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Introduction Paragraph for Technology Essay: Effective Guide

Table of Contents

The introduction is an integral part of any essay and an excellent opportunity to impact your reader. It sets the tone for the argument and gives the reader an insight into the topic. A good  introduction of essay about technology  comprises three main parts.

The hook grabs the reader’s attention and encourages them to read on. Background presents more details on the topic, and the thesis statement summarizes the essay’s central focus. 

The introduction can be challenging to write, but with some guidance, anyone can master the art of writing a compelling introduction. This guide discusses how to write an effective introductory paragraph for a technology essay.

What is A Technology Essay?

Technology has a significant impact on our society. Its numerous benefits have become a vital part of our life. It has improved and is still improving the efficiency of medicine, transportation, education, entertainment, and more. Technology also impacts social interaction; you can easily find lost friends on social networks. 

A technology essay discusses a technological phenomenon or technological advancement. It could also discuss a personal experience related to a technological issue. Depending on your professor’s instructions, a technology essay could be argumentative, informative, persuasive, or otherwise.

How to Write An Introduction Paragraph For Technology Essay

Like other essays, a technology essay comprises three main parts: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. The introduction provides the reader with an overview of the argument you’ll develop in the body of your essay.

Body of the paper is where you discuss the details of the argument. The conclusion represents the logical ending you reach regarding the idea presented in the essay’s body.

The introduction paragraph of a technology essay should provide context for the technological trends you address and the argument you develop. It should include a hook that will pull the reader in and keep him/her interested.

Here’s how to write a good introduction paragraph .

1. Hook the reader

The essay’s opening sentence sets the tone for the entire piece; it should intrigue the readers and pull them in. Begin with a hook that will grab the reader’s attention, hold their interest and make them want to read the rest of your work.

The hook should be exciting and lead the reader into the essay, giving them an idea of the topic you’re writing about. It should also be clear, catchy, and concise and spark the reader’s curiosity. Here’s how you can grab the attention of your audience.

• Present a shocking statistic or fact.
• Offer an anecdote or a relevant example.
• Ask a thoughtful rhetorical question.

2. Create Context and Provide Background

Now that you have the reader’s attention, provide details on your topic. The next two to three sentences you make should explain how the hook connects to the rest of the essay.

Provide necessary background information to help the readers better understand your argument and the points you intend to make. If you include key terms that may be wrongly interpreted, let your readers know what the term means in your essay.

3. Present Your Thesis

A thesis is the pivot point of your paper, and the single most important idea that you convey in your work. Present the main points you intend to make throughout your essay.

Provide your readers with a roadmap of what you’ll cover in the rest of the paper to support your thesis statement. The last sentence of your introduction should allow smooth transition into the body of the essay.

Introduction of Essay About Technology

Technology has made our lives more comfortable. The products we use, our lifestyle, and our society are products of technology. Without technological advancements, the world would be different and most likely unrecognizable to us. Today, technology extends to every part of our life. Experts, business entrepreneurs, and non-professionals use technology to expand their livelihoods. However, with the good comes bad. Technology, quite frankly, harms society. Pollution, cybercrime, and war are only a few of the effects of technology on society. But does the good outweigh the bad? 

Technology has impacted modern life immensely. It has drastically changed our world. We now travel in planes and cars and have better health facilities and education. We also have ways to communicate with people worldwide in seconds. However, these increased levels of technology did not come about by accident. It resulted from planned and systematic research by a group of people. 

Technology is giving us a new shape. We’ve made more progress in the last 200 years than in the previous 20000 years. Earth has become a global village where most countries and people can connect through the internet, but it has some deadly consequences. Many countries have nuclear weapons, global warming and growing Co2 emissions threaten the existence of the whole population.

With the advent of technology, we are making such amazing developments that couldn’t even be imagined 100 or 200 years ago. We’ve found cures for deadly diseases, we’re constantly working on education, and most people have freedom to express themselves. Science has made huge leaps, but at the same time new diseases, deadlier than before, kill millions of people every year.

Technology is the application of information for building and developing devices and equipment that can be used in diverse ways. We live a very active day-to-day life with technology today. While technology has done a lot to make life easier for everyone, it has also had a few adverse effects that can’t be ignored. Here’s a look at how technology has affected our lives and how we can balance it to overcome it.

Example 6 

Technology has changed society drastically. Before modern technology came along, life was too hard, and everyday chores took up a lot of time. We’re getting many opportunities out of technologies that play a significant role in our lives. Access to medicine, education, industry, and transportation is easier. Our lives have changed dramatically. 

A technology essay can be tricky to write, but a good essay introduction paragraph is key to the successful execution of your topic .

The introduction to a technology essay must be clear, concise, and persuasive to draw the reader in. It should establish the topic and provide as much detail as possible to help readers understand and empathize with the topic. This guide on introduction of essay about technology would help you write a gripping essay introduction.

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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• Technology Essay

Essay on Technology

The word "technology" and its uses have immensely changed since the 20th century, and with time, it has continued to evolve ever since. We are living in a world driven by technology. The advancement of technology has played an important role in the development of human civilization, along with cultural changes. Technology provides innovative ways of doing work through various smart and innovative means. 

Electronic appliances, gadgets, faster modes of communication, and transport have added to the comfort factor in our lives. It has helped in improving the productivity of individuals and different business enterprises. Technology has brought a revolution in many operational fields. It has undoubtedly made a very important contribution to the progress that mankind has made over the years.

The Advancement of Technology:

Technology has reduced the effort and time and increased the efficiency of the production requirements in every field. It has made our lives easy, comfortable, healthy, and enjoyable. It has brought a revolution in transport and communication. The advancement of technology, along with science, has helped us to become self-reliant in all spheres of life. With the innovation of a particular technology, it becomes part of society and integral to human lives after a point in time.

Technology is Our Part of Life:

Technology has changed our day-to-day lives. Technology has brought the world closer and better connected. Those days have passed when only the rich could afford such luxuries. Because of the rise of globalisation and liberalisation, all luxuries are now within the reach of the average person. Today, an average middle-class family can afford a mobile phone, a television, a washing machine, a refrigerator, a computer, the Internet, etc. At the touch of a switch, a man can witness any event that is happening in far-off places.  

Benefits of Technology in All Fields: 

We cannot escape technology; it has improved the quality of life and brought about revolutions in various fields of modern-day society, be it communication, transportation, education, healthcare, and many more. Let us learn about it.

Technology in Communication:

With the advent of technology in communication, which includes telephones, fax machines, cellular phones, the Internet, multimedia, and email, communication has become much faster and easier. It has transformed and influenced relationships in many ways. We no longer need to rely on sending physical letters and waiting for several days for a response. Technology has made communication so simple that you can connect with anyone from anywhere by calling them via mobile phone or messaging them using different messaging apps that are easy to download.

Innovation in communication technology has had an immense influence on social life. Human socialising has become easier by using social networking sites, dating, and even matrimonial services available on mobile applications and websites.

Today, the Internet is used for shopping, paying utility bills, credit card bills, admission fees, e-commerce, and online banking. In the world of marketing, many companies are marketing and selling their products and creating brands over the internet. 

In the field of travel, cities, towns, states, and countries are using the web to post detailed tourist and event information. Travellers across the globe can easily find information on tourism, sightseeing, places to stay, weather, maps, timings for events, transportation schedules, and buy tickets to various tourist spots and destinations.

Technology in the Office or Workplace:

Technology has increased efficiency and flexibility in the workspace. Technology has made it easy to work remotely, which has increased the productivity of the employees. External and internal communication has become faster through emails and apps. Automation has saved time, and there is also a reduction in redundancy in tasks. Robots are now being used to manufacture products that consistently deliver the same product without defect until the robot itself fails. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technology are innovations that are being deployed across industries to reap benefits.

Technology has wiped out the manual way of storing files. Now files are stored in the cloud, which can be accessed at any time and from anywhere. With technology, companies can make quick decisions, act faster towards solutions, and remain adaptable. Technology has optimised the usage of resources and connected businesses worldwide. For example, if the customer is based in America, he can have the services delivered from India. They can communicate with each other in an instant. Every company uses business technology like virtual meeting tools, corporate social networks, tablets, and smart customer relationship management applications that accelerate the fast movement of data and information.

Technology in Education:

Technology is making the education industry improve over time. With technology, students and parents have a variety of learning tools at their fingertips. Teachers can coordinate with classrooms across the world and share their ideas and resources online. Students can get immediate access to an abundance of good information on the Internet. Teachers and students can access plenty of resources available on the web and utilise them for their project work, research, etc. Online learning has changed our perception of education. 

The COVID-19 pandemic brought a paradigm shift using technology where school-going kids continued their studies from home and schools facilitated imparting education by their teachers online from home. Students have learned and used 21st-century skills and tools, like virtual classrooms, AR (Augmented Reality), robots, etc. All these have increased communication and collaboration significantly. 

Technology in Banking:

Technology and banking are now inseparable. Technology has boosted digital transformation in how the banking industry works and has vastly improved banking services for their customers across the globe.

Technology has made banking operations very sophisticated and has reduced errors to almost nil, which were somewhat prevalent with manual human activities. Banks are adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) to increase their efficiency and profits. With the emergence of Internet banking, self-service tools have replaced the traditional methods of banking. 

You can now access your money, handle transactions like paying bills, money transfers, and online purchases from merchants, and monitor your bank statements anytime and from anywhere in the world. Technology has made banking more secure and safe. You do not need to carry cash in your pocket or wallet; the payments can be made digitally using e-wallets. Mobile banking, banking apps, and cybersecurity are changing the face of the banking industry.

Manufacturing and Production Industry Automation:

At present, manufacturing industries are using all the latest technologies, ranging from big data analytics to artificial intelligence. Big data, ARVR (Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality), and IoT (Internet of Things) are the biggest manufacturing industry players. Automation has increased the level of productivity in various fields. It has reduced labour costs, increased efficiency, and reduced the cost of production.

For example, 3D printing is used to design and develop prototypes in the automobile industry. Repetitive work is being done easily with the help of robots without any waste of time. This has also reduced the cost of the products. 

Technology in the Healthcare Industry:

Technological advancements in the healthcare industry have not only improved our personal quality of life and longevity; they have also improved the lives of many medical professionals and students who are training to become medical experts. It has allowed much faster access to the medical records of each patient. 

The Internet has drastically transformed patients' and doctors’ relationships. Everyone can stay up to date on the latest medical discoveries, share treatment information, and offer one another support when dealing with medical issues. Modern technology has allowed us to contact doctors from the comfort of our homes. There are many sites and apps through which we can contact doctors and get medical help. 

Breakthrough innovations in surgery, artificial organs, brain implants, and networked sensors are examples of transformative developments in the healthcare industry. Hospitals use different tools and applications to perform their administrative tasks, using digital marketing to promote their services.

Technology in Agriculture:

Today, farmers work very differently than they would have decades ago. Data analytics and robotics have built a productive food system. Digital innovations are being used for plant breeding and harvesting equipment. Software and mobile devices are helping farmers harvest better. With various data and information available to farmers, they can make better-informed decisions, for example, tracking the amount of carbon stored in soil and helping with climate change.

Disadvantages of Technology:

People have become dependent on various gadgets and machines, resulting in a lack of physical activity and tempting people to lead an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. Even though technology has increased the productivity of individuals, organisations, and the nation, it has not increased the efficiency of machines. Machines cannot plan and think beyond the instructions that are fed into their system. Technology alone is not enough for progress and prosperity. Management is required, and management is a human act. Technology is largely dependent on human intervention. 

Computers and smartphones have led to an increase in social isolation. Young children are spending more time surfing the internet, playing games, and ignoring their real lives. Usage of technology is also resulting in job losses and distracting students from learning. Technology has been a reason for the production of weapons of destruction.

Dependency on technology is also increasing privacy concerns and cyber crimes, giving way to hackers.

FAQs on Technology Essay

1. What is technology?

Technology refers to innovative ways of doing work through various smart means. The advancement of technology has played an important role in the development of human civilization. It has helped in improving the productivity of individuals and businesses.

2. How has technology changed the face of banking?

Technology has made banking operations very sophisticated. With the emergence of Internet banking, self-service tools have replaced the traditional methods of banking. You can now access your money, handle transactions, and monitor your bank statements anytime and from anywhere in the world. Technology has made banking more secure and safe.

3. How has technology brought a revolution in the medical field?

Patients and doctors keep each other up to date on the most recent medical discoveries, share treatment information, and offer each other support when dealing with medical issues. It has allowed much faster access to the medical records of each patient. Modern technology has allowed us to contact doctors from the comfort of our homes. There are many websites and mobile apps through which we can contact doctors and get medical help.

4. Are we dependent on technology?

Yes, today, we are becoming increasingly dependent on technology. Computers, smartphones, and modern technology have helped humanity achieve success and progress. However, in hindsight, people need to continuously build a healthy lifestyle, sorting out personal problems that arise due to technological advancements in different aspects of human life.

Feb 13, 2023

200-500 Word Example Essays about Technology

Got an essay assignment about technology check out these examples to inspire you.

Technology is a rapidly evolving field that has completely changed the way we live, work, and interact with one another. Technology has profoundly impacted our daily lives, from how we communicate with friends and family to how we access information and complete tasks. As a result, it's no surprise that technology is a popular topic for students writing essays.

But writing a technology essay can be challenging, especially for those needing more time or help with writer's block. This is where Jenni.ai comes in. Jenni.ai is an innovative AI tool explicitly designed for students who need help writing essays. With Jenni.ai, students can quickly and easily generate essays on various topics, including technology.

This blog post aims to provide readers with various example essays on technology, all generated by Jenni.ai. These essays will be a valuable resource for students looking for inspiration or guidance as they work on their essays. By reading through these example essays, students can better understand how technology can be approached and discussed in an essay.

Moreover, by signing up for a free trial with Jenni.ai, students can take advantage of this innovative tool and receive even more support as they work on their essays. Jenni.ai is designed to help students write essays faster and more efficiently, so they can focus on what truly matters – learning and growing as a student. Whether you're a student who is struggling with writer's block or simply looking for a convenient way to generate essays on a wide range of topics, Jenni.ai is the perfect solution.

The Impact of Technology on Society and Culture

Introduction:.

Technology has become an integral part of our daily lives and has dramatically impacted how we interact, communicate, and carry out various activities. Technological advancements have brought positive and negative changes to society and culture. In this article, we will explore the impact of technology on society and culture and how it has influenced different aspects of our lives.

