Technology's Impact: Benefits and Consequences - Essay Sample

Introduction

Technology has had both positive and negative impacts. Over the years, there has been a great advancement in technology with the invention of mobile phones, computers, cars, and robots. Social media has also been a great addition that has changed communication turning the world into a global village. This advancement in technology has had numerous advantages in various sectors such as business, healthcare, the environment, and security. However, there have also been unintended consequences of technology, such as environmental degradation. With both positive and negative impacts, there is a need to pose the question, are advancements in technology worth it? Some of the disadvantages of technology include widespread terrorism, cyberbullying, and invasion of privacy (Bilton). Although technology has several disadvantages, the benefits it has brought, such as improved healthcare, globalization, enhanced security, and improved standards of living, have had a more significant impact, thus the need to foster further advancement.

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Advantages of Technology in Business

Technology has revolutionized the world of business by offering countless advantages. There has been increased ease of communication due to numerous platforms that are faster and more reliable. In the past, businesses would send letters or a person to deliver a message. Slowly, technology has advanced with the use of mobile phones to make calls, emails, teleconferencing through video calls, which have improved businesses. Technology has also led to globalization, which has greatly benefitted businesses. Today, companies have branches worldwide, such as Walmart, which has led to increased profit margins. Companies like Amazon have taken advantage of the global outreach through online platforms to market, sell, and deliver products to customers. Consumers can browse through a catalog of products, even food, and have it delivered at the comfort of their homes. Delivery orders have never been as crucial as now when Covid-19 has forced people to remain indoors. The Guardian reported that companies such as Amazon and Uber Eats were forced to increase their workforce following a surge in the number of orders (Noor and Renwick). As a result of advancements in technology, businesses have grown and reaped high profits due to globalization and increased efficiency.

Benefits of Technology in Healthcare

Technology has led to improved healthcare. There have been new inventions in terms of machinery, vaccines, and diseases that have improved the health of people across the world. At present, the world has been brought to a halt following the spread of Covid-19. The world is thus reliant on technology with ongoing research to develop a cure or a vaccine. According to the United Nations, the infant mortality rate has dropped by 47 percent since 1990 (UN Millennium Development Goals). Health information technology has also been a great addition that has led to computerized patient records. Medical professionals can, therefore, gain access to the record of patients to make a better diagnosis and offer appropriate medications. This change has led to an improvement in patient safety due to decreased medication areas and increased accountability in the healthcare profession (Alotaibi and Federico 1). Technology has also been adopted in dispensing medication. In California, for instance, pharmaceutical robots have been developed to assist pharmacists in sorting, selection, and packaging of medication (Zaleski). These robots have led to decreased costs while increasing efficiency and speed with hospitals dealing with a significant amount of patients per day. Therefore, technology has been pivotal in the healthcare industry by improving the quality of care received while making it easier for practitioners.

Pros of Technology to the Environment

Technological advancements have also played a key role in protecting the environment. At an age where there are widespread calls to protect the environment, there have been efforts to go green and reduce environmental degradation. There are ongoing development and installation of renewable sources of energy, which help protect the environment. With countries and states signing agreements to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, technological advancements in green energy have taken precedence. In the United States, for instance, solar-powered electricity has gained widespread use with reports suggesting the country has 27.2 Gigawatts of solar energy (Unger). There have also been increased manufacture of electric cars which are more environmentally friendly. Companies such as Tesla have been at the forefront in the sale of electric cars, and they have been joined by Ford and Volkswagen (Jolly). Advancement in technology has, therefore, played a role in providing alternative energy sources that will help lower the carbon footprint and protect the environment.

