Technology: Transforming Our Lives Through Science & Discovery - Essay Sample

Introduction

Technology refers to the application of science to address human problems in daily life. It is the application of knowledge for practical purposes. To many, the term technology means the internet, cell phones, and computers. Just like how the historical discoveries such as the fire during the Stone Age shaped how man lived and ate, technology too has continued to develop daily life. Our lives have greatly been influenced by technology. For instance, in agriculture machines that can till, thresh, harvest, and plant have minimized the need for labor works, leading to fewer blue-collar jobs, especially in rural areas (Dore and Ronald, 65-80). Due to the less demand for people to work on farms, the birth rate has also reduced, more so due to the urbanization of society. In criminology, technology has enabled the use of DNA tests to ascertain one's innocence hence saving lives of those on death row. Technology is taking over most of the jobs that have been done by human beings, especially with artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies leaving fewer jobs for men. It can be argued that man has over-relied on technology hence becoming self-reliance. Man has gone all the complex problems for the computer. In this article, I will discuss how over-dependence on technology has made us less self-reliant.

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Today, sleeping away from your phone is the most difficult thing to imagine. Without our phones, we feel so lonely and left out. Abound 67% of users are known to check their phones even when they are not ringing frequently or a message alert, with 44% sleeping with their phones very close to their beds because they want to avoid missing a call or any text message. Some people have argued that phones have made it easier for them to stay in touch, plan, and schedule daily activities hence improving productivity. Roughly one out of five phone users have reported that phones have made it harder for them to forget about planned work at home or even on weekends, giving their other persons undivided attention, focusing on a single task without any distraction. According to a survey from the Pew Research Center, about 73% of adults spend the most time on social networking platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, among others (Dore and Ronald, 65-80). The majority of these users do check these platforms daily, even more than once a day either to gain information on current affairs, top trending stories or just for fun or chatting with friends. Social networks have greatly affected the social lives of many people. Today, time for friends and partners have become less face to face. Instead, most prefer chatting on social networks (Dedrick, Jason, and Kenneth L, 463-492). The quality of time spent with friends has been reduced due to other interruption as one is using the phone.

With the high numbers of social media users both in the US and abroad, it is not a surprise how social networks have the power on social change. For instance, on the Arab Spring in chapter 17 and 21, you might read about the fight for democracy, but spreading democracy becomes much more manageable when social media is used to incite a social change. For example, McKenna (Bagchi and Amiya Kumar, 69-91), a young girl of 13 years of age, created Easy-Bake Oven internet instead of just using the traditional pink color to petition Hasbro against gender stereotypes. People have highly relied on social media for all the information and news on current affairs and any other stories they follow, and this guarantees anything communicated via social media will reach a larger audience than traditional platforms such as TVs and radios. In addition to the greater audience, many people spend their time online, especially on social networks.

The increased activities and time duration we spend online connecting socially, conducting business transactions, and sharing contents, have made us more vulnerable to cyber-attacks as well as information loss. According to a report done by the Pew Research Center, there has been a 17% increase between the years 2009 and 2013 (Amiya Kumar, 69-91) for the internet users who expressed concerns over the extent of personal information available online, with 12% of respondents reporting cases of online harassments and stolen personal information. This shows how careless we have become. Today, cybersecurity and online privacy have become the top critical concerns of any organization. We have had cases of data breaches and identity threats where hackers get access to personal information after compromising web security. Companies such as JP Morgan, cell phone providers, and financial powerhouses, including some government agencies, have been targeted by hackers.

Technology has made life much easier by creating a world a small village allowing access to information across the globe at a click of a button. You can imagine if one had to write articles to be delivered in Africa in person from New York (Francisco R, 1997), I long it would take. With technology publishing, an item for the global reach is a matter of seconds, and everybody will get the information. Technology allows people to connect irrespective of the existing geographical barriers. However, technology has brought a shift on personal relationships to a point where people don't need to talk but chat via social networks. Digital communications have been known to be different from the real-world conversations with smarter technologies removing any existing communication barriers (Bagchi and Amiya Kumar, 69-91). However, trying to substitute technology relationships with real conversations will bring us many consequences in daily life.

GPS has become the most popular way to locate places by use of maps embedded on cell phones. Today, we have forgotten the traditional approaches that were used to determine the location of ships on the sea; instead, we rely entirely on the GPS risking without thinking on backup options in case of cyber attackers who can interfere with the GPS signals. We have forgotten how to use the traditionally used compass and paper maps to show directions. You may not be surprised to see young adults who possibly does not know how to navigate through their cities without the help of GPS (Stein and Matthew). Google has dramatically improved the navigation experience by incorporating voice assistants while using Google Maps, enabling even those people who have no sense of direction to get to their destinations.

Notifications have become the technology's drug with every app trying to send notifications. We set email notifications and alarms to remind us of important events. We have entirely relied on our phones even for time schedules. With every app installed on our phones, we spend much time checking on these notifications and the information being shared. It has become tough to be fully productive because most people check their phones every 10 minutes.

Google search engine has made the lives of many much more comfortable, including learning and doing research works. Everyone has used Google in one way or the other, where sometimes we have asked questions, and the response left us completely embarrassed simply because we did not know the right answer. For instance, over 500,000 people search for how to tie a tie every month (Sagasti and Francisco R), something that has been a fundamental knowledge by the older generation. Google has contributed significantly to the learning process by availing all the answers we need. By correcting searching on Google, you will find all the best video tutorials, posts, blogs, and PDFs with clear instructions on how to accomplish a particular task. Today, you will find most tutors and instructors giving YouTube links for students to watch and follow their lessons.

It has gotten to a point where people find it hard to wake up, take a shower, dress, and drive into movie shops or pubs to get entertainment. Instead, many will prefer to sit on their coach, and with Netflix, they have all that they need to get entertained. With a PS3 and personal PC, one will have all the fun they need without leaving one's house. Mobile apps have also not been left out, and today we have so many games available on smartphones, some of which are free. Even children have been used to these mobile phone games that traditional games with other children.

Conclusion

In conclusion, technological advancements have brought about a social shift and created new cultures and practices. Social media has become a unique lifestyle for most people, with the internet being a second home where we connect with the entire world. We have forgotten the essential skills for accomplishing some task; instead, we rush to find their solutions online. People have perceived technology as the solution provider for all our daily life challenges, including social life.

Works Cited

Dore, Ronald. "Technological self-reliance: sturdy, ideal or self-serving rhetoric." Technological capability in the third world. Palgrave Macmillan, London, 1984. 65-80.

Bagchi, Amiya Kumar. "Technological self-reliance, dependence and underdevelopment." Science, technology, & development (1988): 69-91.

Stein, Matthew. When technology fails: a manual for self-reliance, sustainability, and surviving the long emergency. Chelsea Green Publishing, 2008.

Dedrick, Jason, and Kenneth L. Kraemer. "Information technology in India: The quest for self-reliance." Asian Survey 33.5 (1993): 463-492.

Sagasti, Francisco R. Technology, planning, and self-reliant development: A Latin American view. Praeger, New York, NY, US, 1979.