Positive impact on communication:

Technology has dramatically improved communication and made it easier for people to connect from anywhere in the world. Social media platforms, instant messaging, and video conferencing have brought people closer, bridging geographical distances and cultural differences. This has made it easier for people to share information, exchange ideas, and collaborate on projects.

Positive impact on education:

Students and instructors now have access to a multitude of knowledge and resources because of the effect of technology on education . Students may now study at their speed and from any location thanks to online learning platforms, educational applications, and digital textbooks.

Negative impact on critical thinking and creativity:

Technological advancements have resulted in a reduction in critical thinking and creativity. With so much information at our fingertips, individuals have become more passive in their learning, relying on the internet for solutions rather than logic and inventiveness. As a result, independent thinking and problem-solving abilities have declined.

Positive impact on entertainment:

Technology has transformed how we access and consume entertainment. People may now access a wide range of entertainment alternatives from the comfort of their own homes thanks to streaming services, gaming platforms, and online content makers. The entertainment business has entered a new age of creativity and invention as a result of this.

Negative impact on attention span:

However, the continual bombardment of information and technological stimulation has also reduced attention span and the capacity to focus. People are easily distracted and need help focusing on a single activity for a long time. This has hampered productivity and the ability to accomplish duties.

The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning

The development of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies has been one of the most significant technological developments of the past several decades. These cutting-edge technologies have the potential to alter several sectors of society, including commerce, industry, healthcare, and entertainment. 

As with any new and quickly advancing technology, AI and ML ethics must be carefully studied. The usage of these technologies presents significant concerns around privacy, accountability, and command. As the use of AI and ML grows more ubiquitous, we must assess their possible influence on society and investigate the ethical issues that must be taken into account as these technologies continue to develop.

What are Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning?

Artificial Intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence in machines designed to think and act like humans. Machine learning is a subfield of AI that enables computers to learn from data and improve their performance over time without being explicitly programmed.

The impact of AI and ML on Society

The use of AI and ML in various industries, such as healthcare, finance, and retail, has brought many benefits. For example, AI-powered medical diagnosis systems can identify diseases faster and more accurately than human doctors. However, there are also concerns about job displacement and the potential for AI to perpetuate societal biases.

The Ethical Considerations of AI and ML

A. Bias in AI algorithms

One of the critical ethical concerns about AI and ML is the potential for algorithms to perpetuate existing biases. This can occur if the data used to train these algorithms reflects the preferences of the people who created it. As a result, AI systems can perpetuate these biases and discriminate against certain groups of people.

B. Responsibility for AI-generated decisions

Another ethical concern is the responsibility for decisions made by AI systems. For example, who is responsible for the damage if a self-driving car causes an accident? The manufacturer of the vehicle, the software developer, or the AI algorithm itself?

C. The potential for misuse of AI and ML

AI and ML can also be used for malicious purposes, such as cyberattacks and misinformation. The need for more regulation and oversight in developing and using these technologies makes it difficult to prevent misuse.

The developments in AI and ML have given numerous benefits to humanity, but they also present significant ethical concerns that must be addressed. We must assess the repercussions of new technologies on society, implement methods to limit the associated dangers, and guarantee that they are utilized for the greater good. As AI and ML continue to play an ever-increasing role in our daily lives, we must engage in an open and frank discussion regarding their ethics.

The Future of Work And Automation

Rapid technological breakthroughs in recent years have brought about considerable changes in our way of life and work. Concerns regarding the influence of artificial intelligence and machine learning on the future of work and employment have increased alongside the development of these technologies. This article will examine the possible advantages and disadvantages of automation and its influence on the labor market, employees, and the economy.

The Advantages of Automation

Automation in the workplace offers various benefits, including higher efficiency and production, fewer mistakes, and enhanced precision. Automated processes may accomplish repetitive jobs quickly and precisely, allowing employees to concentrate on more complex and creative activities. Additionally, automation may save organizations money since it removes the need to pay for labor and minimizes the danger of workplace accidents.

The Potential Disadvantages of Automation

However, automation has significant disadvantages, including job loss and income stagnation. As robots and computers replace human labor in particular industries, there is a danger that many workers may lose their jobs, resulting in higher unemployment and more significant economic disparity. Moreover, if automation is not adequately regulated and managed, it might lead to stagnant wages and a deterioration in employees' standard of life.

The Future of Work and Automation

Despite these difficulties, automation will likely influence how labor is done. As a result, firms, employees, and governments must take early measures to solve possible issues and reap the rewards of automation. This might entail funding worker retraining programs, enhancing education and skill development, and implementing regulations that support equality and justice at work.

IV. The Need for Ethical Considerations

We must consider the ethical ramifications of automation and its effects on society as technology develops. The impact on employees and their rights, possible hazards to privacy and security, and the duty of corporations and governments to ensure that automation is utilized responsibly and ethically are all factors to be taken into account.

Conclusion:

To summarise, the future of employment and automation will most certainly be defined by a complex interaction of technological advances, economic trends, and cultural ideals. All stakeholders must work together to handle the problems and possibilities presented by automation and ensure that technology is employed to benefit society as a whole.

The Role of Technology in Education

Introduction.

Nearly every part of our lives has been transformed by technology, and education is no different. Today's students have greater access to knowledge, opportunities, and resources than ever before, and technology is becoming a more significant part of their educational experience. Technology is transforming how we think about education and creating new opportunities for learners of all ages, from online courses and virtual classrooms to instructional applications and augmented reality.

Technology's Benefits for Education

The capacity to tailor learning is one of technology's most significant benefits in education. Students may customize their education to meet their unique needs and interests since they can access online information and tools. 

For instance, people can enroll in online classes on topics they are interested in, get tailored feedback on their work, and engage in virtual discussions with peers and subject matter experts worldwide. As a result, pupils are better able to acquire and develop the abilities and information necessary for success.

Challenges and Concerns

Despite the numerous advantages of technology in education, there are also obstacles and considerations to consider. One issue is the growing reliance on technology and the possibility that pupils would become overly dependent on it. This might result in a lack of critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, as students may become passive learners who only follow instructions and rely on technology to complete their assignments.

Another obstacle is the digital divide between those who have access to technology and those who do not. This division can exacerbate the achievement gap between pupils and produce uneven educational and professional growth chances. To reduce these consequences, all students must have access to the technology and resources necessary for success.

In conclusion, technology is rapidly becoming an integral part of the classroom experience and has the potential to alter the way we learn radically. 

Technology can help students flourish and realize their full potential by giving them access to individualized instruction, tools, and opportunities. While the benefits of technology in the classroom are undeniable, it's crucial to be mindful of the risks and take precautions to guarantee that all kids have access to the tools they need to thrive.

The Influence of Technology On Personal Relationships And Communication 

Technological advancements have profoundly altered how individuals connect and exchange information. It has changed the world in many ways in only a few decades. Because of the rise of the internet and various social media sites, maintaining relationships with people from all walks of life is now simpler than ever. 

However, concerns about how these developments may affect interpersonal connections and dialogue are inevitable in an era of rapid technological growth. In this piece, we'll discuss how the prevalence of digital media has altered our interpersonal connections and the language we use to express ourselves.

Direct Effect on Direct Interaction:

The disruption of face-to-face communication is a particularly stark example of how technology has impacted human connections. The quality of interpersonal connections has suffered due to people's growing preference for digital over human communication. Technology has been demonstrated to reduce the usage of nonverbal signs such as facial expressions, tone of voice, and other indicators of emotional investment in the connection.

Positive Impact on Long-Distance Relationships:

Yet there are positives to be found as well. Long-distance relationships have also benefited from technological advancements. The development of technologies such as video conferencing, instant messaging, and social media has made it possible for individuals to keep in touch with distant loved ones. It has become simpler for individuals to stay in touch and feel connected despite geographical distance.

The Effects of Social Media on Personal Connections:

The widespread use of social media has had far-reaching consequences, especially on the quality of interpersonal interactions. Social media has positive and harmful effects on relationships since it allows people to keep in touch and share life's milestones.

Unfortunately, social media has made it all too easy to compare oneself to others, which may lead to emotions of jealousy and a general decline in confidence. Furthermore, social media might cause people to have inflated expectations of themselves and their relationships.

A Personal Perspective on the Intersection of Technology and Romance

Technological advancements have also altered physical touch and closeness. Virtual reality and other technologies have allowed people to feel physical contact and familiarity in a digital setting. This might be a promising breakthrough, but it has some potential downsides. 

Experts are concerned that people's growing dependence on technology for intimacy may lead to less time spent communicating face-to-face and less emphasis on physical contact, both of which are important for maintaining good relationships.

In conclusion, technological advancements have significantly affected the quality of interpersonal connections and the exchange of information. Even though technology has made it simpler to maintain personal relationships, it has chilled interpersonal interactions between people. 

Keeping tabs on how technology is changing our lives and making adjustments as necessary is essential as we move forward. Boundaries and prioritizing in-person conversation and physical touch in close relationships may help reduce the harm it causes.

The Security and Privacy Implications of Increased Technology Use and Data Collection

The fast development of technology over the past few decades has made its way into every aspect of our life. Technology has improved many facets of our life, from communication to commerce. However, significant privacy and security problems have emerged due to the broad adoption of technology. In this essay, we'll look at how the widespread use of technological solutions and the subsequent explosion in collected data affects our right to privacy and security.

Data Mining and Privacy Concerns

Risk of Cyber Attacks and Data Loss

The Widespread Use of Encryption and Other Safety Mechanisms

The Privacy and Security of the Future in a Globalized Information Age

Obtaining and Using Individual Information

The acquisition and use of private information is a significant cause for privacy alarm in the digital age. Data about their customers' online habits, interests, and personal information is a valuable commodity for many internet firms. Besides tailored advertising, this information may be used for other, less desirable things like identity theft or cyber assaults.

Moreover, many individuals need to be made aware of what data is being gathered from them or how it is being utilized because of the lack of transparency around gathering personal information. Privacy and data security have become increasingly contentious as a result.

Data breaches and other forms of cyber-attack pose a severe risk.

The risk of cyber assaults and data breaches is another big issue of worry. More people are using more devices, which means more opportunities for cybercriminals to steal private information like credit card numbers and other identifying data. This may cause monetary damages and harm one's reputation or identity.

Many high-profile data breaches have occurred in recent years, exposing the personal information of millions of individuals and raising serious concerns about the safety of this information. Companies and governments have responded to this problem by adopting new security methods like encryption and multi-factor authentication.

Many businesses now use encryption and other security measures to protect themselves from cybercriminals and data thieves. Encryption keeps sensitive information hidden by encoding it so that only those possessing the corresponding key can decipher it. This prevents private information like bank account numbers or social security numbers from falling into the wrong hands.

Firewalls, virus scanners, and two-factor authentication are all additional security precautions that may be used with encryption. While these safeguards do much to stave against cyber assaults, they are not entirely impregnable, and data breaches are still possible.

The Future of Privacy and Security in a Technologically Advanced World

There's little doubt that concerns about privacy and security will persist even as technology improves. There must be strict safeguards to secure people's private information as more and more of it is transferred and kept digitally. To achieve this goal, it may be necessary to implement novel technologies and heightened levels of protection and to revise the rules and regulations regulating the collection and storage of private information.

Individuals and businesses are understandably concerned about the security and privacy consequences of widespread technological use and data collecting. There are numerous obstacles to overcome in a society where technology plays an increasingly important role, from acquiring and using personal data to the risk of cyber-attacks and data breaches. Companies and governments must keep spending money on security measures and working to educate people about the significance of privacy and security if personal data is to remain safe.

In conclusion, technology has profoundly impacted virtually every aspect of our lives, including society and culture, ethics, work, education, personal relationships, and security and privacy. The rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning has presented new ethical considerations, while automation is transforming the future of work. 

In education, technology has revolutionized the way we learn and access information. At the same time, our dependence on technology has brought new challenges in terms of personal relationships, communication, security, and privacy.

Jenni.ai is an AI tool that can help students write essays easily and quickly. Whether you're looking, for example, for essays on any of these topics or are seeking assistance in writing your essay, Jenni.ai offers a convenient solution. Sign up for a free trial today and experience the benefits of AI-powered writing assistance for yourself.

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• How to structure an essay: Templates and tips

How to Structure an Essay | Tips & Templates

Published on September 18, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

The basic structure of an essay always consists of an introduction , a body , and a conclusion . But for many students, the most difficult part of structuring an essay is deciding how to organize information within the body.

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Table of contents

The basics of essay structure, chronological structure, compare-and-contrast structure, problems-methods-solutions structure, signposting to clarify your structure, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about essay structure.

There are two main things to keep in mind when working on your essay structure: making sure to include the right information in each part, and deciding how you’ll organize the information within the body.

Parts of an essay

The three parts that make up all essays are described in the table below.

Order of information

You’ll also have to consider how to present information within the body. There are a few general principles that can guide you here.

The first is that your argument should move from the simplest claim to the most complex . The body of a good argumentative essay often begins with simple and widely accepted claims, and then moves towards more complex and contentious ones.

For example, you might begin by describing a generally accepted philosophical concept, and then apply it to a new topic. The grounding in the general concept will allow the reader to understand your unique application of it.

The second principle is that background information should appear towards the beginning of your essay . General background is presented in the introduction. If you have additional background to present, this information will usually come at the start of the body.

The third principle is that everything in your essay should be relevant to the thesis . Ask yourself whether each piece of information advances your argument or provides necessary background. And make sure that the text clearly expresses each piece of information’s relevance.

The sections below present several organizational templates for essays: the chronological approach, the compare-and-contrast approach, and the problems-methods-solutions approach.

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The chronological approach (sometimes called the cause-and-effect approach) is probably the simplest way to structure an essay. It just means discussing events in the order in which they occurred, discussing how they are related (i.e. the cause and effect involved) as you go.

A chronological approach can be useful when your essay is about a series of events. Don’t rule out other approaches, though—even when the chronological approach is the obvious one, you might be able to bring out more with a different structure.

Explore the tabs below to see a general template and a specific example outline from an essay on the invention of the printing press.

