Effect of Technology on Modern Society

“Our future success is directly proportional to our ability to understand, adopt, and integrate new technology into our work.”(Sukant Ratnakar) There is no doubt in the fact that in today’s times, technology has made our lives quite easy and simultaneously efficient as well. This can be seen as the ability to communicate with people both within and outside our personal networks have improved, the amount of wasted resources has decreased, and the opportunity to learn about a vast variety of topics has increased. Although, unquestionably technology is beneficial, there are times when these new advances have become problematic. These instances can be seen when technological devices make a person incredibly dependent, and causes many distractions. Technology has improved the life of others; however, there are times when this piece of tech can become a problem. 

In these modern times, many more people move in and out of places to seek stable employment. Instead of being told to stick with the family, individuals are encouraged to reach for their dreams, no matter where they may take them. Because of this, many families, friends, or even colleagues are separated. The technology our world has created is an opportunity to connect with those people that have been taken away for various reasons. The ability to communicate with people within our personal networks and outside of them has reached new heights with new smart apps. There are now thousands of ways to communicate with others around the entire globe, and different applications cater to different groups or networks. Technology is allowing us to deliver data to another location on the opposite end of the world instantaneously. Applications now allow someone to stream video data from their phone to thousands of followers in real-time, and to communicate with others in multiple countries at the same time. Social media not only allows for us to stay connected with status updates, but we’re also  able to post videos, images, our thoughts, and even how we’re feeling on apps such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Technology has opened a new door for communication with people all over the world, allowing for individuals to both reconnect and connect with others. 

As society progresses, people are becoming more aware of the ongoing environmental crisis. In order to save our planet from our own destruction, technology has been used as a saviour and as an alternate. Electrical car companies such as Tesla and Lexus are now the titans of the car industry, attracting younger audiences because of their sleek designs, as well as their lack of affect on the climate. Environmental technology has been created as a result of the recent rise of global concern for climate change. Now society is aiming to help solve some of the most pivotal environmental concerns through a shift towards a more sustainable, low-carbon economy. Now new, renewable energy sources are being found and used, and modern environmental technology has allowed us to cultivate these new sources. Now houses powered by renewable energy rather than coal or gas have become more populous. Other pieces of technology such as solar panels are also being used on a large scale. As the environmental crisis becomes public knowledge, new pieces of technology are being produced to help sustain our society. 

Currently, most students can’t imagine living without technology. Before the digital age, searching for specific information meant spending hours looking through printed sources, like books, newspapers, and magazines. With the “new” inventions of technological gadgets such as laptops, smart watches, and tablets, pupils can now easily browse the internet for any information. Thousands of resources are available on various online platforms, making it convenient for someone to search for the information they need. For example, especially currently, many students are finding it difficult to find time to fully grasp concepts that were discussed in math or even in social studies, simply because of the fact that some teachers are teaching students both online and in person. To assist these students, the internet has many educational websites such as Khan Academy or Quizlet, which are two apps that teach people through multiple assignments and practices. These websites, as well as other websites and apps, could also be used for homework help. As well, the new technology available allows for individuals to personally contact their teachers for help. Instead of deliberating for hours about assignments, all students now have equal chances to seek help for their work, and, for this reason, many of these pupils cannot visualize how to live without these technological devices. 

As mentioned previously, plenty of resources can be found thanks to the development of new pieces of technology. These resources are not only helpful to students, however, as many adults use educational websites to help them steer through life. Medical information, therapeutic advice, and much more can be found when browsing the web. One example of how technological tools help people can be seen right now. It has become simple access details about the current global pandemic that has shown to come back in deadly waves from time to time. If someone is having symptoms of COVID 19, they can now use technology in order to figure out the next steps in order to keep the people around them safe. These people could also learn how the world has been affected by the virus, and what the next stages the local government are taking. Additionally, other information about highly contagious diseases like the coronavirus can be found as well, providing people with sufficient ideas on what the next steps are. Technology is like a can opener, showing individuals the world of information that people have spent years finding. 

There's no doubt that life has become more comfortable thanks to technology, but, of course, the digital age also comes with some disadvantages. One of these disadvantages is that people can become overly dependent on technology, leading them to living a rather sedentary lifestyle. Technology usually enables individuals to spend less time on tasks and exert less effort into doing them, but that’s not always a good thing. Long-term reliance on technology often means spending most the workday sitting down, with little to no movement. This sedentary lifestyle, if not counteracted with regular exercise, can lead to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and a variety of other physical health conditions. 

These effects of long term technology reliance can be seen in short stories such as The Veldt By Ray Bradbury. This story depicts how George and Lydia Hadley are concerned about their children, as they have both spent an absurd amount of time in the nursery, where a virtual reality station has been set. Usually this station is set to a different setting everyday, however, for the last month, the only setting their children had been playing in was in Africa. When George attempts to confront his children, they deny this fact, and quickly changes it to something peaceful. As the story continues, the reader eventually witnesses George, after listening to the advice of a psychologist, decides to close down the nursery, as the family will go on a real vacation instead. The two children, Peter and Wendy, complain and wail for a long time, exclaiming how they did not want to begin doing activities themselves stating that they “don’t want to do anything but look and listen and smell” Peter, especially, expresses how he does not want to tie his own shoelaces, or brush his own teeth, or even bathe himself. At the end of the story, Peter and Wendy eventually end up killing their parents through the virtual stimulation in the nursery, simply because they do not want to work by themselves. When technology becomes used too much, individuals begin to become too dependent on such devices, and this short story shows just that. 

Technology also causes many distractions among individuals, particularly now that the world is connected to high speed internet. The internet is home to unlimited content and entertainment which is no more than a click or two away. Because of the easy accessibility of these pieces of entertainment, distractions can interfere with even the most dedicated worker’s productivity. For example, during the first lockdown in March of 2020, people were all put into online zoom classrooms, and attempted to be taught. Because of the now easy access of entertainment that is not restricted by the teacher, many pupils used their personal devices while in class. Entertainment was readily available, making it difficult to focus on what instructions were being given . For this reason, a significant number of people failed with the online school system. Distractions are bound to be prevalent when readily made entertainment can be found at the tap of a button, and for this reason, technology could be seen as harmful. 

The growth of technology is one of the most debatable topics, with some scientists referring to it as a disaster, while others refer to it as a blessing. Overall, however, technology has become a pivotal part of our life that has resulted in many benefits for almost everybody. Communication has become convenient, the environment has been getting better, and learning has reached new boundaries. Although technology does have downfalls if people become too reliant on these devices, the overpowering amount of positives these advances have brought are overwhelming. Technology does have both positive and negative aspects that make many people confused on whether to perceive it as a boon or bane. Only time can validate the future of technology, though the present has foreshadowed for a brighter outlook.