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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.

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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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Technology in 2050: will it save humanity – or destroy us?

Amid the calamitous effects of climate change, artificial intelligence could make the difference between a livable future or a dystopian one

F uturism is a mug’s game: if you’re right, it seems banal; if you’re wrong, you look like the founder of IBM, Thomas Watson, when he declared in 1943 that there is room in the world “for maybe five computers”.

David Adams knew these risks when he wrote about the future of technology in the Guardian in 2004 – even citing the very same prediction as an example of how they can go awry. And from our vantage point in 2020, Adams certainly did a better job than Watson. When he looked ahead to today, he avoided many of the pitfalls of technology prediction: no promises about flying cars nor sci-fi tech such as teleportation or faster-than-light travel.

But in some ways, the predictions were overly pessimistic. Technology really has made great leaps and bounds in the past 16 years, nowhere more clearly than AI. “Artificial intelligence brains simply cannot cope with change and unpredictable events,” wrote Adams, explaining why robots would be unlikely to interact with humans any time soon.

“Fundamentally, it’s just very difficult to get a robot to tell the difference between a picture of a tree and a real tree,” Paul Newman , then and now a robotics expert at Oxford University, told Adams. Happily, Newman proved his own pessimism to be unwarranted: in 2014, he co-founded Oxbotica, which has hopefully solved the problem he mentioned, because it makes and sells driverless car technology to vehicle manufacturers around the world.

If we move on from worrying over details, there are two key points at which the 2020 predictions fall apart: one about tech, the other about society.

“Gadget lovers could use a single keypad to operate their phone, PDA [tablet] and MP3 music player,” Adams wrote, “or combine the output of their watch, pager and radio into a single speaker.” The idea of greater convergence and connectivity between personal electronics was correct. But there was a very specific hole in this prediction: the smartphone. After half a century of single-purpose consumer electronics, it was difficult to perceive how all-encompassing a single device could become, but just three years after Adams pubished his piece, the iPhone launched and changed everything . Forget carrying around a separate MP3 player; in the real 2020, people aren’t even carrying separate cameras, wallets or car keys.

Failing to foresee the smartphone is an oversight about the progress of technology. But the other missing point is about how society would respond to the changing forces. The 2004 predictions are, fundamentally, optimistic. Adams writes about biometric healthcare data being beamed to your doctor’s computer; about washing machines that automatically arrange their own servicing based on availability in your “electronic organiser”; and about radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips on your clothes that trigger customised adverts or programme your phone based on where you are. And through it all is a sense of trust: these changes will be good, and the companies making them well-intentioned.

“There is a loss of privacy that is going to be very difficult for people and we haven’t figured out how to deal with that,” one of Adams’s interviewees admitted, when describing technology in 2020. “But if you explain what it does, how much information it provides and where it goes – and that the trade-off is that you don’t have to wait as long in line at the supermarket – then people will take the trade-off.” In fact, over the past decade and a half, the vast majority of people were simply never given the choice to accept the trade-off, and it is increasingly clear that many of them never would have if they had understood what was at risk.

If the Guardian missed the advent of the smartphone, despite writing just three years before the launch of the iPhone, how can we possibly do better today, looking 10 times further ahead? The world of 2050 will be unimaginably different in many ways, even if we can safely assume people will still generally have two arms, two legs and an unpleasant smell if they don’t wash for long periods of time.

But there are forces working in our favour. The internet is far more entrenched now than it was in 2004, and while its chaotic effect on our lives shows no sign of abating, it is at least predictably unpredictable. Similarly, smartphone penetration in the west is now as high as it looks likely to go. However the world changes over the next 30 years, it won’t be as a result of more Britons or Americans getting phones.

Other predictions can be as simple as following trendlines to their logical conclusion. By 2050, the switchover to electric cars will have mostly finished, at least in developed nations – as well as in those developing nations, such as China, that are starting to prioritise air quality over cheap mechanisation.

