mp3s, and all of the devices that create comfort and convenience for each individual. Because technology is changing every day, it affects the lives of people every second and changes the pace of everything relevant to the behaviors of people. The way that everyone communicates is one of the most important things that technology has affected. Technologies build communication avenues that are more powerful and effective. Individuals are becoming accustomed to a new way of being alone that makes them feel like they aren’t. The total amount as well as the quality of conversation are starting to fall as technology is replacing human interaction. Studies have shown how technology distracts people without realizing the price they pay and how technology has an enormous impact on the interaction of people.

Technology and communication are constantly changing, evolving and developing. People communicate through various mediums from radio, television, the internet and now most widely through social media. Top social networks like Twitter and Facebook have redefined the way we build and maintain relationships. Nowadays people carry their phone with them to connect with others thru social media at anytime and anyplace. Facebook is accessed largely through mobile devices, with 751 million users accessing it from a mobile device. More than half of its 1.11 billion users and a 54 percent increase from the mobile users alone as noted in March 2012. Not only do people use Facebook to communicate, but the amount of time they spend on it takes away from the time they spend interacting face to face. A survey conducted by Forbes stated time spent on social media sites range from 20-28 hours a week with an average of 275 personal connections across them all. Also only 11% of respondents physically see their social connections on a regular basis.

We are all guilty of constantly looking down at our phones looking to fill the void of an awkward silence or just to make the time go by faster. We become oblivious to the notifications. We find ourselves scrolling through an endless list of emails, reminders, and checking the likes we get on our latest Instagram post. We become wrapped up and lose track of valuable time because we are so engrossed in things that should be of little importance to us. It is no secret that technology has become a vital role in everyday lives, with social media dominating every aspect. Technology has become ubiquitous, and many people have become heavily dependent without realizing. Even though social media wasn’t made to intentionally take over our lives, it has become so deeply integrated many are blinded by the effects technology has already made. Technology- through social media- has shaped how companies are marketing to the consumer market, how relationships survive and thrive by social norms in the modern era, and how people function in their daily lives. For the most part, technology is supposed to make our lives easier on us. However, easier doesn’t mean better.

Many couples are starting to blur the lines between their work and home life, causing an unhealthy imbalance between the two. Using technology gives users a “license to feel together when alone” creating a rift between communicator and receiver, which only adds to the false sense of security they are relying on. Overtime, this false sense of security starts to builds up. The rift becomes more and more detectable, and therefore the real issues at hand are brought to light. Therefore, many people can’t handle face-to-face interactions of phone calls anymore. Many people refuse to take time out of their busy schedules to have one, single decent conversation. Their priorities are out of whack, and they do not want to waste time caring for something that doesn’t matter to them. The more we are plugged into our phones, the more we become self-absorbed with our needs and begin to disregard everyone around us. Sooner or later we’ll risk having under developed relationships because we won’t know how to communicate effectively.

Technology has impacted people, businesses and society as a whole. The roles that technology has played on communication, business and education have been more than impactful. As the power of computers continue to increase with help from databases, social networking and businesses, it adds an increase to office productivity compared to using typewriters, and filing cabinets. Although there are plenty of good things about technology, the way we use it determines if it impacts are positive to the society or negative. As modern technology continues to grow and advances, so does the future effect on our life and society. The impact of technology on communication business and education, has been extensive and largely positive by helping people keep in touch. However, there are also plenty of downsides from technology’s impact on communication and society.

Technology has helped businesses function by providing data management through documents, servers and storage devices. Technology provides ways for businesses to handle task by using remote locations, and digital apps with mobile devices. There have been various ways where technology has helped increase businesses from local outliers into regional and international markets. Advertisement through social media is one way to get consumer attention by offering information about the latest products to followers. Another factor that has helped business through social media would be discounts and promotions to consumers that are familiar of the business. Faster feedback from consumers and customer service is another preeminent factor that technology has provided that has improved businesses overall.

Today, new technologies are reducing the number of production jobs for people. With technology being developed rapidly, it decreases the demand for workers rather skilled or unskilled for cost reductions. Businesses now have faster production speed due to technology but leaves many without jobs due to being replaced by robots. Using technology in this form shows that it could be possible for computers and technology to replace humanity.

Technology has also improved education and the overall learning process in numerous ways. Many schools have started integrating educational technologies in their schools with a great aim of improving the way students learn. Adding digital learning tools into the classroom helps support both teaching and learning by giving students access to any information needed to complete task/assignments. With the support of using technology in the classroom, it helps students prepare for future careers, helps students learn, gives them more access to teachers, and supports a more personalized learning experience. Devices such as mobile phones, iPad’s, projectors and internet are being used in classrooms to enhance the learning everywhere around the world. YouTube and blogging help with using visual media to share information interactively. Technology is becoming more popular and it has proved to be the best method of learning in many subjects like math, physics, geography, economics and much more. The business community has invested money in various technologies that tie in with educational purposes. With applications such as Goggle Drive, One Drive and other cloud based apps, instructors can store documents, presentation and other things need for classroom task in a cloud storage for access at a later time. With new gadgets and programs, using technology for learning furthers higher thinking, basic skills, and children’s ability to evaluate, analyze, and synthesize ideas.

As much as technology has helped us as a people advance drastically, in the same sense it is accountable for some social damage. People use text messages to communicate in short sentences that lack immediacy and completely remove the contextual information provided by tone of voice and body language. People who connect with others primarily through technology might find it difficult to engage in normal conversation. They may have issues understanding non-verbal cues due to lack of practice with face-to-face interaction which can ‘t be paused, edited or filtered. Communicating through technology creates a barrier between people that aren’t there when speaking face to face. In some classrooms technology can be overused. This can lead to a variety of problems. Some students learn best by physically and mentally interacting with what they are studying. If most of the teaching is done using a computer, students ‘ needs are not being met.

Although technology has made life much easier, we easily forget that it has made us overly dependent on it It has made life easy, but so easy that it could affect the future generations. The impact of technology on society has been looked at as having mainly positive effects by providing information resource and a communication platform through internet. Thanks to the advancement in technology we have the world at our fingertips. Technology has largely influenced every aspect of living. As the years progress, technology will be something that will impact everyone especially teachers, parents and students.

Technology by itself is not harmful, but the way it is used could result in having negative effects. Its use enables us to strengthen relationships by keeping in contact with old friends, colleagues, and co-workers through social networking. Technology has even provided opportunities for students all over the world to receive an education online, enabling them to learn on a global scale without ever entering the classroom. Businesses also gain benefits due to technology with ways to advertise, conduct, and manage from small to larger markets.

Although there are also negative effects on communication, business, and society, technology is useful but should also be controllable and not codependent. The path of technology innovation in means doing something different, smarter or better. Therefore it will make a positive difference in terms of value, quality or productivity by using technologies of the world.

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