Technology is the culture of our modern society. Every day we wake up, check our smartphone, get up, dress, check our smartphone, have breakfast and preoccupy ourselves by scrolling social media feeds and checking messages on our smartphone, work on a laptop, check our smartphone, have our lunch, watch tv or consume video content on our tablet, scrap our bed time, binge-watch a series of episodes on our smartphone or tablet, and do it all over again. Technology is all around us, most often subconsciously influencing our actions, impacting our choices, wants, and outcomes. Technology is not just a bunch of devices and toys; it is simply the application of science to achieve a practical or tangible goal. In that sense, technology not only influences but governs how we want or need to live our lives whether it is how we relate to each other, our health, education, every economic sector we work in, cybernetic tools for travel or transportation, how we use our leisure time, and even our thoughts and social behavior.
In this article, we will discuss and consider the general social impacts of technology on our everyday lives, the benefits and problems associated with it, and how it will influence and shape the futures of humans.
A History Of Technology
Technology began almost in its infancy with primitive humans experimenting, designing, making tools often using stone, wood and metals in ancient civilizations. Since that time, over many centuries, humankind has progressed from mastering fire as the singular way in which to cook food and eventually build machines during the industrialization of western civilization that ultimately sparked the 21st century and its currently highest level and form of synthetic intelligence.
innovation and global development
B Technology in Everyday Life
One of the best things about technology is how much it makes our day-to-day lives easier and allows us to do more, faster.
• Communication has been transformed. No more waiting weeks for a letter to arrive. Now, everyone has instant, worldwide, and often free means to communicate with smartphones, emails, and social media platforms.
• Education is more accessible . E-learning platforms, virtual classrooms, and open-source educational tools let students of every demographic and every learning style to learn anytime, anywhere, and at their own pace.
• Healthcare has enhanced. From robotic surgeries and telemedicine to electronic patient records, and digital tools for diagnosis, technology can save a life and allow patients to receive better care.
• Home automation has become more common. Smart homes let people interact with light, temperature, and security systems with their phone or a voice assistant.
• Transportation and logistics are improved and efficient due to GPS, electric vehicles, and automated sorting and delivery systems such as robotic and drone delivery.
Technology in Business and Economic Growth
From a business and economic growth perspective, technology is the engine that drives growth in the economy. Over the last two decades, businesses have steadily become more digital; adopting digital tools, including cloud computing, automated systems, AI, and big data analytics.
Technology in Developing Countries
Technology is becoming a significant enabler of development in regions of the world like Africa, and in countries such as Somalia with mobile money (e.g. Zaad, EVC Plus, and Sahal) digital financial services have opened up access to financial services for millions of people that have no bank accounts.
Farmer are using mobile applications to find out about weather and market prices; teachers are using online resources to enhance their lesson; entrepreneurs are selling products online; youth are learning programming through free online platforms; infrastructure in developing countries is not without its issues, the scale of the opportunity is vast.
However, for developing countries to utilize technology elsewhere in the future, we need to invest in:
• Internet availability;
• Energy availability;
• Basic training or technological education;
• Centers for innovation;
So, youth can be creators of technology, not just consumers?
Technology is the present and the future
The future of technology is both fascinating and unpredictable. Some innovations that we can expect over the next few years include:
• 5G and 6G wireless networks may significantly change the speed of internet access, and in real time;
• Quantum computing could change the landscape of science and medicine;
• Human – machine collaboration or integration – especially brain-computer interfaces (think Neuralink);
• Space travel – we can take some lessons from the companies SpaceX and Blue Origin;
• Smart cities and connected infrastructure for elevated lifestyles
In the same spirit of the emergence of these technologies, we must consider how our law, ethic and educational systems will evolve alongside them.
Conclusion
Technology is not merely a tool with the power to impact the way we live, think, and experience the world; it is an impacting force unto itself. It has the power to help solve complex issues, and improve lives and societies towards future progress. However, as we have learned over time, technology and its future directions are often daunting and with risk for all. Navigating the complexity of challenges we now face in technology requires forethought, ethics, and a global perspective.
Ultimately, if we are to take advantage of the promised advantages of technology, we must work to ensure technology is economically and socially equitable in access. That means changing our educational systems, changing how businesses create with technology, and how individuals adapt to more ethical and appropriate use of technology for their learning and lives.
Ultimately, technology is only as good as the people who use it. If we value that perspective, technology can allow for a much bigger perspective to reach more connected, efficient, and intelligent societies.