The “next billion” will be online, mostly through low-cost smartphones receiving increasingly ubiquitous cellular connections. But what they do on the internet is harder to guess. In 2020, there are two countervailing trends at work: on the one hand, providers, principally Facebook, have been trying to use subsidised deals to push newly connected nations on to stripped-down versions of the internet. If they succeed at scale, then many of the benefits of the web will be stolen from whole nations, reduced instead to being passive participants in Facebook and a few local media and payment companies.

But pushback, from national regulators in places such as India and from competing carriers, could bring the new nations to the real internet instead. Unless, that is, national regulators push in a different direction, copying China, Iran and Russia to keep Facebook out by building a purely nationalistic internet. How better to ensure that the benefits of the web accrue domestically, they reason, than by requiring your citizens to use home-grown services? And if it makes it easier to impose censorship, well, that’s just another benefit.

James Bridle, the author of the unsettling book New Dark Age, points out that the discussion can’t lose sight of who the next billion actually are. “I keep thinking about the way the tech industry talks about ‘the next billion users’ without acknowledging that those people are going to be hot, wet and pissed off,” he says, “and we’re only talking about hardening borders, rather than preparing – politically, socially, technologically – for this reality.”

Because, if we are guessing the future from simple trend lines, there is another one that we need to acknowledge: the climate. The specifics of what will change are not for this piece, but the human response very much is.

One possibility is plan A: humanity, in time, reaches net zero when it comes to emissions. In that scenario, we will live in a world where plant proteins replace meat in everyday consumption, where electrically powered networked mass transit reaches into the suburbs and beyond, a world of video-conferencing and remote attendance steadily chipping away at business flights, and of insulation inside the walls of British homes. (Look, it can’t all be high-tech.)

If plan A fails, then there is a chance we turn to plan B. That is a world in which megascale injections of sulphur dioxide into the stratosphere turn the heavens a milky-white, and a whole generation never sees a clear blue sky, in order to reflect more of the sun’s rays and pause the greenhouse effect. It is one in which we turn on gigantic processing plants that do nothing but extract carbon dioxide from the air and pump it underground into disused oil wells. It is one in which whole cities are abandoned and populations relocated to avoid the worst effects we can’t prevent.

Plan B – geoengineering – is neither optimistic nor pessimistic about the future of humanity, says Holly Jean Buck, the author of After Geoengineering. “The worst thing would be we fail plan A and plan B. Over the next decade, I think [some form of geoengineering will be tried]’. Right now, it’s toned down, I think because of people not wanting to talk about it. We don’t have the body of knowledge, and would need 20 or 30 years to develop it. Right about midcentury means it will be a crunch point: climate change will be really apparent.”

But for Buck, as for Bridle, the distinctions that really matter aren’t necessarily the technology. “The choices around whether we have a livable future or a dystopian one are about social attitudes and social changes.

“Right now, we’re in this era of stopgaps. Society used to be able to make a long-term plan: people built long-term infrastructure and thought a bit further out. That’s not something that happens now: we go to quick fixes. We need a cultural change in values, to enable more deliberate decision-making.”

There is another possibility: that technology really does save the day, and then some. John Maeda, the chief experience officer at the digital consultancy Publicis Sapient, says that by 2050, “computational machines will have surpassed the processing power of all the living human brains on Earth. The cloud will also have absorbed the thinking of the many dead brains on Earth, too – and we all need to work together to survive. So I predict that we will see a lasting cooperation between the human race and the computational machines of the future.”

This sort of thinking has come to be known as the singularity: the idea that there will be a point, perhaps even a singular moment in time, when the ability of thinking machines outstrips those who created them, and progress accelerates with dizzying results.

“If you interview AI researchers about when general AI – a machine that can do everything a human can do – will arrive, they think it’s about 50/50 whether it will be before 2050,” says Tom Chivers, the author of The AI Does Not Hate You.