• Thesis statement
• Discussion of event/period
• Consequences
• Importance of topic
• Strong closing statement
• Claim that the printing press marks the end of the Middle Ages
• Background on the low levels of literacy before the printing press
• Thesis statement: The invention of the printing press increased circulation of information in Europe, paving the way for the Reformation
• High levels of illiteracy in medieval Europe
• Literacy and thus knowledge and education were mainly the domain of religious and political elites
• Consequence: this discouraged political and religious change
• Invention of the printing press in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg
• Implications of the new technology for book production
• Consequence: Rapid spread of the technology and the printing of the Gutenberg Bible
• Trend for translating the Bible into vernacular languages during the years following the printing press’s invention
• Luther’s own translation of the Bible during the Reformation
• Consequence: The large-scale effects the Reformation would have on religion and politics
• Summarize the history described
• Stress the significance of the printing press to the events of this period

Essays with two or more main subjects are often structured around comparing and contrasting . For example, a literary analysis essay might compare two different texts, and an argumentative essay might compare the strengths of different arguments.

There are two main ways of structuring a compare-and-contrast essay: the alternating method, and the block method.

Alternating

In the alternating method, each paragraph compares your subjects in terms of a specific point of comparison. These points of comparison are therefore what defines each paragraph.

The tabs below show a general template for this structure, and a specific example for an essay comparing and contrasting distance learning with traditional classroom learning.

• Synthesis of arguments
• Topical relevance of distance learning in lockdown
• Increasing prevalence of distance learning over the last decade
• Thesis statement: While distance learning has certain advantages, it introduces multiple new accessibility issues that must be addressed for it to be as effective as classroom learning
• Classroom learning: Ease of identifying difficulties and privately discussing them
• Distance learning: Difficulty of noticing and unobtrusively helping
• Classroom learning: Difficulties accessing the classroom (disability, distance travelled from home)
• Distance learning: Difficulties with online work (lack of tech literacy, unreliable connection, distractions)
• Classroom learning: Tends to encourage personal engagement among students and with teacher, more relaxed social environment
• Distance learning: Greater ability to reach out to teacher privately
• Sum up, emphasize that distance learning introduces more difficulties than it solves
• Stress the importance of addressing issues with distance learning as it becomes increasingly common
• Distance learning may prove to be the future, but it still has a long way to go

In the block method, each subject is covered all in one go, potentially across multiple paragraphs. For example, you might write two paragraphs about your first subject and then two about your second subject, making comparisons back to the first.

The tabs again show a general template, followed by another essay on distance learning, this time with the body structured in blocks.

• Point 1 (compare)
• Point 2 (compare)
• Point 3 (compare)
• Point 4 (compare)
• Advantages: Flexibility, accessibility
• Disadvantages: Discomfort, challenges for those with poor internet or tech literacy
• Advantages: Potential for teacher to discuss issues with a student in a separate private call
• Disadvantages: Difficulty of identifying struggling students and aiding them unobtrusively, lack of personal interaction among students
• Advantages: More accessible to those with low tech literacy, equality of all sharing one learning environment
• Disadvantages: Students must live close enough to attend, commutes may vary, classrooms not always accessible for disabled students
• Advantages: Ease of picking up on signs a student is struggling, more personal interaction among students
• Disadvantages: May be harder for students to approach teacher privately in person to raise issues

An essay that concerns a specific problem (practical or theoretical) may be structured according to the problems-methods-solutions approach.

This is just what it sounds like: You define the problem, characterize a method or theory that may solve it, and finally analyze the problem, using this method or theory to arrive at a solution. If the problem is theoretical, the solution might be the analysis you present in the essay itself; otherwise, you might just present a proposed solution.

The tabs below show a template for this structure and an example outline for an essay about the problem of fake news.

• Introduce the problem
• Provide background
• Describe your approach to solving it
• Define the problem precisely
• Describe why it’s important
• Indicate previous approaches to the problem
• Present your new approach, and why it’s better
• Apply the new method or theory to the problem
• Indicate the solution you arrive at by doing so
• Assess (potential or actual) effectiveness of solution
• Describe the implications
• Problem: The growth of “fake news” online
• Prevalence of polarized/conspiracy-focused news sources online
• Thesis statement: Rather than attempting to stamp out online fake news through social media moderation, an effective approach to combating it must work with educational institutions to improve media literacy
• Definition: Deliberate disinformation designed to spread virally online
• Popularization of the term, growth of the phenomenon
• Previous approaches: Labeling and moderation on social media platforms
• Critique: This approach feeds conspiracies; the real solution is to improve media literacy so users can better identify fake news
• Greater emphasis should be placed on media literacy education in schools
• This allows people to assess news sources independently, rather than just being told which ones to trust
• This is a long-term solution but could be highly effective
• It would require significant organization and investment, but would equip people to judge news sources more effectively
• Rather than trying to contain the spread of fake news, we must teach the next generation not to fall for it

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Signposting means guiding the reader through your essay with language that describes or hints at the structure of what follows.  It can help you clarify your structure for yourself as well as helping your reader follow your ideas.

The essay overview

In longer essays whose body is split into multiple named sections, the introduction often ends with an overview of the rest of the essay. This gives a brief description of the main idea or argument of each section.

The overview allows the reader to immediately understand what will be covered in the essay and in what order. Though it describes what  comes later in the text, it is generally written in the present tense . The following example is from a literary analysis essay on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein .

Transitions

Transition words and phrases are used throughout all good essays to link together different ideas. They help guide the reader through your text, and an essay that uses them effectively will be much easier to follow.

Various different relationships can be expressed by transition words, as shown in this example.

Because Hitler failed to respond to the British ultimatum, France and the UK declared war on Germany. Although it was an outcome the Allies had hoped to avoid, they were prepared to back up their ultimatum in order to combat the existential threat posed by the Third Reich.

Transition sentences may be included to transition between different paragraphs or sections of an essay. A good transition sentence moves the reader on to the next topic while indicating how it relates to the previous one.

… Distance learning, then, seems to improve accessibility in some ways while representing a step backwards in others.

However , considering the issue of personal interaction among students presents a different picture.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

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The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

An essay isn’t just a loose collection of facts and ideas. Instead, it should be centered on an overarching argument (summarized in your thesis statement ) that every part of the essay relates to.

The way you structure your essay is crucial to presenting your argument coherently. A well-structured essay helps your reader follow the logic of your ideas and understand your overall point.

Comparisons in essays are generally structured in one of two ways:

• The alternating method, where you compare your subjects side by side according to one specific aspect at a time.
• The block method, where you cover each subject separately in its entirety.

It’s also possible to combine both methods, for example by writing a full paragraph on each of your topics and then a final paragraph contrasting the two according to a specific metric.

You should try to follow your outline as you write your essay . However, if your ideas change or it becomes clear that your structure could be better, it’s okay to depart from your essay outline . Just make sure you know why you’re doing so.

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• School Education /

Essay on Technology

• Updated on  
• Aug 25, 2023

The word technology comes from the Greek words ‘techne’ and ‘logos’. ‘Techne’ means skill, art, or craft, and ‘logos’ means a word, expression, or saying that can convey an idea. Therefore, technology means conveying an idea through skills or art.

Technology refers to the practical application of scientific knowledge to change or manipulate the human environment. Examples include artificial intelligence, printing, the internet, computers, and augmented reality. Students in grades 6-12 may be asked to write an essay on technology, and we have provided sample essays for reference.

This Blog Includes:

100 words essay on technology boon or bane in english, 200 words essay on technology, 800+ words essay on technology, 7+ interesting facts about technology.

Also Read: Top Tech Courses in 2023

Also Read: Leverage Edu Reviews Career in Artificial Intelligence

Also Read: Here Are the World’s Top Tech YouTubers 

Here are some interesting facts about technology. These facts can be added while writing the essay on technology.  An essay on technology must include a proper introduction, body, and conclusion.

• The word technology was first used by Aristotle in 330 BC.
• Xerox is not the verb for photocopying. It is the name of the company that invented the technology.
• The first product of Nokia was toilet paper
• Amazon’s Alexa listens to the user’s conversations
• The Bitcoin founders’ identity has not yet been verified by anyone
• Japan offers the fastest internet connection in the world. That is, it is 319 terabits per second
• The word ‘robot’ has been taken from a Czech word. It means ‘forced labour’
• More than 92% of the world’s money is stored digitally.

A. The introduction of an essay on technology must include the main details about technology. The origin of technology terms, top technological innovations, and the impact of technology can be discussed in the introductory paragraph. However, it is important to make the introduction short, crisp, and engaging.

A. An essay on technology means the student must write about technology in a detailed manner. That is, the essay must include an introduction, body, and conclusion. Moreover, the student can add details about the history, advantages, and disadvantages of technology in the body of the essay.

A. There are several benefits of technology. Some of them are simplification of tasks, breaking the distance barrier, easy and fast access to information, providing entertainment, increasing effectiveness of task completion, and increased productivity and life expectancy.

Technology has its benefits and drawbacks. Hence while writing an essay on technology it is important to include both advantages and disadvantages. An essay on technology must follow a proper format. That is, it must contain an introduction, body, and conclusion. To discover more articles like this one consult the study abroad experts at Leverage Edu.

Blessy George

Blessy George works as a Content Marketing Associate at Leverage Edu. She has completed her M.A. in Political Science and has experience working as an Intern with CashKaro. She has written extensively on studying abroad, English Test preparation, visas, and online courses. During her free time, she likes to read and write poetry, and songs.

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Part Three: Production and Structures

35 Technology and the Body

A second body of literature surrounding technology and mediation relates to the ways in which technology can be understood to relate to the human body. As we saw in the previous section, one way that this relationship has been theorised is Marshall McLuhan’s argument that technology extends the human body into the environment. This approach assumes that that was an essential human body which pre-exists technological relations, which can then be extended through technological prosthesis. The three approaches to technology and the body can be understood as challenging this assumption that being human can be separated from being technological, suggesting in quite different ways that humans and technology cannot be separated, and that being human is also about being technological.

This is quite different from the type of thought which has largely dominated Western philosophical thought for hundreds of years, in which nature, culture, humans and technology are understood as being incommensurate with one another. Inspired by the findings of the science of cybernetics and related systems theories such as chaos and complexity theory, writers like Donna Haraway , and artists such as Stelarc have explored how the couplings of contemporary technologies and the body break down the barriers between nature and culture, human and technology. The links below lead to Stelarc’s online catalogue of performance art projects which visually and conceptually engage with a series of issues surrounding technology and body. The interview with Haraway presents some of the conceptual work around her notion that by the 1980s we had all become cyborgs – part human part machine – and how this alters our understandings of how technology and ethics can be approached.

Stelarc – Projects http://stelarc.org/?catID=20247

You Are Cyborg – An Interview with Donna Haraway http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/5.02/ffharaway_pr.html

Whilst Haraway and Stelarc provide ways of thinking about how technologies are incorporated into the body, there has been considerable interest recently in the emerging field of biotechnology , in which bodies are not merely augmented through technologies, but are instead modified and mediated at the design stage. Whilst you may be familiar with some of the debates surrounding the use of genetically modified food or the ethics of cloning, the two videos below demonstrate two different perspectives on contemporary usages of biotechnology. Ray Kurzweil provides an optimistic perspective on the variety of ways that biotechnology could be used to enhance various relationships, whilst Paul Root Wolpe examines some of the ethical quandaries which are raised through the possibilities which biotechnologies offers, questions which are going to become increasingly relevant as the technologies mature.

A final area surrounding technology and the body which has recently gained a lot of coverage in both academic writing and mainstream media, surrounds cognitive neuroscience and in particular the phenomena of neuroplasticity . It is now known that the human brain develops neural pathways according to the type of environment in which it exists. Humans are born with far more synaptic pathways than they will have as adults, as through a process called synaptogenesis the pathways which are not used disappear, whilst those which are used are strengthened. Whilst the traditional debate surrounding humans tended to oppose nature and nurture, we now know that human ‘nature’ is to be plastic, malleable and adaptable to the type of environment in which we find ourselves.

As the texts below from N Katherine Hayles and Nicholas Carr argue, a huge part of contemporary life is experienced through technological mediation. For example it is often thought that children today spend far more time with various forms of media than they do learning from their parents. Consequently, there have been a range of discussions considering what the implications are of this understanding that our relationships with our environment and technologies are altering the wiring of our brains. Both Hayles and Carr suggest that forms of attention are being modified through this process, and that broadly this can be characterised as a shift from sustained and deep engagement with singular texts to a shallow engagement with multiple forms of media, which Hayles terms hyper attention, and connects with the rise in cases of attention deficit disorder.

Nichols Carr – The Web Shatters Focus & Rewires Brains http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/05/ff_nicholas_carr/

N Katherine Hayles – Deep and Hyper Attention: The Generational Divide in Cognitive Modes http://engl449_spring2010_01.commons.yale.edu/files/2009/11/hayles.pdf

Paying Attention – A conference concerning the Attention Economy from DCRC on Vimeo .

Video From Vimeo BY DCRC

• List some ways that technologies have impacted upon your body, or the bodies of people that you know
• Consider what these changes have meant in terms of those people’s capabilities – how have their lives been changed?
• Do you agree with Donna Haraway’s aim that we are all cyborgs (part biological part technology)?
• If technology can change our bodies and shape our identities, what does this say about what it means to be human, or about human nature?

Media Studies 101 Copyright © 2014 by sytaffel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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In pictures: up close with transhumanists

They have many reasons for modifying their bodies, but transhumanists are united in their belief that technology can unlock a new way of being.

• Michael Reilly with photographs by David Vintiner

The human body is a marvel of evolutionary engineering. When it goes wrong, either from illness or from trauma, powerful technologies that we’ve developed can replace lost limbs, or restore the ability to walk. Occasionally, the repair can even go beyond a restoration, enhancing one’s natural abilities.

Photographer David Vintiner became fascinated with these and other sorts of body modifications carried out by proponents of transhumanism. Generally speaking, transhumanists believe that technology can be used as a tool to tweak and enhance the human body. In the photos that follow, we meet some of these people through Vintiner's lens.

The impetus for these body modifications sometimes comes from an accident — a man called James Young replaced his lost arm with a robotic one that’s something of a high-tech Swiss army knife. Other transhumanists simply want to see what is possible: to play with perception, the senses, and their own skin and bone in ways that can seem performative, and are sometimes deliberately so. Moon Ribas , for example, dances as a way of interpreting the vibrations she feels when the signals from earthquakes and moonquakes, registering on far-off seismographs, are beamed into implants in her feet. She and Neil Harbisson , who cofounded the advocacy group Cyborg Foundation , both identify as artists rather than technology researchers.