Advantages of Technology in the Criminal Justice System

The criminal justice system has also been a major beneficiary of technology over recent years. Technology has been attributed to a drop in the crime rate (Byrne and Marx 26). Law enforcement, for instance, has taken advantage of technologies such as surveillance cameras, license plate readers, drones, body-worn cameras, and geospatial technologies (Byrne and Marx 26). These technologies have helped in crime prevention and helped solve cases faster due to the ease of collecting evidence. Police departments have also used social media to reach out to the public and create a good relationship. Community policing has been on the rise due to advancement in technology with members of the public using online platforms to help police officers. Therefore, due to technology the criminal justice system has been able to lower the crime rate and improve their efficiency

Disadvantages of Technology

On the other hand, technology has had detrimental effects that cannot be overlooked. First environmental degradation has mainly been due to advancements in technology. Due to the increased population, there has been a greater demand for energy obtained through the burning of fossil fuels. Millions of cars on the roads are emitting carbon dioxide leading to global warming (Union of Concerned Scientists). Industries and companies that are using technologies emit wastes that pollute and harm the environment.

Social media, despite its advantages, has led to harmful effects. For instance, social media sites such as Facebook have come under attack for violation of privacy. Personal information provided by users is used without their consent leading to privacy violations. Terrorist groups have also taken advantage of social media to gain sympathizers, recruit members, and spread fear and terror (Bilton). Cyberbullying has also been on the rise with innocent users facing the wrath of the public.

Conclusion

The fact that technology has led to several disadvantages cannot be overlooked, but its benefits are so important that its advancement has to be promoted. Technology has been behind the globalization of business, improved healthcare, advanced policing, and new ways to protect the environment. While the world cannot afford to remain oblivious of the disadvantages of technology, its effects can be greatly reduced. The use of electric cars and renewable sources of energy are examples of initiatives to curb the negative impacts of technology. Therefore, technology has greatly benefitted the world by improving the standards of living and thus the need to increase efforts to make further inventions and discoveries.

Works Cited

Alotaibi, Yasser K, and Frank Federico. 'The impact of health information technology on patient safety.' Saudi medical journal, vol. 38, no.12, 2017, pp. 1173-1180. doi:10.15537/smj.2017.12.20631.

Bilton. Nick. 'The Upside to Technology? It's Personal.' New York Times, Mar. 30 2016, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/31/fashion/social-media-technology.html. Accessed 3 Apr. 2020.

Byrne, James, and Gary Marx. 'Technological Innovations in Crime Prevention and Policing. A Review of the Research on Implementation and Impact.' Cahiers Politiestudies Jaargang, vol. 20, pp. 17-40, https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/238011.pdf. Accessed 3 Apr. 2020.

'Car Emissions and Global Warming.' Union of Concerned Scientists, Jul. 18 2014, https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/car-emissions-global-warming. Accessed 3 Apr. 2020.

Jolly, Jasper. '2020 Set to be Year of the Electric Car, Say Industry Analysts.' The Guardian,Dec. 25 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/dec/25/2020-set-to-be-year-of-the-electric-car-say-industry-analysts. Accessed 3 Apr. 2020.

'Millennium Development Goals and Beyond 2015.' United Nations, https://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/Goal_4_fs.pdf. Accessed 3 Apr. 2020.

Noor, Poppy, and Danielle Renwick. 'Is it safe - and ethical - to order food online during the coronavirus outbreak?' The Guardian, Mar. 18 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/18/food-ordering-safe-ethical-coronavirus-with-seamless-uber-eats-should-i-get-takeaway. Accessed 3 Apr. 2020.

Unger, David. 'America Now Has 27.2 Gigawatts of Solar Energy: What Does That Mean?' Inside Climate News, May 25 2016, https://insideclimatenews.org/news/24052016/solar-energy-27-gigawatts-united-states-one-million-rooftop-panels-climate-change-china-Germany. Accessed 3 Apr. 2020.

Zaleski, Andrew. 'Behind Pharmacy Counter, Pill-Packing Robots Are on the Rise.' CNBC, Nov. 15 2016, https://www.cnbc.com/2016/11/15/duane-reades-need-for-speed-pharmacy-robots-are-on-the-rise.html. Accessed 3 Apr. 2020.