“They also think that AGI” – artificial general intelligence – “can be hugely transformative – lots of them signed an open letter in 2015 saying ‘eradication of disease and poverty’ could be possible. But also,” he adds, citing a 2013 survey in the field, “on average they think there is about a 15% to 20% chance of a ‘very bad outcome [existential catastrophe]’, which means everyone dead.”

There is, perhaps, little point in dwelling on the 50% chance that AGI does develop. If it does, every other prediction we could make is moot, and this story, and perhaps humanity as we know it, will be forgotten. And if we assume that transcendentally brilliant artificial minds won’t be along to save or destroy us, and live according to that outlook, then what is the worst that could happen – we build a better world for nothing?

• The world in 2050
• Smartphones
• Mobile phones
• Artificial intelligence (AI)

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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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Why Technology is Essential to Human Survival

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Essay on Science and Technology for Students: 100, 200, 350 Words

• Updated on  
• Sep 20, 2023

Writing an essay on science and technology requires you to keep yourself updated with the recent developments in this field. Science is a field which has no limits. It is the most potent of all the fields and when combined with technology, then even the sky doesn’t remain a limit. Science is everywhere from the minute microscopic organisms to the gigantic celestial bodies. It’s the very essence of our existence. Let’s learn about Science and Technology in an essay format.

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Essay on Science and Technology in 100 Words

Everything we do, every breath we take, every move we make, every interaction with any object, and even the thoughts we have, and the dreams we see, all involve science. Similarly, as the world is progressing, technology is getting intertwined with even the basic aspects of our lives. Be it education, sports, entertainment, talking to our loved ones, etc. Everything is inclusive of Technology nowadays. It is safe to say that Science and Technology go hand-in-hand. They are mutually inclusive of each other. Although from a broader perspective, Technology is a branch of Science, but still, each of these fields cannot be sustained without the other.

Essay on Science and Technology in 200 Words

Science and Technology are important aspects of life from the very beginning of the day to the end of it. We wake up in the morning because of the sound of our alarm clocks and go to bed at night after switching off our lights. Most importantly, it helps us save time is one of the results of advancements in science and technology. Each day new Technologies are being developed that are making human life easier and much more convenient.Advantages of Science and Technology

If we were to name the advantages of science and technology, then we would fall short of words because they are numerous. These range from the very little things to the very big ones.

Science and Technology are the fields that have enabled man to look beyond our own planet and hence, discover new planets and much more. And the most recent of the Project of India, The successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the south pole of the moon proves that the potential of Science and Technology cannot be fathomed via any means. The potential it holds is immense. 

In conclusion, we can confidently say that Science and Technology have led us to achieve an absolutely amazing life. However, it is extremely important to make use of the same in a judicious way so as to ensure its sustenance. 

Also Read – Essay on Noise Pollution

Essay on Science and Technology in 350 Words

Science and Technology include everything, from the smallest of the microbes to the most complex of the mechanisms. Our world cannot exist without Science and Technology. It is hard to imagine our lives without science and technology now. 

Impact of Science & Technology 

The impact of science and technology is so massive that it incorporates almost each and every field of science and even others. The cures to various diseases are being made due to the advancement in Science and Technology only. Also, technology has enhanced the production of crops and other agricultural practices also rely on Science and Technology for their own advancement. All of the luxuries that we have on a day-to-day basis in our lives are because of Science and Technology. Subsequently, the fields of Science and Technology have also assisted in the development of other fields as well such as, Mathematics , Astrophysics , Nuclear Energy , etc. Hence, we can say that we live in the era of Science and Technology. 

Safety Measures

Although the field of Science and Technology has provided the world with innumerable advancements and benefits that are carrying the world forward, there are a lot of aspects of the same that have a negative impact too. The negative impact of these is primarily on nature and wildlife and hence, indirectly and directly on humans as well.