But while many cyborg projects are better described as curios than practical breakthroughs, they are nonetheless difficult to ignore. Modern consumer technology has, after all, already changed us in many strange and fascinating ways. Many people walk around with implants that regulate their heartbeat or insulin levels. And many more stare into the mirror each morning and carefully apply a thin, wet film to the surface of their eye to improve their vision. We may not all end up like Harbisson, who has a light-sensitive antenna sticking out of his skull. But who’s to say that he and others aren’t simply the first examples of a more advanced form of our species?

Harbisson (above left) has been color-blind since birth. To augment his senses, he had an antenna implanted in his skull that turns the light it picks up into audible vibrations, allowing him to sense colors (and even infrared and ultraviolet light) as sound.

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to detach your eyes and move them around independently, the Eyesect helmet (above right) is for you. Each “eye” camera pipes into your real eye. It may be a profound new sensory experience—or just a good way to break your brain.

James Young’s bionic arm (in the chair above) also has a USB charging port, a heart rate monitor, a flashlight, and a small drone.

The aim of the NeuroRex exoskeleton (bottom left) is to take a step beyond wheelchairs. NeuroRex uses a wearable electrode cap that reads a person’s brain waves and turns them into commands like “Walk forward,” “Turn,” “Step back,” or “Stop.” Its creators hope that people who’ve lost the ability to walk will one day be able to regain much of their mobility, including navigating stairs and uneven terrain.

Filmmaker Rob Spence (the guy with the red Terminator eye, inset) lost an eye in a childhood accident. In its place, he and a small team created a wearable wireless video camera that record footage from his point of view—complete with furtive glances and eye blinks.

The ears on Stelios Arcadiou’s head work just fine. But the artist, who goes by the name Stelarc, endured multiple surgeries, skin necrosis, and a dangerous infection to bring a third ear to life on his forearm (yep that's it, pictured above right). His dream is for it to house a small, internet-connected microphone so people all over the world can listen into what it’s hearing.

Researchers at University College London have used stem cells to grow body parts and surgically repair or replace damaged tissue, including tear ducts, windpipes, and blood vessels. More complex parts, like an ear or nose (pictured above), are next.

Humans and technology

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How Technology Affects Our Lives – Essay

Do you wish to explore the use of information technology in daily life? Essays like the one below discuss this topic in depth. Read on to find out more.

Introduction

Technology in communication, technology in healthcare, technology in government, technology in education, technology in business, negative impact of technology.

Technology is a vital component of life in the modern world. People are so dependent on technology that they cannot live without it. Technology is important and useful in all areas of human life today. It has made life easy and comfortable by making communication and transport faster and easier (Harrington, 2011, p.35).

It has made education accessible to all and has improved healthcare services. Technology has made the world smaller and a better place to live. Without technology, fulfilling human needs would be a difficult task. Before the advent of technology, human beings were still fulfilling their needs. However, with technology, fulfillment of needs has become easier and faster.

It is unimaginable how life would be without technology. Technology is useful in the following areas: transport, communication, interaction, education, healthcare, and business (Harrington, 2011, p.35). Despite its benefits, technology has negative impacts on society. Examples of negative impacts of technology include the development of controversial medical practices such as stem cell research and the embracement of solitude due to changes in interaction methods. For example, social media has changed the way people interact.

Technology has led to the introduction of cloning, which is highly controversial because of its ethical and moral implications. The growth of technology has changed the world significantly and has influenced life in a great way. Technology is changing every day and continuing to influence areas of communication, healthcare, governance, education, and business.

Technology has contributed fundamentally in improving people’s lifestyles. It has improved communication by incorporating the Internet and devices such as mobile phones into people’s lives. The first technological invention to have an impact on communication was the discovery of the telephone by Graham Bell in 1875.

Since then, other inventions such as the Internet and the mobile phone have made communication faster and easier. For example, the Internet has improved ways through which people exchange views, opinions, and ideas through online discussions (Harrington, 2011, p.38). Unlike in the past when people who were in different geographical regions could not easily communicate, technology has eradicated that communication barrier. People in different geographical regions can send and receive messages within seconds.

Online discussions have made it easy for people to keep in touch. In addition, they have made socializing easy. Through online discussions, people find better solutions to problems by exchanging opinions and ideas (Harrington, 2011, p.39). Examples of technological inventions that facilitate online discussions include emails, online forums, dating websites, and social media sites.

Another technological invention that changed communication was the mobile phone. In the past, people relied on letters to send messages to people who were far away. Mobile phones have made communication efficient and reliable. They facilitate both local and international communication.

In addition, they enable people to respond to emergencies and other situations that require quick responses. Other uses of cell phones include the transfer of data through applications such as infrared and Bluetooth, entertainment, and their use as miniature personal computers (Harrington, 2011, p.40).

The latest versions of mobile phones are fitted with applications that enable them to access the Internet. This provides loads of information in diverse fields for mobile phone users. For business owners, mobile phones enhance the efficiency of their business operations because they are able to keep in touch with their employees and suppliers (Harrington, 2011, p.41). In addition, they are able to receive any information about the progress of their business in a short period of time.

Technology has contributed significantly to the healthcare sector. For example, it has made vital contributions in the fields of disease prevention and health promotion. Technology has aided in the understanding of the pathophysiology of diseases, which has led to the prevention of many diseases. For example, understanding the pathophysiology of the gastrointestinal tract and blood diseases has aided in their effective management (Harrington, 2011, p.49).

Technology has enabled practitioners in the medical field to make discoveries that have changed the healthcare sector. These include the discovery that peptic ulceration is caused by a bacterial infection and the development of drugs to treat schizophrenia and depressive disorders that afflict a greater portion of the population (Harrington, 2011, p.53). The development of vaccines against polio and measles led to their total eradication.

Children who are vaccinated against these diseases are not at risk of contracting the diseases. The development of vaccines was facilitated by technology, without which certain diseases would still be causing deaths in great numbers. Vaccines play a significant role in disease prevention.

Technology is used in health promotion in different ways. First, health practitioners use various technological methods to improve health care. eHealth refers to the use of information technology to improve healthcare by providing information on the Internet to people. In this field, technology is used in three main ways.

These include its use as an intervention tool, its use in conducting research studies, and its use for professional development (Lintonen et al, 2008, p. 560). According to Lintonenet al (2008), “e-health is the use of emerging information and communications technology, especially the internet, to improve or enable health and healthcare.” (p.560). It is largely used to support health care interventions that are mainly directed towards individual persons. Secondly, it is used to improve the well-being of patients during recovery.

Bedside technology has contributed significantly in helping patients recover. For example, medical professionals have started using the Xbox computer technology to develop a revolutionary process that measures limb movements in stroke patients (Tanja-Dijkstra, 2011, p.48). This helps them recover their manual competencies. The main aim of this technology is to help stroke patients do more exercises to increase their recovery rate and reduce the frequency of visits to the hospital (Lintonen et al, 2008, p. 560).

The government has utilized technology in two main areas. These include the facilitation of the delivery of citizen services and the improvement of defense and national security (Scholl, 2010, p.62). The government is spending large sums of money on wireless technologies, mobile gadgets, and technological applications. This is in an effort to improve their operations and ensure that the needs of citizens are fulfilled.

For example, in order to enhance safety and improve service delivery, Cisco developed a networking approach known as Connected Communities. This networking system connects citizens with the government and the community. The system was developed to improve the safety and security of citizens, improve service delivery by the government, empower citizens, and encourage economic development.

The government uses technology to provide information and services to citizens. This encourages economic development and fosters social inclusion (Scholl, 2010, p.62). Technology is also useful in improving national security and the safety of citizens. It integrates several wireless technologies and applications that make it easy for security agencies to access and share important information effectively. Technology is widely used by security agencies to reduce vulnerability to terrorism.

Technologically advanced gadgets are used in airports, hospitals, shopping malls, and public buildings to screen people for explosives and potentially dangerous materials or gadgets that may compromise the safety of citizens (Bonvillian and Sharp, 2001, par2). In addition, security agencies use surveillance systems to restrict access to certain areas. They also use technologically advanced screening and tracking methods to improve security in places that are prone to terrorist attacks (Bonvillian and Sharp, 2001, par3).

Technology has made significant contributions in the education sector. It is used to enhance teaching and learning through the use of different technological methods and resources. These include classrooms with digital tools such as computers that facilitate learning, online learning schools, blended learning, and a wide variety of online learning resources (Barnett, 1997, p.74). Digital learning tools that are used in classrooms facilitate learning in different ways. They expand the scope of learning materials and experiences for students, improve student participation in learning, make learning easier and quick, and reduce the cost of education (Barnett, 1997, p.75). For example, online schools and free learning materials reduce the costs that are incurred in purchasing learning materials. They are readily available online. In addition, they reduce the expenses that are incurred in program delivery.

Technology has improved the process of teaching by introducing new methods that facilitate connected teaching. These methods virtually connect teachers to their students. Teachers are able to provide learning materials and the course content to students effectively. In addition, teachers are able to give students an opportunity to personalize learning and access all learning materials that they provide. Technology enables teachers to serve the academic needs of different students.

In addition, it enhances learning because the problem of distance is eradicated, and students can contact their teachers easily (Barnett, 1997, p.76). Technology plays a significant role in changing how teachers teach. It enables educators to evaluate the learning abilities of different students in order to devise teaching methods that are most efficient in the achievement of learning objectives.

Through technology, teachers are able to relate well with their students, and they are able to help and guide them. Educators assume the role of coaches, advisors, and experts in their areas of teaching. Technology helps make teaching and learning enjoyable and gives it meaning that goes beyond the traditional classroom set-up system (Barnett, 1997, p.81).

Technology is used in the business world to improve efficiency and increase productivity. Most important, technology is used as a tool to foster innovation and creativity (Ray, 2004, p.62). Other benefits of technology to businesses include the reduction of injury risk to employees and improved competitiveness in the markets. For example, many manufacturing businesses use automated systems instead of manual systems. These systems eliminate the costs of hiring employees to oversee manufacturing processes.

They also increase productivity and improve the accuracy of the processes because of the reduction of errors (Ray, 2004, p.63). Technology improves productivity due to Computer-aided Manufacturing (CAM), Computer-integrated Manufacturing (CIM), and Computer-aided Design (CAD). CAM reduces labor costs, increases the speed of production, and ensures a higher level of accuracy (Hunt, 2008, p.44). CIM reduces labor costs, while CAD improves the quality and standards of products and reduces the cost of production.

Another example of the use of technology in improving productivity and output is the use of database systems to store data and information. Many businesses store their data and other information in database systems that make accessibility of information fast, easy, and reliable (Pages, 2010, p.44).

Technology has changed how international business is conducted. With the advent of e-commerce, businesses became able to trade through the Internet on the international market (Ray, 2004, p.69). This means that there is a large market for products and services. In addition, it implies that most markets are open 24 hours a day.

For example, customers can shop for books or music on Amazon.com at any time of the day. E-commerce has given businesses the opportunity to expand and operate internationally. Countries such as China and Brazil are taking advantage of opportunities presented by technology to grow their economy.

E-commerce reduces the complexities involved in conducting international trade (Ray, 2004, p.71). Its many components make international trade easy and fast. For example, a BOES system allows merchants to execute trade transactions in any language or currency, monitor all steps involved in transactions, and calculate all costs involved, such as taxes and freight costs (Yates, 2006, p.426).

Financial researchers claim that a BOES system is capable of reducing the cost of an international transaction by approximately 30% (Ray, 2004, p.74). BOES enables businesses to import and export different products through the Internet. This system of trade is efficient and creates a fair environment in which small and medium-sized companies can compete with large companies that dominate the market.

Despite its many benefits, technology has negative impacts. It has negative impacts on society because it affects communication and has changed the way people view social life. First, people have become more anti-social because of changes in methods of socializing (Harrington, 2008, p.103). Today, one does not need to interact physically with another person in order to establish a relationship.

The Internet is awash with dating sites that are full of people looking for partners and friends. The ease of forming friendships and relationships through the Internet has discouraged many people from engaging in traditional socializing activities. Secondly, technology has affected the economic statuses of many families because of high rates of unemployment. People lose jobs when organizations and businesses embrace technology (Harrington, 2008, p.105).

For example, many employees lose their jobs when manufacturing companies replace them with automated machines that are more efficient and cost-effective. Many families are struggling because of the lack of a constant stream of income. On the other hand, technology has led to the closure of certain companies because the world does not need their services. This is prompted by technological advancements.

For example, the invention of digital cameras forced Kodak to close down because people no longer needed analog cameras. Digital cameras replaced analog cameras because they are easy to use and efficient. Many people lost their jobs due to changes in technology. Thirdly, technology has made people lazy and unwilling to engage in strenuous activities (Harrington, 2008, p.113).

For example, video games have replaced physical activities that are vital in improving the health of young people. Children spend a lot of time watching television and playing video games such that they have little or no time for physical activities. This has encouraged the proliferation of unhealthy eating habits that lead to conditions such as diabetes.

Technology has elicited heated debates in the healthcare sector. Technology has led to medical practices such as stem cell research, implant embryos, and assisted reproduction. Even though these practices have been proven viable, they are highly criticized on the grounds of their moral implications on society.

There are many controversial medical technologies, such as gene therapy, pharmacogenomics, and stem cell research (Hunt, 2008, p.113). The use of genetic research in finding new cures for diseases is imperative and laudable. However, the medical implications of these disease treatment methods and the ethical and moral issues associated with the treatment methods are critical. Gene therapy is mostly rejected by religious people.

They claim that it is against natural law to alter the gene composition of a person in any way (Hunt, 2008, p.114). The use of embryonic stem cells in research is highly controversial, unlike the use of adult stem cells. The controversy exists because of the source of the stem cells. The cells are obtained from embryos. There is a belief among many people that life starts after conception.

Therefore, using embryos in research means killing them to obtain their cells for research. The use of embryo cells in research is considered in the same light as abortion: eliminating a life (Hunt, 2008, p.119). These issues have led to disagreements between the science and the religious worlds.

Technology is a vital component of life in the modern world. People are so dependent on technology that they cannot live without it. Technology is important and useful in all areas of human life today.

It has made life easy and comfortable by making communication faster and travel faster, making movements between places easier, making actions quick, and easing interactions. Technology is useful in the following areas of life: transport, communication, interaction, education, healthcare, and business. Despite its benefits, technology has negative impacts on society.

Technology has eased communication and transport. The discovery of the telephone and the later invention of the mobile phone changed the face of communication entirely. People in different geographical regions can communicate easily and in record time. In the field of health care, technology has made significant contributions in disease prevention and health promotion. The development of vaccines has eradicated certain diseases, and the use of the Internet is vital in promoting health and health care.

