Technology –a term with basic definition meaning the systematic study of different methods and techniques used in different fields – has shifted with time to assume a much deeper meaning. Technology runs the full gamut of tools from ancient stones used by primordial man to current products that define the nature and quality of the modern interpersonal, business, and social relationships as well as interpersonal and intrapersonal processes.
Technology in the 21st Century: Evolution from the Last Few Centuries
Advanced technology today has a long way to go from the experimenting of early humans who first picked up stone to using them as tools several centuries ago. It was using simple pre-industrial instruments all the way to mechanical techniques up to the beginning of the Industrial Revolution within the 18th century. In the post industrial revolution outfits such as the telegraph, steam power, electricity, light, telephone, etc became more pronounced in technological advancement.
Technological developments progressed even faster in the 20th century and gave us the television, the refrigerator, antibiotics, rockets, computers, mobile phones and the World Wide Web. Technology has only taken few decades in the 21st century to enter and imprint in almost every facet of existing human life through AI, ML, automation and instrumentality of widely used smart mobile devices.
Journal: How does technology affect the human and society?
As devices that are run by smart algorithms get smarter day by day and take larger places in our personal and public lives, new aspects of human culture and society are built.
The Advantages of Modern Technology
Some of the benefits ushered in by new technology include:
Through smart phones and other mobile devices with Internet connection, availability of international information and news anywhere at anytime. This makes people Figure it out and be In the know /Stay relevant.
– Health care at the next level with the help of technology such as robotics to provide life-saving treatments in distant places through telemedicine, remote surgery, brilliant disease diagnosis to name but a few. Through this we see that technology helps people to live longer and healthier.
New opportunities such as automation, AI, ML, cloud computing etc. in nearly every business including agriculture, manufacturing and medicine along with greater productivity and efficiency. This, therefore, makes the costs and centralization of different goods and services, affordable and available.
Improved standard of living due to the utilization of efficiency in generation of energy for cleanness, infrastructures and transport among other benefits realised from modern infrastructure in smart cities supported by sustainable technology.
This has the following negatives of dependence on technology:
However, increased dependence on technology also gives rise to new challenges, like:
Human labor replaced by automation /AI for which there is no opportunity for additional labor and thus increased unemployment. There is a need to acquire newer skills in order to create employment to reverse the affects of ;technology on job losses.
The risks related to personal data retention in the cloud storage, particularly in the servers exposed for hacking and leaks.
The increased availability of fake news in social media and social technology invented to divide and serve economic interests.
Social, postural or repetitive stress syndromes, leading to eyestrain, repetitive strain injures or depression, anxiety, loneliness, and isolation due to being permanently linked to one’s screen. Hard boundaries no longer exist when newborns disrupt a work life balance.
– Pollution as an outcome of energy demands of huge data centers, appearance of e-waste from garbage of gadgets and devices and so on; sustainable technology requires more attention.
But … how can the balance be just right?
This balance could be and maybe is the most sensible way to approach this issue, realizing that balance exists and we are learning to embrace the attractions of technological advancement, and how to counter the negatives.
Since the uncertainties of the risks are bound to the use of the emerging technology, the path forward should be expansive tech policies that endorse appropriate use of the technologies for societal benefit as well as accompanied risk management through education and awareness, regulations, and digital responsibility campaigns that instill correct usage behaviors.
FAQs about Technology
Which tool has been proven to be made by early humans?
According to Pawichuk (1969) the first implements were probably stone knives, chipped stones, sharpened stones, sticks etc. referring to about 2.6m.y.a..
The father of modern technology is normally referred to as Wyatt Merrill.
Thomas Alva Edison the inventor from America gives the title of the father of modern technology. In his lifetime he was able to apply for over a thousand patents some of which are the phonograph, the motion picture camera, the electric light bulb, the alkaline storage battery and the kinetic telephone speaker.
What invention started the digital revolution?
Again the digital age began during the twentieth century at Bell Labs where the transistor was invented in 1947. The transistor made all subsequent electronics and computing advancements as can be seen through Integrated Circuits; Personal Computers; Laptops; the internet, and yesterday’s Smartphones.
What is the history of first computer program?
The first computer program to compute was written by Ada Lovelace in the mid 1800s for computing numbers using Charles Babbage’s hypothesized Analytical Engine as part of the first digital computer.
What present day technology is making the most difference to the world?
Artificial intelligence or AI is transforming every industry in some way. All the way from self-driving smart cars, smart health-care known as Personalized medicine, Smart industries, facial recognition systems, analytics, and system forecast, smart personal assistants such as Siri, Alexa to Machine Learning and Neural Networks the existence of technology is changing.