The large factories that are associated with manufacturing or other developmental processes release large amounts of waste which may or may not be toxic in nature. This waste gets deposited in nature and water bodies and causes pollution. The animals marine or terrestrial living in their respective ecosystems may even ingest plastic or other toxic waste and that leads to their death. There are a lot of other negative aspects of the same.

Hence, it becomes our responsibility to use Science and Technology judiciously and prevent the degradation of nature and wildlife so as to sustain our planet, along with all its ecosystems, which will eventually ensure our existence in a healthy ecosystem leading to healthy and long life.

Science is something that is limitless. It is the most potent of all the fields and when combined with technology, then even the sky doesn’t remain a limit. Science is everywhere from the minute microscopic organisms to the most gigantic ones. It’s the very essence of our existence.

Science and Technology are important aspects of life. All of the luxuries that we have on a day-to-day basis in our lives are because of Science and Technology. Most importantly, it helps us save time is one of the results of advancements in science and technology. It is hard to imagine our lives without science and technology now. 

In any nation, science and technology holds a crucial part in its development in all aspect. The progress of the nation is dependent upon science and technology. It holds the to economic growth, changing the quality of life, and transformation of the society.

We hope this blog of ours on Essay on Science and Technology has helped you gain a deeper knowledge of the same. For more such informative and educational essays please visit our site:- Leverage Edu Essay Writing .

Deepansh Gautam

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How we’re becoming slaves to technology, explained by an MIT sociologist

“We’re always on, always plugged in, always stimulated, always in a constant state of self-presentation.”

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Share All sharing options for: How we’re becoming slaves to technology, explained by an MIT sociologist

Are we becoming slaves to our technology? Is it making us less happy, less free, less connected?

Sherry Turkle, a sociologist and clinical psychologist at MIT, has explored these questions for more than two decades. The author of several books, including Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet and Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age , Turkle isn’t anti-technology. But she is concerned that we’re failing to appreciate how it’s altering human life.

Her most recent book, Reclaiming Conversation, is a warning about the consequences of living in a world where face-to-face interaction is less and less frequent. We live on and through our screens, and we’re always plugged in, always distracted. She believes this has changed how we think, feel, and interact with one another. For Turkle, at least, it’s transforming what it means to be human.

I spoke with Turkle via Skype about why her views on technology have changed and why she thinks we have to reexamine the role that smartphones and social media are playing in our daily lives.

A lightly edited transcript of our conversation follows.

Sean Illing

Your book Life on the Screen was published in 1995 and it was noticeably optimistic about this new digital world. By the time you wrote Alone Together , in 2011, that optimism was gone. What changed?

Sherry Turkle

In a word, mobile technology. Mobile technology means we’re always on, always plugged in, always stimulated, always in a constant state of self-presentation. Psychologically, that’s a game changer. For nearly all of human history, people were able to find silence and solitude pretty easily — that was just part of the human condition.

I watched all this happen and decided to go out into the field and spend time with families with small children. I watched kids grow up, spent time in classrooms, and saw how these changes were impacting their development. I started thinking a lot about the self and identity and how this mobile world was transforming it in ways we needed to understand.

This is why I became so interested in the themes I’m exploring now — the flight from conversation, the flight from solitude, the flight from silence, the flight from boredom, all of these things that are so important to our development and to our ability to be with other people.

You’ve called face-to-face conversations “the most human thing we do.” What are the consequences of living in a world where we do this less and less?

Well, I’m not so sure we’re going to continue doing it less and less. We grew up with the internet, so we think the internet is grown up, but it’s not. The internet is very young, and our ways of using it are very young. I think we’re starting to see a backlash. Yes, there are many things about the internet that are amazing, like the fact that we’re having this conversation right now.

But there are certain kinds of communication that can’t be done via texting or video messages or whatever, and I think people are starting to see that. If you want to be a true friend or partner or lover or colleague and you want to really connect, then you have to look at the person you’re engaged with; you have to actually be with them. That’s how progress is made. I think enough people are beginning to understand this.