The government uses technology to enhance the delivery of services to citizens and the improvement of defense and security. In the education sector, teaching and learning processes have undergone significant changes owing to the impact of technology. Teachers are able to relate to different types of learners, and the learners have access to various resources and learning materials. Businesses benefit from technology through the reduction of costs and increased efficiency of business operations.

Despite the benefits, technology has certain disadvantages. It has negatively affected human interactions and socialization and has led to widespread unemployment. In addition, its application in the healthcare sector has elicited controversies due to certain medical practices such as stem cell research and gene therapy. Technology is very important and has made life easier and more comfortable than it was in the past.

Barnett, L. (1997). Using Technology in Teaching and Learning . New York: Routledge.

Bonvillian, W., and Sharp, K. (2011). Homeland Security Technology . Retrieved from https://issues.org/bonvillian/ .

Harrington, J. (2011). Technology and Society . New York: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

Hunt, S. (2008). Controversies in Treatment Approaches: Gene Therapy, IVF, Stem Cells and Pharmagenomics. Nature Education , 19(1), 112-134.

Lintonen, P., Konu, A., and Seedhouse, D. (2008). Information Technology in Health Promotion. Health Education Research , 23(3), 560-566.

Pages, J., Bikifalvi, A., and De Castro Vila, R. (2010). The Use and Impact of Technology in Factory Environments: Evidence from a Survey of Manufacturing Industry in Spain. International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology , 47(1), 182-190.

Ray, R. (2004). Technology Solutions for Growing Businesses . New York: AMACOM Div American Management Association.

Scholl, H. (2010). E-government: Information, Technology and Transformation . New York: M.E. Sharpe.

Tanja-Dijkstra, K. (2011). The Impact of Bedside Technology on Patients’ Well-Being. Health Environments Research & Design Journal (HERD) , 5(1), 43-51.

Yates, J. (2006). How Business Enterprises use Technology: Extending the Demand-Side Turn. Enterprise and Society , 7(3), 422-425.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2023, August 28). How Technology Affects Our Lives – Essay. https://ivypanda.com/essays/technology-affecting-our-daily-life/

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Essay on Technology – A Boon or Bane for Students

500+ words essay on technology for students.

In this essay on technology, we are going to discuss what technology is, what are its uses, and also what technology can do? First of all, technology refers to the use of technical and scientific knowledge to create, monitor, and design machinery. Also, technology helps in making other goods that aid mankind.

Essay on Technology – A Boon or Bane?

Experts are debating on this topic for years. Also, the technology covered a long way to make human life easier but the negative aspect of it can’t be ignored. Over the years technological advancement has caused a severe rise in pollution . Also, pollution has become a major cause of many health issues. Besides, it has cut off people from society rather than connecting them. Above all, it has taken away many jobs from the workers class.

Familiarity between Technology and Science

As they are completely different fields but they are interdependent on each other. Also, it is due to science contribution we can create new innovation and build new technological tools. Apart from that, the research conducted in laboratories contributes a lot to the development of technologies. On the other hand, technology extends the agenda of science.

Vital Part of our Life

Regularly evolving technology has become an important part of our lives. Also, newer technologies are taking the market by storm and the people are getting used to them in no time. Above all, technological advancement has led to the growth and development of nations.

Negative Aspect of Technology

Although technology is a good thing, everything has two sides. Technology also has two sides one is good and the other is bad. Here are some negative aspects of technology that we are going to discuss.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

With new technology the industrialization increases which give birth to many pollutions like air, water, soil, and noise. Also, they cause many health-related issues in animals, birds, and human beings.

Exhaustion of Natural Resources

New technology requires new resources for which the balance is disturbed. Eventually, this will lead to over-exploitation of natural resources which ultimately disturbs the balance of nature.

Unemployment

A single machine can replace many workers. Also, machines can do work at a constant pace for several hours or days without stopping. Due to this, many workers lost their job which ultimately increases unemployment .

Types of Technology

Generally, we judge technology on the same scale but in reality, technology is divided into various types. This includes information technology, industrial technology , architectural technology, creative technology and many more. Let’s discuss these technologies in brief.

Industrial Technology

This technology organizes engineering and manufacturing technology for the manufacturing of machines. Also, this makes the production process easier and convenient.

Creative Technology

This process includes art, advertising, and product design which are made with the help of software. Also, it comprises of 3D printers , virtual reality, computer graphics, and other wearable technologies.

Information Technology

This technology involves the use of telecommunication and computer to send, receive and store information. Internet is the best example of Information technology.

FAQs on Essay on Technology

Q.1 What is Information technology?

A –  It is a form of technology that uses telecommunication and computer systems for study. Also, they send, retrieve, and store data.

Q.2 Is technology harmful to humans?

 A – No, technology is not harmful to human beings until it is used properly. But, misuses of technology can be harmful and deadly.

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IELTS Essays on Technology – Discussion and Opinion Essays

Updated On Feb 21, 2024

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Writing essays is a crucial component of any coursework because it forces you to do things like clarify and organise ideas and information, analyse sources, and employ critical judgement, it improves knowledge and aids in the learning process. At school or at college, every student is required to write essays.

Well-organized essays will help you score a good band in the IELTS examination. Proper planning is the key to write good essays. You need to give yourself at least 10 minutes to frame the content before you start writing . The essay should contain 4-5 paragraphs and should be of  250 words or more. You have to grasp the central idea from the topic and try to explain it.

Below are some of the recently appeared topics with the sample answers which you can refer to:

Do you think that technological advancement has brought more harm than good?

The twentieth century has seen a vast development in the field of science and technology. This improvement in technology has also raised the standard of living of the people. But it has caused a lot of trouble to the environment. We need to understand its advantages and disadvantages to decide whether it has actually benefitted society.

On one side, we can say that technology has become more beneficial to society,  by facilitating easy communication. It has also improved the economic condition and transport facilities. Organizations have gone online. People are also benefitted through recent technologies like smartphones, laptops and also other electronic appliances. There are applications on smartphones such as “WhatsApp” which has replaced emails. We are able to get a lot of information at the click of a button.

On the other side, technology has certain drawbacks as well. Social connect has become less. There is software that is used to hack the data and there is no privacy for an individual. In a recent study, it is found that the students are neglecting their studies and end up getting poor grades due to recent technologies.

To conclude, we can say that there are more problems due to technological advancements than benefits.

Analysis of the structure of the essay:

Some people argue that technological inventions, such as smartphones, are making people socially less interactive. Discuss both views.

In the current era, you can see people spending more time on smartphones rather than socializing. Wherever you go, you can see people putting their heads down looking into their smartphones and not bothering about what is going on around them. This has become a new trend. As there are a lot of features that are available in smartphones, an individual is not able to stay away from it even for a second. Some features of smartphones are just like the personal computer and they provide a high level of entertainment and can be carried along wherever we go. This essay helps others to understand how smartphone technology impacts society.

The main advantage of a smartphone is that it has made communication easier and quicker. Now you can speak to any of your friends or relatives, in any part of the world. Not only that, but they can also share personal messages, photos, videos through social media.

Along with the benefits, there are also some adverse effects of smartphone addiction on society. The children are not socially active. They sit inside four walls playing games on smartphones and have distanced themselves from society. Even, adults are busy chatting with their friends on social networking sites and have become socially inactive. Even get-togethers have become less. People like to chat on social media more than talking face to face. Even if there are get-togethers, people will be busy with their smartphones instead of interacting with each other. Parents nowadays are busy with smartphones and they fail to attend to their children. Hence the children will be left alone.

To conclude, we can say that smartphones along with its advantages, have also increased the social gap and kept us far from each other.

Many things that used to be done at home by hands are now being done by machines. Discuss.

Technology is growing day by day. Many household works that were done manually earlier have been replaced by machines and can be completed automatically. This development has benefitted people a lot. This essay will explain how technology has helped people in different ways at home.

Man has invented many machines which can do most of the household work automatically such as; dishwasher, vacuum cleaner, the washing machine and so on. With the invention of these machines, women get a lot of leisure. And also this advancement has helped women in improving their standard of living. They will get more time to focus on their career.

Along with the advantages there are also some disadvantages that go with the situation. By the invention of different types of machinery, people are fully dependent on them. Previously, people used to do all the household work manually and stayed fit. But the advancement in technology has made people lazy. There is no physical involvement in household activities

To sum up, technology has made people more dependent on machines for household activities. Also, the advantage is that women can invest more time more on their careers and children rather than doing household chores.

Other Related Essays on Technology

The above are some essays that have recently appeared in the IELTS exam on the topic of Technology. You can also refer to some other sample essays on technology in order to practice for the IELTS exam . Some of the topics are given below:

• Advanced Science and Technology
• Some people think that the range of technology available to people is increasing the gap between the rich and the poor. Others think it has the opposite effect. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
• New technologies have changed the way children spend their free time. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
• Art, Culture, and Technology
• Modern technology now allows rapid and uncontrolled access and exchange of information. Far from being beneficial, this is a danger to our society. What is your view?
• The presence of technology in the classroom has become more and more apparent and offers students tremendous resources with which to supplement their education. Given time, technology will completely replace the traditional teacher in the classroom. Do you agree or disagree with the above statement? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
• Computer technology has had more of a negative than a positive impact on society? How far do you agree with this statement? Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience.
• Earlier technological developments brought more benefits and changed the lives of ordinary people more than recent developments ever will. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
• Some people believe that modern inventions have more problems as compared to their benefits. Do you agree or disagree?
• According to a recent study, the more time people use the Internet, the less time they spend with real human beings. Some people say that instead of seeing the Internet as a way of opening up new communication possibilities world- wide, we should be concerned about the effect this is having on social interaction. How far do you agree with this opinion?
• With the development of technology children are now living in a world that is completely different to what it was 50 years ago. What problems do this cause for society and the family?
• Modern technology is changing our world. This has advantages such as bringing people closer together through communication. It also has disadvantages such as destroying the differences between cultures. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

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Technology Essay, with Outline

Published by gudwriter on May 24, 2018 May 24, 2018

Ready for a technology essay sample ? Take a look at this example featuring an outline, APA style format, and a list of references. Use ideas from this essay sample to form the focus of your writing assignment.

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Technology essays are very stressful since they require to much application but with our best college admission essay writing services you are assured of good grades since our experts understand how to make your assignments brilliant and how to provide you with high quality writing service.

Technology Essay Outline

Introduction.

Thesis: Technological transformation is negatively impacting humans and eventually dehumanizing them.

Paragraph 1:  

Technology can sometimes cloud the sensory judgment of humans.

• With technology, one does not get to see a range of human emotions.
• They are compelled to only seeing factual and textual information.
• Humans now think that competition is the most important thing thanks to technology.

Paragraph 2:

Technology is dehumanizing people through implantable electronics by turning them into more of machines than humans.

• Electronic implants have made it possible for people to enhance their visions.
• It is now possible for people to use bio-skeletons to enhance their strengths.
• People undergo plastic surgeries so as to change their facial appearances.

Paragraph 3:

Human nature is being changed by “search dependence.”

• People can access a flood of information with just a single click.
• The overdependence by people on search tools and engines is making them retarded and stupid.
• If everybody loses their ability of self-reason due to overreliance on search tools, the society could definitely suffer far reaching effects.

Paragraph 4:

Technology is dehumanizing humans through social networking.

• One may develop computer addiction due to the use of social networking sites.
• People have become so addicted to browsing the sites that they spend hours on them daily.
• Most of the sites send users into a microcosm of reality because they (the sites) are curated.

Paragraph 5:

Technology has reduced the ability of humans to physically socialize with one another.

• People find less and less time to meet people and hold face-to-face conversations with them.
• Even people sitting together may be so much immersed into their phones or computers that they cannot talk to each other.

Paragraph 6: 

Technology is also encouraging laziness among humans.

• The Internet has created the culture of ease whereby people now stay relaxed as almost everything seems to be available through the Internet.
• The laziness is profound especially for students in that they have developed the habit of easily obtaining information through Internet-enabled and ICT devices.

Though beneficial, technology is fast dehumanizing human beings. People should not be so much fascinated by these benefits as to forget that they are becoming “un-human” as a result of the same technology.

Technology Essay Example

Technology has tremendously developed in recent years across the world. However, in spite of the many ways technological advancements have benefited humans, they have also served to dehumanize people. In other terms, technology is making people “less human.” The fascination of humans with social sites, GPS services, and search engines could be putting them through negative transformation. People now use search engines for even the most basic of information, such as the capital city of a country. This persistent use of technology could send humans into mental retardation cases. As such, technological transformation is negatively impacting humans and eventually dehumanizing them. Perhaps you can also read an essay on the role of congress .

Technology can sometimes cloud the sensory judgment of humans. As explained by Coeckelbergh (2013), this is because with technology, one does not get to see a range of human emotions. Instead, they are compelled to only seeing factual and textual information as presented to them by technological gadgets. In addition, in a rather worrisome precedent, humans now think that competition is the most important thing thanks to technology. People are obsessed with proving that they are better or smarter than one another in using the latest technological advancements. This mentality is zero-sum and is a threat to human survival as it pushes people into isolation and individualism. It contrasts with the human nature requirement that essentially, human beings should be collaborative and compete in an interconnected manner.

Technology is also dehumanizing people through implantable electronics by turning them into more of machines than humans. Electronic implants have made it possible for people to enhance their visions so that they may be able to read texts better, for example. Even more worrying is that it is now possible for people to use bio-skeletons to enhance their strengths. These possibilities contradict the ideals of human anatomy because humans were created to function naturally and not enhance their capabilities through technology. Unfortunately, continued use of technology may only serve to threaten natural anatomy. For instance, as noted by Kahn (2011), people now even decide to undergo plastic surgeries so as to change their facial appearance as was naturally given to them, with a view to becoming “more” beautiful or handsome.

Additionally, human nature is being changed by “search dependence.” People can access a flood of information on virtually anything with just a single click through the numerous search engines provided by technology. It has however emerged that this overdependence by people on search tools and engines is making them retarded and stupid. A seminal book written in 2010 by Nicholas Carr about whether search engines are stupefying humans indicated that if everybody loses their ability of self-reason due to overreliance on search tools, the society could definitely suffer far reaching effects (Sun & Zhang, 2015). This is true because people are now tempted to visit the Google search engine, for instance, for all that they would want to know. This suppresses their ability to think.