You’ve written a lot about empathy and how these technologies are making it harder for us to be empathic. I wonder if you think they’re encouraging us to treat other people as objects or as actors in our own personal drama. As you say, we’re always living through our screens, always performing, always projecting our image and our story.

That’s an interesting way to put it — that we become actors in our own personal drama. I think, over time, the so-called “internet of things” emerges and then we sort of become things on the internet. We talk a lot about authenticity, but actually what we’re doing is curating the self, and that’s what I worry about in terms of empathy.

Empathy requires that I get into your mental space, into your head, into your experience, and give you the comfort of knowing that I made that effort to listen and care, and that I’m taking responsibility for what I hear. It’s a commitment that we make to other people that involves us getting out of our own heads, and the constant self-curation online, the constant self-gratification of smartphones and social media, makes it harder for us to do this.

The thing about something like Facebook is that it’s not really authentic. People are curating what they share on Facebook; they’re always putting on their happy face. They’re posting about their fancy dinner or their fancy vacation or their fancy outfit. It’s not real, or at least it’s not the whole picture of our complicated lives . But empathy is about diving into other people’s sadness, and there’s just not much space for that on social media.

You’ve interviewed a lot of people who have embraced new technologies because they thought it would make them happier, more empowered, and more connected. Has it?

I don’t think there’s a yes or no answer to those questions. I mean, the students in Parkland, Florida , are using technology in ways that are making them more empowered as they wage this battle for gun control. The fact that they’re fluent with social media, that they know to leverage it into more coverage on TV and in print, is a great thing. They grew up with this technology, and they’re empowered by it.

So I’m not anti-technology — that’s too simplistic. I’m pro-relationships and pro-conversations and pro-communities and pro-politics. I want people to be media-savvy and to use it to their best advantage. These new technologies can be empowering and they can help us connect with other people, but they can also divide us and make us more lonely and isolated.

I want to ask you about a distinction you make between “technological values” and “human values.” I’d argue that this is no longer a meaningful distinction, that technological values have essentially become human values and that our society is now guided almost exclusively by technology, for better or worse.

To the degree that you’re right — and I don’t want to say that you’re wrong — it’s time to start backpedaling because that’s not going to get us where we need to go. Our technological values are values that make technology work better, but they don’t necessarily have any social value.

Our technologies aren’t necessarily helping us live a good and meaningful life. They’re not necessarily making us better citizens or friends or colleagues. What you’re describing is a dystopia that I don’t want to live in and I don’t want my daughter to live in. Technology that shapes human life without any human input is of no interest to me.

I agree, and I guess that’s my point. We’re not really asking questions about what the good life looks like or what it means to be engaged citizens. We’re simply creating new technologies and then organizing our lives around them after they’ve already overwhelmed us.

It’s time to make a change, and as consumers, we have to demand that change. If you object to what a piece of technology is doing to you, don’t buy it. If you notice that your iPhone is making you less present or more self-involved, don’t buy it — or at least demand that it be designed differently. I’m starting to see this already in the world of smartphones. People are saying, “This is making me crazy; my phone is leading me around. I need a device that’s more respectful of my time.”

Just because we invented a powerful technology doesn’t mean we have to become its slaves. I think we fell in love with this incredible technology we invented. We were like young lovers who didn’t want to talk because they thought it would ruin the romance. But now it’s time to talk. It’s time to talk about this technology we fell in love with. We’re not young lovers anymore. It’s time to say, “Hey, let’s make this technology suit our purposes, and our purposes are human purposes.”

Watch: It’s not you. Phones are designed to be addicting.

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Home — Essay Samples — Information Science and Technology — Impact of Technology — Science, Technology and Society: Development as The Survival of Mankind

Science, Technology and Society: Development as The Survival of Mankind

• Categories: Impact of Technology Information Age Modern Society

About this sample

Words: 1262 |

Published: May 17, 2022

Words: 1262 | Pages: 3 | 7 min read

Table of contents

 introduction, background and sts,  advantages of scientific and technological development,  disadvantages of scientific and technological development,  own conviction,  ethical aspects,  conclusion,  bibliography.

• Freitas, F.F., De Souza, S.S., Ferreira, L.R.A., Otto, R.B., Alessio, F.J., De Souza, S.N.M., Venturini, O.J. & Ando Junior, O.H. 2019. The Brazilian market of distributed biogas generation: Overview, technological development and case study. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 101:146-157.
• Galasso, A. & Luo, H. 2019. Risk-Mitigating Technologies: the Case of Radiation Diagnostic Devices. Harvard Business School, Working Paper: 19-106.
• Parahakaran, S. 2017. An Analysis of Theories Related to Experiential Learning for Practical Ethics in Science and Technology. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 5(6): 1014-1020.
• Petralia, S., Balland, P. A. & Morrison, A. 2017. Climbing the ladder of technological development. Research Paper, 46(5):956-969.
• Polaiah, D.S. 2018. Impact of Technology on Environment. International Journal of Engineering Science Invention: 53-55.
• Rehman, A., Jingdong, L., Khatoon, R. & Hussain, I. 2016. Modern Agricultural Technology Adoption its Importance, Role and Usage for the Improvement of Agriculture. American-Eurasian Journal of Agriculture and Environmental Science, 16(2):284-288.
• Reinecke, C. J. 2019. Science, Technology and Society , edited by I.J. vd Walt. Potchefstroom: NWU, Potchefstroom campus. (Reader WVNS221 & WVIS321).
• Sampath, P.G. 2015. Benefits and Costs of the Science and Technology Targets for the Post-2015 Development Agenda. Science and Technology Viewpoint Paper.
• United States of America Government. 2019. U.S. energy consumption, production, and exports reach record highs in 2018. U.S. Energy Information Administration. https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=39392 Date of access: 01 Sept. 2019.

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Three philosophical perspectives on the relation between technology and society, and how they affect the current debate about artificial intelligence

• Ibo van de Poel

Three philosophical perspectives on the relation between technology and society are distinguished and discussed: 1) technology as an autonomous force that determines society; 2) technology as a human construct that can be shaped by human values, and 3) a co-evolutionary perspective on technology and society where neither of them determines the other. The historical evolution of the three perspectives is discussed and it is argued that all three are still present in current debates about technological change and how it may affect society. This is illustrated for the case of Artificial Intelligence (AI). It is argued that each of the three perspectives contributes to the debate of AI but that the third has the strongest potential to uncover blind spots in the current debate.

Introduction

Philosophical reflection on technology is perhaps as old as humanity. Since the early days of human evolution, humans have made and used tools for survival, and, henceforth, sometimes have been characterized as homo faber (tool maker) (e.g. Bergson, 1911 ). When humans started to reflect philosophically may be harder to trace historically, but philosophical reflections on technology can at least be traced back to antiquity in the Western world, but are likely older ( Franssen, Lokhorst, & Van de Poel, 2018) . Nevertheless, as a specialized discipline, philosophy of technology is of a much more recent date. Ernst Kapp was probably the first to use the term in 1877 .

In this essay, I am particularly interested in philosophical thinking about the relation between technology and society, and about that between technological change and social change. Consequently, in this article my focus is on what Mitcham (1994) has called humanities philosophy of technology rather than engineering philosophy of technology. The latter is more interested in issues in engineering practice, like the nature and evolution of technological artifacts, design, and the nature of technological knowledge, while the first focuses more on technology as a social, cultural and historical phenomenon, and its relation to society.