Another way technology is dehumanizing humans is through social networking. According to Feist, Beauvais and Shukla (2010), one may develop computer addiction due to the use of such numerous social networking sites as Twoo, Viber, Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter, and Facebook. People have become so addicted to browsing these sites that they spend hours on them on a daily basis. They are unfortunately not aware of or just ignore the need for the human brain to rest from the LCD screen and the static data. Most of the sites send users into a microcosm of reality because they (the sites) are curated and this is not good for the brain (Byrne & Pitt, 2012). Moreover, new emailing and texting technological platforms have negatively affected the essence of human communication in that they do not allow for critical feedback.

Further, technology has reduced the ability of humans to physically socialize with one another. While people may be able to keep in touch with thousands of people at one go, they find less and less time to meet people and hold face-to-face conversations with them. The situation even gets worse when people sitting together are so much immersed into their phones or computers that they cannot talk to each other. For example, there have been situations when “a couple sits across from each other, heads down, typing on their smartphones” (Mitra, 2015). They get distracted by their online connections and conversations to an extent that they forget they are in the company of each other.

Technology is also encouraging laziness among humans. The Internet has created the culture of ease whereby people now stay relaxed as almost everything seems to be available through the Internet. The laziness is profound especially for students in that they have developed the habit of easily obtaining information through Internet-enabled and ICT devices. As a result, they no longer work as hard enough as is required for effective learning to take place (Tridane et al., 2016). This dims the gains in learning that have been made through classroom technology. Relying too much on technology seems to significantly “affect students’ competencies in three skills that are of uncontested importance to them, namely reading, writing and arithmetic” (Alhumaid, 2019). In addition, by overusing technology and the Internet, the information processing ability of students becomes shallow while by typing as they use Internet search engines, students develop weak handwriting and reading abilities.

Though beneficial, technology is fast dehumanizing human beings. People should not be so much fascinated by these benefits as to forget that they are becoming “un-human” as a result of the same technology. They have become overly dependent on technology for information. They have also become addicted to social networking sites such that they no longer fancy physical interactions. Moreover, they are now capable of changing their looks and appearances through surgeries. All these are sources of dehumanization and they promise to get worse as more technological advancements occur. Maybe the use of technology should be regulated in some manner to curb this situation.

Alhumaid, K. (2019). Four ways technology has negatively changed education.  Journal of Educational and Social Research , 9(4), 10-20.

Byrne, E. F., & Pitt, J. C. (2011). Technological transformation: contextual and conceptual implications . Dordrecht, Holland: Springer Netherlands.

Coeckelbergh, M. (2013). Human being @ risk: enhancement, technology, and the evaluation of vulnerability transformations . Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands.

Feist, R., Beauvais, C., & Shukla, R. (2010). Technology and the changing face of humanity . Ottawa, Canada: University of Ottawa Press.

Kahn, P. H. (2011). Technological nature: adaptation and the future of human life . Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Mitra, S. (2015). “Is technology dehumanizing society?”. HuffPost . Retrieved May 23, 2018 from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/sramana-mitra/is-technology-dehumanizin_b_7720926.html

Sun, W., & Zhang, M. (2015). The “new culture”: from a modern perspective . New York, NY: Springer.

Tridane, M. et al. (2016). Threats and dangers of the internet on young Moroccan students and their studies.  International Journal of Innovation and Research in Educational Sciences , 3(6), 397-401.

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Promises and Pitfalls of Technology

Politics and privacy, private-sector influence and big tech, state competition and conflict, author biography, how is technology changing the world, and how should the world change technology.

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Josephine Wolff; How Is Technology Changing the World, and How Should the World Change Technology?. Global Perspectives 1 February 2021; 2 (1): 27353. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/gp.2021.27353

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Technologies are becoming increasingly complicated and increasingly interconnected. Cars, airplanes, medical devices, financial transactions, and electricity systems all rely on more computer software than they ever have before, making them seem both harder to understand and, in some cases, harder to control. Government and corporate surveillance of individuals and information processing relies largely on digital technologies and artificial intelligence, and therefore involves less human-to-human contact than ever before and more opportunities for biases to be embedded and codified in our technological systems in ways we may not even be able to identify or recognize. Bioengineering advances are opening up new terrain for challenging philosophical, political, and economic questions regarding human-natural relations. Additionally, the management of these large and small devices and systems is increasingly done through the cloud, so that control over them is both very remote and removed from direct human or social control. The study of how to make technologies like artificial intelligence or the Internet of Things “explainable” has become its own area of research because it is so difficult to understand how they work or what is at fault when something goes wrong (Gunning and Aha 2019) .

This growing complexity makes it more difficult than ever—and more imperative than ever—for scholars to probe how technological advancements are altering life around the world in both positive and negative ways and what social, political, and legal tools are needed to help shape the development and design of technology in beneficial directions. This can seem like an impossible task in light of the rapid pace of technological change and the sense that its continued advancement is inevitable, but many countries around the world are only just beginning to take significant steps toward regulating computer technologies and are still in the process of radically rethinking the rules governing global data flows and exchange of technology across borders.

These are exciting times not just for technological development but also for technology policy—our technologies may be more advanced and complicated than ever but so, too, are our understandings of how they can best be leveraged, protected, and even constrained. The structures of technological systems as determined largely by government and institutional policies and those structures have tremendous implications for social organization and agency, ranging from open source, open systems that are highly distributed and decentralized, to those that are tightly controlled and closed, structured according to stricter and more hierarchical models. And just as our understanding of the governance of technology is developing in new and interesting ways, so, too, is our understanding of the social, cultural, environmental, and political dimensions of emerging technologies. We are realizing both the challenges and the importance of mapping out the full range of ways that technology is changing our society, what we want those changes to look like, and what tools we have to try to influence and guide those shifts.

Technology can be a source of tremendous optimism. It can help overcome some of the greatest challenges our society faces, including climate change, famine, and disease. For those who believe in the power of innovation and the promise of creative destruction to advance economic development and lead to better quality of life, technology is a vital economic driver (Schumpeter 1942) . But it can also be a tool of tremendous fear and oppression, embedding biases in automated decision-making processes and information-processing algorithms, exacerbating economic and social inequalities within and between countries to a staggering degree, or creating new weapons and avenues for attack unlike any we have had to face in the past. Scholars have even contended that the emergence of the term technology in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries marked a shift from viewing individual pieces of machinery as a means to achieving political and social progress to the more dangerous, or hazardous, view that larger-scale, more complex technological systems were a semiautonomous form of progress in and of themselves (Marx 2010) . More recently, technologists have sharply criticized what they view as a wave of new Luddites, people intent on slowing the development of technology and turning back the clock on innovation as a means of mitigating the societal impacts of technological change (Marlowe 1970) .

At the heart of fights over new technologies and their resulting global changes are often two conflicting visions of technology: a fundamentally optimistic one that believes humans use it as a tool to achieve greater goals, and a fundamentally pessimistic one that holds that technological systems have reached a point beyond our control. Technology philosophers have argued that neither of these views is wholly accurate and that a purely optimistic or pessimistic view of technology is insufficient to capture the nuances and complexity of our relationship to technology (Oberdiek and Tiles 1995) . Understanding technology and how we can make better decisions about designing, deploying, and refining it requires capturing that nuance and complexity through in-depth analysis of the impacts of different technological advancements and the ways they have played out in all their complicated and controversial messiness across the world.

These impacts are often unpredictable as technologies are adopted in new contexts and come to be used in ways that sometimes diverge significantly from the use cases envisioned by their designers. The internet, designed to help transmit information between computer networks, became a crucial vehicle for commerce, introducing unexpected avenues for crime and financial fraud. Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, designed to connect friends and families through sharing photographs and life updates, became focal points of election controversies and political influence. Cryptocurrencies, originally intended as a means of decentralized digital cash, have become a significant environmental hazard as more and more computing resources are devoted to mining these forms of virtual money. One of the crucial challenges in this area is therefore recognizing, documenting, and even anticipating some of these unexpected consequences and providing mechanisms to technologists for how to think through the impacts of their work, as well as possible other paths to different outcomes (Verbeek 2006) . And just as technological innovations can cause unexpected harm, they can also bring about extraordinary benefits—new vaccines and medicines to address global pandemics and save thousands of lives, new sources of energy that can drastically reduce emissions and help combat climate change, new modes of education that can reach people who would otherwise have no access to schooling. Regulating technology therefore requires a careful balance of mitigating risks without overly restricting potentially beneficial innovations.

Nations around the world have taken very different approaches to governing emerging technologies and have adopted a range of different technologies themselves in pursuit of more modern governance structures and processes (Braman 2009) . In Europe, the precautionary principle has guided much more anticipatory regulation aimed at addressing the risks presented by technologies even before they are fully realized. For instance, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation focuses on the responsibilities of data controllers and processors to provide individuals with access to their data and information about how that data is being used not just as a means of addressing existing security and privacy threats, such as data breaches, but also to protect against future developments and uses of that data for artificial intelligence and automated decision-making purposes. In Germany, Technische Überwachungsvereine, or TÜVs, perform regular tests and inspections of technological systems to assess and minimize risks over time, as the tech landscape evolves. In the United States, by contrast, there is much greater reliance on litigation and liability regimes to address safety and security failings after-the-fact. These different approaches reflect not just the different legal and regulatory mechanisms and philosophies of different nations but also the different ways those nations prioritize rapid development of the technology industry versus safety, security, and individual control. Typically, governance innovations move much more slowly than technological innovations, and regulations can lag years, or even decades, behind the technologies they aim to govern.

In addition to this varied set of national regulatory approaches, a variety of international and nongovernmental organizations also contribute to the process of developing standards, rules, and norms for new technologies, including the International Organization for Standardization­ and the International Telecommunication Union. These multilateral and NGO actors play an especially important role in trying to define appropriate boundaries for the use of new technologies by governments as instruments of control for the state.

At the same time that policymakers are under scrutiny both for their decisions about how to regulate technology as well as their decisions about how and when to adopt technologies like facial recognition themselves, technology firms and designers have also come under increasing criticism. Growing recognition that the design of technologies can have far-reaching social and political implications means that there is more pressure on technologists to take into consideration the consequences of their decisions early on in the design process (Vincenti 1993; Winner 1980) . The question of how technologists should incorporate these social dimensions into their design and development processes is an old one, and debate on these issues dates back to the 1970s, but it remains an urgent and often overlooked part of the puzzle because so many of the supposedly systematic mechanisms for assessing the impacts of new technologies in both the private and public sectors are primarily bureaucratic, symbolic processes rather than carrying any real weight or influence.

Technologists are often ill-equipped or unwilling to respond to the sorts of social problems that their creations have—often unwittingly—exacerbated, and instead point to governments and lawmakers to address those problems (Zuckerberg 2019) . But governments often have few incentives to engage in this area. This is because setting clear standards and rules for an ever-evolving technological landscape can be extremely challenging, because enforcement of those rules can be a significant undertaking requiring considerable expertise, and because the tech sector is a major source of jobs and revenue for many countries that may fear losing those benefits if they constrain companies too much. This indicates not just a need for clearer incentives and better policies for both private- and public-sector entities but also a need for new mechanisms whereby the technology development and design process can be influenced and assessed by people with a wider range of experiences and expertise. If we want technologies to be designed with an eye to their impacts, who is responsible for predicting, measuring, and mitigating those impacts throughout the design process? Involving policymakers in that process in a more meaningful way will also require training them to have the analytic and technical capacity to more fully engage with technologists and understand more fully the implications of their decisions.

At the same time that tech companies seem unwilling or unable to rein in their creations, many also fear they wield too much power, in some cases all but replacing governments and international organizations in their ability to make decisions that affect millions of people worldwide and control access to information, platforms, and audiences (Kilovaty 2020) . Regulators around the world have begun considering whether some of these companies have become so powerful that they violate the tenets of antitrust laws, but it can be difficult for governments to identify exactly what those violations are, especially in the context of an industry where the largest players often provide their customers with free services. And the platforms and services developed by tech companies are often wielded most powerfully and dangerously not directly by their private-sector creators and operators but instead by states themselves for widespread misinformation campaigns that serve political purposes (Nye 2018) .

Since the largest private entities in the tech sector operate in many countries, they are often better poised to implement global changes to the technological ecosystem than individual states or regulatory bodies, creating new challenges to existing governance structures and hierarchies. Just as it can be challenging to provide oversight for government use of technologies, so, too, oversight of the biggest tech companies, which have more resources, reach, and power than many nations, can prove to be a daunting task. The rise of network forms of organization and the growing gig economy have added to these challenges, making it even harder for regulators to fully address the breadth of these companies’ operations (Powell 1990) . The private-public partnerships that have emerged around energy, transportation, medical, and cyber technologies further complicate this picture, blurring the line between the public and private sectors and raising critical questions about the role of each in providing critical infrastructure, health care, and security. How can and should private tech companies operating in these different sectors be governed, and what types of influence do they exert over regulators? How feasible are different policy proposals aimed at technological innovation, and what potential unintended consequences might they have?

Conflict between countries has also spilled over significantly into the private sector in recent years, most notably in the case of tensions between the United States and China over which technologies developed in each country will be permitted by the other and which will be purchased by other customers, outside those two countries. Countries competing to develop the best technology is not a new phenomenon, but the current conflicts have major international ramifications and will influence the infrastructure that is installed and used around the world for years to come. Untangling the different factors that feed into these tussles as well as whom they benefit and whom they leave at a disadvantage is crucial for understanding how governments can most effectively foster technological innovation and invention domestically as well as the global consequences of those efforts. As much of the world is forced to choose between buying technology from the United States or from China, how should we understand the long-term impacts of those choices and the options available to people in countries without robust domestic tech industries? Does the global spread of technologies help fuel further innovation in countries with smaller tech markets, or does it reinforce the dominance of the states that are already most prominent in this sector? How can research universities maintain global collaborations and research communities in light of these national competitions, and what role does government research and development spending play in fostering innovation within its own borders and worldwide? How should intellectual property protections evolve to meet the demands of the technology industry, and how can those protections be enforced globally?