While humanities philosophy of technology may have started with writers like Lewis Mumford (Mumford, 1934) and Ortega y Gasset ( Ortega y Gasset, 1939/1997 ), it is often thinkers like Martin Heidegger ( Heidegger, 1962 ) and Jacques Ellul ( Ellul, 1964 ) that are seen as the frontrunners. They expressed a view on the relation between technology and society that conceives of technology as an autonomous force that determines society. While this view has been, and still is, influential, particularly in more popular discussions about technology, it has now been largely surpassed in professional philosophy of technology by a view that has arisen since roughly the 1980s under influence of philosophers like Langdon Winner (e.g. Winner, 1980 ) and the rise of the field of Science and Technology Studies. According to this second view, technology is basically a human product shaped by human interests and values, and it can also be shaped by these according to human will. In addition to these two views, I will distinguish a third one, which is of a more recent date but also has older roots. This third view stresses the co-evolution of technology and society and recognises explicitly the sometimes self-contained character of technology, and its unexpected and unintended consequences.

In current societal debates, we find elements of all three views. In current popular discourse, for example, about the fear that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will take over from humans, we can clearly recognize the idea of technology as an autonomous and determinate force. However, in these debates, we also witness the articulation of a range of values, which should guide the development of AI (e.g. High-Level Expert Group on AI, 2019 ), which very much fits the second view.

Therefore, the three perspectives on technology and society that I sketch below also function as tropes, or figures of speech that we have recourse to when we try to understand technological change and how it relates to, or affects, social change. Each perspective comes with certain core assumptions that define certain development as threats, and others as opportunities. What in one mode of thinking may be seen as malleable and open to choice, in another mode may be seen as given and unchangeable. The different modes of thinking about technology and society are therefore not innocent: they help to determine not only how we interpret technology and its relation to society but also what we see as possible and desirable.

Below, I shall briefly discuss each of the three perspectives, and their intellectual history, and will then illustrate for the case of AI that the perspectives are still present in current debates, although the third perspective seems somewhat underrepresented.

Technology as autonomous and determinate force

The idea of technology as an autonomous force that determines society and societal change can be found in early philosophers of technology like Jacques Ellul and Martin Heidegger. Ellul in his book The Technological Society (La Technique) describes technology as an autonomous force that develops largely independently from human choices ( Ellul, 1964 ). For Ellul, technology stands for a certain way of relating to reality and for certain values, pre-eminently efficiency.

Like Ellul, Heidegger in his essay The Question Concerning Technology (Die Frage nach der Technik) is not so much interested in specific technologies but in Technology, with a big T, as a certain way of relating to, and perceiving reality ( Heidegger, 1962 ). For him, Technology represents, in essence, an instrumental relation to reality, in which everything—nature, fellow humans—appears as a resource or a means to an end.

Somewhat similar ideas can already be found in an earlier book by Karl Jaspers called Man in the Modern Age (Die Geistige Situation der Gegenwart) ( Jaspers, 1931/1933 ), and in the work of Günther Anders, who, in his work Die Antiquiertheit des Menschen (The outdatedness of humans), of which the first volume appeared in 1956, stresses what he calls a growing a-synchronicity between humans and modern technology. Lewis Mumford in his writings, on what he calls modern monotechnics, also leans to describing technology as an autonomous and determinate force ( Mumford, 1967 ). The idea of technology as a modern ideology is also very much present in the Frankfurt School of Philosophy, for example, in Herbert Marcuse’s book One-dimensional man ( Marcuse, 1964 ) and Jurgen Habermas’ essay on science and technology as ideology ( Habermas, 1968 ).

All these philosophers perceive of technology as a more or less autonomous force, that cannot, or at least not easily, be resisted. Moreover, they associate technology, and in particular modern technology, with certain values and a certain relation to reality that is increasingly becoming dominant due to the autonomous force of technology. In line with these two ideas, the first perspective on technology and society may be characterized by the following two key assumptions:

Technology develops autonomously, i.e. according to its own laws, not, or hardly, open to human choice;

The impact of technology on society is deterministic.