These conflicts between countries sometimes appear to challenge the feasibility of truly global technologies and networks that operate across all countries through standardized protocols and design features. Organizations like the International Organization for Standardization, the World Intellectual Property Organization, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and many others have tried to harmonize these policies and protocols across different countries for years, but have met with limited success when it comes to resolving the issues of greatest tension and disagreement among nations. For technology to operate in a global environment, there is a need for a much greater degree of coordination among countries and the development of common standards and norms, but governments continue to struggle to agree not just on those norms themselves but even the appropriate venue and processes for developing them. Without greater global cooperation, is it possible to maintain a global network like the internet or to promote the spread of new technologies around the world to address challenges of sustainability? What might help incentivize that cooperation moving forward, and what could new structures and process for governance of global technologies look like? Why has the tech industry’s self-regulation culture persisted? Do the same traditional drivers for public policy, such as politics of harmonization and path dependency in policy-making, still sufficiently explain policy outcomes in this space? As new technologies and their applications spread across the globe in uneven ways, how and when do they create forces of change from unexpected places?

These are some of the questions that we hope to address in the Technology and Global Change section through articles that tackle new dimensions of the global landscape of designing, developing, deploying, and assessing new technologies to address major challenges the world faces. Understanding these processes requires synthesizing knowledge from a range of different fields, including sociology, political science, economics, and history, as well as technical fields such as engineering, climate science, and computer science. A crucial part of understanding how technology has created global change and, in turn, how global changes have influenced the development of new technologies is understanding the technologies themselves in all their richness and complexity—how they work, the limits of what they can do, what they were designed to do, how they are actually used. Just as technologies themselves are becoming more complicated, so are their embeddings and relationships to the larger social, political, and legal contexts in which they exist. Scholars across all disciplines are encouraged to join us in untangling those complexities.

Josephine Wolff is an associate professor of cybersecurity policy at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Her book You’ll See This Message When It Is Too Late: The Legal and Economic Aftermath of Cybersecurity Breaches was published by MIT Press in 2018.

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• Essay On Technology

Essay on Technology

500+ words essay on technology.

The word technology comes from the two Greek words, ‘techne’ and ‘logos’. Techne means art, skills, or craft, and Logos means a word, saying, or expression that expresses inward thought. Thus, technology means the skill to convey an idea to reach a goal. But nowadays, the term technology mainly signifies the knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems, and organisation methods to solve a problem. Today, technological advancement has provided the human race with the ability to control and adapt to their natural environment. In this Essay on Technology, students will know the importance of technology, its advantages and disadvantages and the future of technology.

How Has Technology Changed Our Lives?

Various innovations and development took place in the field of technology which has made a significant impact on our lives in different ways. With the invention of technology, we become more powerful. We have the ability to transform the environment, extend our lifetime, create big and interconnected societies and even explore various new things about the universe. Today, we use technology from morning to evening, from the simplest nail cutter to television and personal laptop. Technology has touched all aspects of our lives, whether it is mobile phones, kettles, kitchen microwaves, electric cookers, television, water heaters, remote control, fridge, and other larger communication systems such as internet facilities, railways, air routes, and so on. Thus, technology plays an extremely crucial role in the lives of human beings.

Advantages of Technology

The advancement in technology has made our lives easier, more comfortable and enjoyable. It has reduced the effort and time required to complete a task, thus enhancing the quality and efficiency of work. Technology has become a part of our life and benefited us in many ways. Today, we can communicate with people living in any city or country. Communication has become much faster and easier as we are just a click away from people. In education, technology has played a vital role, especially during the COVID-19 breakdown period. It has brought virtual and online classes for students and teachers across the globe to share knowledge, ideas and resources online. Moreover, technology has made it easier for students to understand complex concepts with the help of virtualisation, graphics, 3D animation and diagrams.

Technology is considered to be the driving force behind improvements in the medical and healthcare field. Modern machines have helped doctors to perform operations successfully. Due to technology, the lifespan of the common person has increased. There are many more sectors, such as banking, automation, automobile, and various industries, where technology is making significant changes and helping us.

Disadvantages of Technology

Although we have so many advantages of technology, there are also disadvantages. Robots and machines have taken over the job of many people. Instead of bringing people together, technology has made them socially isolated. People now spend most of their time on smartphones or computers rather than interacting with other people. Technology in education has reduced the intellectual and analytical ability of students. It is like spoon-feeding to students as they don’t have the reasoning and aptitude skills to think differently. Technology has raised the issue of internet privacy. So, one has to be very careful while using banking passwords to make online transactions.

Future of Technology

The future of technology seems to be exciting but also scary. Futuristic predictions in technology can dish out some exciting or scary visions for the future of machines and science. Technology will either enhance or replace the products and activities that are near and dear to us. The answer to our technological dilemma about what will be the upcoming technological innovation in the future is not surprising. In the past, technology was mainly focused on retaining more information and efficient processing, but in the future, it will be based on industrial robots, artificial intelligence, machine learning, etc.

Technology alone cannot help in building a better world. The collateral collaboration of machines and human effort is required for the progress and prosperity of the nation. We need to develop a more robust management system for the efficient functioning of technology.

Practise CBSE Essays on more topics to improve the writing section. Students can get the latest updates on CBSE/ICSE/State Board/Competitive Exams at BYJU’S website. They can also download the BYJU’S App for interactive study videos.

Frequently Asked Questions on Technology Essay

What is the simple definition of technology.

The real-time application of science and knowledge is how technology can be defined in simple terms.

Which country is ranked first in technological advancement?

Finland ranks top in technological advancement ahead of the USA according to the UNDP.

Why is the development of technology important?

Technology has now become an important part of our lives and thus technical and technological advancements are essential to take us forward in all aspects.

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Essay on Technology

List of essays on technology, essay on technology – for school students (class 7, 8, 9 and 10 standard) (essay 1 – 600+ words), essay on technology – for college and university students (essay 2 – 750 words), essay on technology – long essay for competitive exams like ias, ips, upsc and civil services (essay 3 – 1000 words).

Technology can be said to be basically application of information for the building and development of devices and equipment that can be used in a lot of different ways.

Today, technology is now a very integral part of the day-to-day life for each and every one of us. Even though technology has gone a very long way in making life more convenient for every one of us, technology has also brought along a variety of negative effects that we cannot overlook.

Audience: The below given essays are exclusively written for school students (Class 7, 8, 9 and 10 Standard), college and university students. Furthermore, those students preparing for competitive exams like IAS, IPS, Civil Services and UPSC can also increase their knowledge by reading these essays.

Introduction:

Technology is basically the way we execute the discoveries of science and blend it with our own needs. Technology is a general term used to refer to the different tools, machines and equipment we use in everyday life. These tools and equipment have been invented by man to make the tasks faster, easier and more comfortable.

Advancements of Technology:

Since the invention of the wheel to the use of microchips in computers and mobiles, technology has come a long way. The man has reached the moon and explored the outer space just because of the advancement in the aeronautics field. Even in primitive occupations such as agriculture, there have been so many technological advancements with modern tools such as traction engine and steam tractor technology which has helped us make progress.

Prominent Examples:

Although there have been countless examples where technology has changed our lives, there are some which are considered as revolutions for mankind. The technology used in the field of robotics in one such fine example. Nowadays robots are being used by people and industries all over the world for various purposes. They are also used in places which are otherwise considered harmful for humans thereby protecting us. One such area is the cleaning and managing of radioactive waste.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is another field which is a classic example of the technological advancements man has achieved. Who could have imagined that a machine would be capable of thinking like us? That is what AI has been successful in doing. It is an intelligent machine capable of behaving like us. It can do activities such as problem-solving, planning, learning and even reasoning. Today AI is used in all major areas such as warfare, security, healthcare and communication. On top of this, it is far more efficient than us and has a lower rate of error.

Importance of Technology:

Technology has its own importance in our lives. Without technological advancements, our lives would not have been simpler and faster. The modernisation that the world is witnessing today has all been possible because of the technological developments in different fields. Moreover, it has helped in reducing the risks people had to undertake in many sectors such as mining. With new tools available, the tasks are less risky and are more efficient as well.

Drawbacks of Technology:

Although technological advancements are important for us, it is also true that we seem to be over-dependent on them nowadays.

The drawbacks of technology can be seen in the following ways:

1. The use of mobiles was meant to be able to keep in touch in difficult times. But now we see kids too much involved in the different applications on mobiles and killing their valuable time.

2. Many crimes have been reported through the misuse of digital technology.

3. Also, it has been seen that many people lack the basic education required to ensure the proper use of the technology available today. In fact, most of them use it for the sake of fashion and hence end up misusing it.

4. People have been so dependent on technology that they no more want to do any kind of manual activity. Even for small works that can be done manually, people prefer to do it through technology. This has resulted in making humans mentally as well as physically dormant.

Conclusion:

Technology is surely a boon for mankind. It is all the more important for the economic growth of a country. Modern technologies have in fact succeeded in reducing the human effort and the risk in doing a lot many things. But, still, it is for us to see how best we make use of the technology available to us.

While on one hand we can make use of technological advancements of nuclear energy to generate electricity and help many villages lighten us, at the hand the same nuclear energy can be used to create bombs which can cause mammoth destruction. Similarly, robots and other technological advancements have served as a good servant to us but the moment it becomes the master it can wipe off humanity from the Earth.

Technology can be said to be basically application of information for the building and development of devices and equipment that can be used in a lot of different ways. Today, technology is now a very integral part of the day-to-day life for each and every one of us. Even though technology has gone a very long way in making life more convenient for every one of us, technology has also brought along a variety of negative effects that we cannot overlook. Discussed here are some of the many ways in which our lives has been impacted by technology and how we can find the right balance for us to be able to overcome the different negative effects of technology.

Invention of Technology:

Technology is as old as life itself. At every point of our civilisation as humans, we have always had different forms of technology so it would not be possible to point out the exact invention of technology.

Advantages of Technology:

All of the things that we make use of daily including internet connection, lamps, cars, air conditioners, phones, laptops, bikes, refrigerators and even gas stoves are all products of technology. Technology has made our life easier and smoother. We can get everything just by a single click of our fingers.

Addiction to Technology:

It is fine if we technology to improve our life and how we live our lives. The problem however lies with addiction to the various technological devices that we use in making our lives better and this addiction can be very disastrous. Today, we have gone so deep into the use of technology that every one of us is busy glued to various technologies and devices today. A very good example is our cell phones, no matter where you go, you will find people busy focused on their phones even when it is not safe for them to do so like while walking on the road, driving a car, or even operating a heavy machinery at work.

Some people are addicted to televisions and they cannot afford to miss an episode of their favourite programmes even when they have more important things to do at that time. Another one is that a lot of people cannot go the shortest distance without using a car, even when it is healthy to walk a few times. As a result of this, we live in a generation where a lot of us are not fit and many are suffering from obesity as a result of their apparent lack of physical exercise.

Negative Effects of Technology:

Addiction to technology has a lot of negative effects on us both mentally and physically.

Some of them are discussed below:

i. As a result of using technology, there has been an increase that is drastic in the pollution of our environment and this has led to a variety of different health problems, global warming and the depletion of our various natural resources.

ii. Because of the abundance of entertainment provided by technology in our homes, people are not seeing any reason why they should go out and enjoy nature. Today, most people especially kids would rather stay indoors than go outside and get involved in different outdoor activities. As a result of this, different health problems like stress; sleeping habits that are poor and obesity are now very rampant.

iii. Today while being too taken to technology, a lot of young people have developed social isolation which usually results in a lack of the much needed social skills to survive in life. Using technology to the extreme mixed with a life that is socially isolated can end up in depression.

Finding the Right Balance between Nature and Technology:

It is usually hard for a lot of people to find the right balance between nature and technology. There are some people that have become so addicted to technology and the way of life that technology brings that such people have totally forgotten how life is with nature. Also there are some people that have refused to accept technology and are stuck with old ways which makes them to live a life that is not up to standard.

Finding the right balance means living both forms of life moderately without going overboard in any one. Doing this will go a very long way in living a life that is both easy (through technological advancements) and healthy (through nature), it is important that we find the right balance between nature and technology.

Technology can be said to be very addictive as a result of its convenience and the easy comfort sources accompanied with entertainment that it offers. It is however important that one tries to find a balance between nature and technology and not get too much of technology. If one can do this, it is sure that one’s life will change for a better and one would be able to live a life that is happy and free of stress and depression.

What is technology?

We live in a world driven by technology — hardly anyone would argue with you if you said this. Technology, literally meaning the “science of craft”, refers to the collection of techniques, skills, methods, and processes used to produce goods or services or for accomplishing objectives such as scientific investigation. Technology can be embedded in machines enabling them to be used by people even without a detailed knowledge of their inner workings.

Technological growth is closely linked to the expansion of scientific research and knowledge. In the last 50 years, thanks to the exponential increases in computing power and microchip design and manufacture, there has been unprecedented innovation and technological growth in nearly every field of human endeavour from health and transport to industrial production and education.

Technology in Daily Life:

It is automotive technology that drives today’s electric and hybrid cars, and which will drive tomorrow’s driverless cars, hover-taxis and space cabs.

It is technology that drives the ubiquitous mobile phones that you will now find in the hands of even the poorest of the world’s poor. It is technology that creates hybrid seeds that resist inhospitable climatic conditions and difficult terrain, giving high yields in shorter times.

It is advancing medical technology that makes remote surgery, minimally invasive surgery and life-saving cures using stem cell transplants. Technology puts spacecrafts on asteroids and distant planets and lets us see new worlds. Technology splits atoms, revealing their secrets, and gives us ways to exploit them to create energy, quantum storage for data, and virtual reality games.

Technological growth: good or bad?

There are people who strongly oppose technology and claim that it spells the death of ‘humanity’, and that we are approaching the day when machines will rule everything. They refer to fans of technology as ‘techies’ or sometimes ‘geeks’. On the other hand, proponents of technology call these people Luddites, a derogatory name for someone who is opposed to industrialisation, automation, computerisation and new technologies in general.

Is this true? Is technology really a curse disguised as a blessing? Many believe that the convergence of biotechnology and AI might be the most consequential development of all.

When Technologies Converge:

In the last five decades, two areas in particular have grown faster than the rest, powered by research and advances in computing power. One is artificial intelligence, or AI; the other is biotechnology. Huge benefits have emerged from each of them for human beings in general, such as self-driving cars — which will dramatically reduce the death rate from road accidents — and robotic surgery, which enables precise, highly efficient and targeted surgical interventions.

Yet, visionaries like Yuval Noah Harari, author of the best-selling Homo sapiens and Deus , are now warning that the convergence of biotechnology and AI will irreversibly and unpredictably change both the quality of human life and its challenges in the next few decades. A good example of this is the facial recognition technology that is now present in all photo management programs. The AI in the software is capable of not only spotting the faces in every photograph but also recognising the person by name.

This technology has now expanded so that photo apps can recognise cats, dogs, beaches, mountains and cars too. Computers with AI are already correctly identifying human emotions through observing facial expressions and body movements. Some robots are able to mimic human emotions. This is called affective computing, sometimes called artificial emotional intelligence, and refers to the study and development of systems and devices that can recognize, interpret, process, and simulate human affects.

How could this be a negative?

When Computers become Human-Like:

The ability to read human emotions is just a step away from predicting human emotions. For example, if a computer attached to a video camera could identify which products a consumer is showing greater interest in or which ones he is really keen to buy, various tactics could be used to influence her to buy it.

Activists worry that computers that can understand and anticipate human wishes and desires by scanning their irises and analysing their micro-expressions could also be programmed to exploit and manipulate them.

Another very real fear is that humanoid computers with human-like skin, speech, and expressions could jeopardise and dehumanise relationship and create emotional vacuums.

Machines that do Human Jobs:

An enduring fear of Luddites has always been that computers will rob humans of their livelihood by taking their jobs and doing them more efficiently at lower cost. However, in reality the exact opposite has happened. As computerised machines began taking over mechanical and repetitive human activities, new jobs for people opened up that needs thinking and analytical skills and judgement, or human interpersonal skills. A good example is the worldwide proliferation of call centres.

When drones were invented many feared that pilots would soon be redundant. However, few people know that it takes almost 30 people to fly one military drone, and an additional 50 people to analyze and make sense of the data being streamed back by the drone.

The US army suffers from a serious shortage of trained, high quality drone pilots; anyone who masters this skill will have a job. But a social scientist warns that in 10 years, it is certain that computers will be flying that drone and humans will be redundant. Equally sure is that some brand new skill requirement will have opened up with advancing technology, calling for new talents.

How Technology will Change Careers:

In the 20th century, a young man was supposed to choose a skill, vocation or profession, master it through education and practice, and then earn a living from it till he or she retired. However, the fast-changing nature of technology is making skills obsolete at a higher rate than ever before. To survive, tomorrow young man must keep re-inventing himself and updating his skills continuously. Life could be difficult if every new skill has a shelf life of only a decade or so.

Or perhaps one could look at it the other way — and say that changing technology will keep human beings on their toes throughout their life.

Technology is the result of human inventiveness. It reflects our evolutionary heritage. We are neither strong like gorillas or tigers, nor fast like cheetahs and hawks, but our brains and thinking powers have given us the greatest edge of any species on the planet. Technology is a result.

Technology is either inherently good or bad; it is how we use it that makes it so. The splitting of a hydrogen atom is technology at work. As history has shown us, technology can equally be used to make a nuclear bomb that kills millions — or generate electricity that lights up a million homes.

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Wearable tech: how the human body can help power the future of smart textiles

Researchers have created fibre-based electronics that use the human body to power T-shirts that display changing messages

Whether it is a T-shirt that can display changing messages or a carpet that can sense where you are standing, the future of smart textiles has often seemed rooted in science fiction.

Now researchers say they have created smart fibres that can do exactly those things – and they do not even require a battery pack.

Researchers in China say they have created fibre-based electronics that harness electromagnetic energy in the atmosphere, using the human body as part of the circuit.

This makes a “body-coupled” fibre electronic technology that does not need electronic chips or batteries to work and which, the team say, could be used for a host of applications.

“When electromagnetic energy travels through the fibre, it is converted by fibres into other forms of energy, including visible light and radio waves. So, in addition to emitting light, the fibre emits electric signals when touched by [a] human body,” said Chengyi Hou, a co-author of the research from Donghua University, Shanghai.

By controlling various aspects of the system, such as the area of fibre in contact with the body or the diameter of the fibres, these wireless signals can be programmed, Hou added.

“These wireless signals can be conveniently picked up with a coil, and then wireless signals with different characteristics will be ‘translated’ by electronic devices into different commands,” he said, noting that could mean turning the device on or off, or other actions.

The team say the approach removes a key challenge faced when attempting to incorporate electronic systems into textiles: the need for rigid components.

“We have already achieved mass production of this new type of fibre electronics, which is as fine and soft as traditional fibres, so the next step is to apply it to textiles we use every day, such as cloths, towels, carpets and so on,” said Hou.

Among the prototypes developed by the team is a wearable fabric display coupled to a fabric keyboard – which the team say could be used by people who have a hearing impairment to help them communicate with others – and textile controllers for video games.

They also created a wireless haptic carpet that glows underfoot which not only provides a form of emergency lighting at night, but can also wirelessly transmit signals that can be used to control switches on appliances in the home, such as lights.

Writing in the journal Science , the team said that the fibres are composed of three layers, made from low-cost raw materials, and are durable, washable and sweat-resistant.

Writing in an accompanying article , Yunzhu Li, from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Yiyue Luo, from MIT, suggest such technology could also have applications in robots and robotic prosthetics, as well as offer a way to gather tactile information to better understand interactions between humans and the objects around them.

Dr Luigi Occhipinti, director of research in smart electronics, biosystems and AI at the University of Cambridge, also said the approach has potential.

“As we are constantly in the proximity of sources of electromagnetic fields of various nature and with different characteristics, developing new classes of e-textiles that incorporate skin sensors and non-traditional electronics, powered uniquely via fibre-based energy harvesters in contact with our body, could unleash an entirely new class of self-powered wearable electronics for continuous monitoring of personal health,” he said.

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Wipro Chief Executive Officer Thierry Delaporte resigned on Saturday following a fraught few years for India's No. 4 IT services company, to be succeeded by the head of its biggest market.

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What is the '3 Body Problem'? Astrophysicist explains concept behind hit Netflix show

by Cody Mello-Klein, Northeastern University

"3 Body Problem," Netflix's new big-budget adaptation of Liu Cixin's book series helmed by the creators behind "Game of Thrones," puts the science in science fiction.

The series focuses on scientists as they attempt to solve a mystery that spans decades, continents and even galaxies. That means "3 Body Problem" throws some pretty complicated quantum mechanics and astrophysics concepts at the audience as it, sometimes literally, tries to bring these ideas down to earth.

However, at the core of the series is the three-body problem, a question that has stumped scientists for centuries.

What exactly is the three-body problem, and why is it still unsolvable? Jonathan Blazek, an assistant professor of physics at Northeastern University, explains that systems with two objects exerting gravitational force on one another, whether they're particles or stars and planets, are predictable. Scientists have been able to solve this two-body problem and predict the orbits of objects since the days of Isaac Newton. But as soon as a third body enters the mix, the whole system gets thrown into chaos.

"The three-body problem is the statement that if you have three bodies gravitating toward each other under Newton's law of gravitation, there is no general closed-form solution for that situation," Blazek says. "Little differences get amplified and can lead to wildly unpredictable behavior in the future."

In "3 Body Problem," like in Cixin's book, this is a reality for aliens that live in a solar system with three suns. Since all three stars are exerting gravitational forces on each other, they end up throwing the solar system into chaos as they fling each other back and forth. For the Trisolarans, the name for these aliens, it means that when a sun is jettisoned far away, their planet freezes, and when a sun is thrown extremely close to their planet, it gets torched. Worse, because of the three-body problem, these movements are completely unpredictable.

For centuries, scientists have pondered the question of how to determine a stable starting point for three gravitational bodies that would result in predictable orbits. There is still no generalizable solution that can be taken out of theory and modeled in reality, although recently scientists have started to find some potentially creative solutions, including with models based on the movements of drunk people.

"If you want to [predict] what the solar system's going to do, we can put all the planets and as many asteroids as we know into a computer code and basically say we're going to calculate the force between everything and move everything forward a little bit," Blazek says. "This works, but to the extent that you're making some approximations … all of these things will eventually break down and your prediction is going to become inaccurate."

Blazek says the three-body problem has captivated scientific minds because it's a seemingly simple problem. Most high school physics students learn Newton's law of gravity and can reasonably calculate and predict the movement of two bodies.

Three-body systems, and more than three-body systems, also show up throughout the universe, so the question is incredibly relevant. Look no further than our solar system.

The relationship between the sun, Earth and our moon is a three-body system. But Blazek says since the sun exerts a stronger gravitational force on Earth and Earth does the same on the moon, it creates a pair of two-body systems with stable, predictable orbits—for now.

Blazek says that although our solar system appears stable, there's no guarantee that it will stay that way in the far future because there are still multi-body systems at play. Small changes like an asteroid hitting one of Jupiter's moons and altering its orbit ever so slightly could eventually spiral into larger changes.

That doesn't mean humanity will face a crisis like the one the Trisolarans face in "3 Body Problem." These changes happen extremely slowly, but Blazek says it's another reminder of why these concepts are interesting and important to think about in both science and science fiction.

"I don't think anything is going to happen on the time scale of our week or even probably our species—we have bigger problems than the instability of orbits in our solar system," Blazek says. "But, that said, if you think about billions of years, during that period we don't know that the orbits will stay as they currently are. There's a good chance there will be some instability that changes how things look in the solar system."

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The best new science fiction books of April 2024

There’s an abundance of exciting new science fiction out in April, by writers including The Three-Body Problem author Cixin Liu, Douglas Preston and Lionel Shriver

By Alison Flood

1 April 2024

The last remaining free city of the Forever Desert has been besieged for centuries in The Truth of the Aleke

Shutterstock / Liu zishan

There are some huge names with new works out this month: Cixin Liu and Ann Leckie both have collections of shorter writing to peruse, plus there’s a dystopic future from the award-winning Téa Obreht and a world where woolly mammoths have been brought back from the bestselling Douglas Preston. I also love the sound of Scott Alexander Howard’s debut The Other Valley , set in a town where its past and future versions exist in the next valleys over, and of Sofia Samatar’s space adventure The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain . So much to read, so little time…

A View from the Stars by Cixin Liu

This is a collection of short works from Liu, the sci-fi author of the moment thanks to Netflix’s new adaptation of The Three-Body Problem , ranging from essays and interviews to short fiction. I love this snippet from an essay about sci-fi fans, in which he calls us “mysterious aliens in the crowd”, who “jump like fleas from future to past and back again, and float like clouds of gas between nebulae; in a flash, we can reach the edge of the universe, or tunnel into a quark, or swim within a star-core”. Aren’t we lucky to have such worlds available to us on our shelves?

3 Body Problem review: Cixin Liu's masterpiece arrives on Netflix

Cixin Liu's novel The Three-Body Problem has been turned into an eight-part series for Netflix by the Game of Thrones team. There is much to admire so far, but will the adaptation stay on track, wonders Bethan Ackerley

Lake of Souls by Ann Leckie

Leckie is a must-read writer for me, and this is the first complete collection of her short fiction, ranging across science fiction and fantasy. On the sci-fi side, we will be able to dip back into the Imperial Radch universe, and we are also promised that we’ll “learn the secrets of the mysterious Lake of Souls” in a brand-new novelette.

The Morningside by Téa Obreht

In a catastrophic version of the future, an 11-year-old girl arrives with her mother at The Morningside, once a luxury high-rise, now another crumbling part of Island City, which is half-underwater. Obreht won the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2011 for her debut, The Tiger’s Wife .

The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain by Sofia Samatar

Samatar won all sorts of prizes for her first novel, A Stranger in Olondria . Her latest sounds really intriguing, following the story of a boy who has grown up condemned to work in the bowels of a mining ship among the stars, whose life changes when he is given the chance to be educated at the ship’s university.

A boy grows up working in a mining ship among the stars in The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain

D-Keine/Getty Images

Extinction by Douglas Preston

This is set in a valley in the Rockies, where guests at a luxury resort can see woolly mammoths, giant ground sloths and Irish elk brought back from extinction by genetic manipulation. But then a string of killings kicks off, and a pair of investigators must find out what’s really going on. This looks Jurassic Park -esque and seems like lots of fun. And if you want more mammoth-related reading, try my colleague Michael Le Page’s excellent explainer about why they won’t be back any time soon.

Mania by Lionel Shriver

The award-winning author of We Need to Talk About Kevin brings her thoughts about so-called “culture wars” to bear on her fiction, imagining a world where a “Mental Parity Movement” is in the ascendent, and “the worst thing you can call someone is ‘stupid’”.

The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard

This speculative novel is set in a town where, to the east, lies the same town but 20 years ahead in time and, to the west, the same town but 20 years behind, repeating endlessly across the wilderness. The only border crossings allowed are for “mourning tours”, in which the dead can be seen in towns where they are still alive. Odile, who is 16, is set for a seat on the Conseil, where she will be able to decree who gets to travel across borders. I love the sound of this.

The best new science fiction books of March 2024

With a new Adrian Tchaikovsky, Mars-set romance from Natasha Pulley and a high-concept thriller from Stuart Turton due to hit shelves, there is plenty of great new science fiction to be reading in March

What If… Loki was Worthy? by Madeleine Roux

Many will question whether the Marvel superhero stories are really science fiction, but I’m leaning into the multiversal aspect here to include this, as it sounds like it could be a bit of fun. It’s the first in a new series that reimagines the origins of some of the biggest heroes: here, Thor died protecting Earth from one of Loki’s pranks and, exiled on our planet, the Norse trickster god is now dealing with the consequences.

The Truth of the Aleke by Moses Ose Utomi

The second book in the Forever Desert series is set 500 years after The Lies of the Ajungo , following a junior peacekeeper in the last remaining free city of the Forever Desert, which has been besieged for centuries. It was actually out in March, but I missed it then, so I’m bringing it to you now as it was tipped as a title to watch this year by our science fiction contributor Sally Adee.

Anomaly by Andrej Nikolaidis, translated by Will Firth

It is New Year’s Eve on the last day of the last year of human existence and various stories are unfolding, from a high-ranking minister with blood on his hands to a nurse keeping a secret. Later, in a cabin in the Alps, a musicologist and her daughter – the last people left on Earth – are trying to understand the catastrophe. According to The Independent , Nikolaidis “makes Samuel Beckett look positively cheery”, but I’m definitely in the mood for that kind of story now and then.

Martin MacInnes: 'Science fiction can be many different things'

The author of In Ascension, the latest pick for the New Scientist Book Club, on why he wrote his novel, cultivating a sense of wonder and the role of fiction in the world today

Mal Goes to War by Edward Ashton

In this techno-thriller, Mal is a free AI who is uninterested in the conflict going on between the humans, until he finds himself trapped in the body of a cyborg mercenary and becomes responsible for the safety of the girl she died protecting.

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