The combination of these assumptions can not only be found among techno-pessimists like Ellul and Heidegger but also among techno-optimists. While it is hard to find a contemporary philosopher that represents such a view, it is clearly present in popular culture and among non-philosophers. [1] For example, Smith (1994) describes technological determinism in American culture in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. She writes that the “belief that in some fundamental sense technological developments determine the course of human events had become dogma by the end of the [19 th ] century” ( Smith, 1994 , p. 7). This belief was, among others, installed by advertisements, “[f]from the early 1900s onwards, advertising agencies sold the public on the idea that the latest advances in technology brought not only immediate personals gains but also social progress” ( Smith, 1994 , p. 19).

The ideas of autonomous technology and technological determinism are still very much vivid today, as is witnessed by statements that we hear all too often, such as: “technological progress is inevitable”; “new technologies will eventually be used anyway”; “we cannot un-invent technologies once the genie is out of the bottle”; and “we will need to adapt to new technological realities.” While such ideas are often coupled to a faith that technology will bring progress, we certainly also find today the techno-pessimistic view in popular culture and among non-philosophers. An example is the essay Why the Future Does not Need Us in which Bill Joy, then Chief Scientist at Sun Microsystems, voices the concern that advances in robotics, genetic engineering, and nanotechnology will lead to the destruction of mankind ( Joy, 2000 ).

The idea of machines taking over is an important subtheme under the trope of technology as an autonomous and determinate force, and one that keeps returning over time. It can already be found in novels like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (first published in 1818) and Samuel Butler’s Erewhon (first published anonymously in 1872) . It has also been regularly voiced by scientists and engineers. For example, in his book Engines of Creation (1986) , the molecular nanotechnologist Eric Drexler sketches the doomsday scenario of minuscule nanobots that have run out of control and that keep replicating, eventually eating up all matter so that only ‘grey goo’ is left.

The main difference between these techno-pessimists and techno-optimists is the values that are associated with technological development and change. For techno-optimists these are positive values like social progress, economic prosperity, freedom and democracy. Techno-pessimists stress negative values like efficiency, instrumentalization, domination of humans, tyranny, alienation, and the end of mankind. Despite these diametrically opposed normative assessments of technological change, they both conceive technological development as an autonomous process that determines societal developments. Consequently, there are few possibilities for human choice in technological development.

For techno-optimists it is probably not a problem that technology seems beyond human control as the inevitable technological changes will eventually bring human progress and other positive values. Techno-pessimists often feel a need to offer some way out, but due to their conception of technology the only way out they usually see is to abandon technology altogether, or at least to abandon ‘modern’ technology and to revalue older ‘more humane’ forms of technology and ‘non-technological’ ways of relating to reality, like religion in Ellul’s writings and poetry for Heidegger. It is here that the second perspective on technology and society offers radically different, and much more diverse, options for remedying potential negative effects of technology and technological change.

Technology as a human product shaped by human interests and values

The second perspective on technology stresses the human-made character of technology. Technology is a human construct. Consequently, technologies are shaped by human interests and values, and open to human choice. This view can already be found in some of the works of earlier philosophers of technology like Lewis Mumford (e.g. Mumford, 1934/1963 ) and Langdon Winner (e.g. Winner, 1977 , 1986 ). Winner, for example, in his book Autonomous Technology draws attention to how technology often appears as an autonomous and determinate force (along the lines of the first approach), but he believes this to be rooted in our (mis)conception of technology rather than in the essence of technology, as Ellul and Heidegger held ( Winner, 1977 ).

One of the earliest and strongest expressions of the view of technology as a human and value-laden product is probably Langdon Winner’s essay Do artifacts have politics? Winner (1980) argues that technological artifacts have political qualities and, hence, are value- and power-laden. Winner makes a distinction between technologies that are, in his view, by their very nature politically-laden, like for example the atomic bomb that according to him requires an authoritarian political structure to control its risks, and technologies that have politics due to their specific design, which could have been chosen differently, for example “concrete buildings and huge plazas constructed on university campuses in the United States during the late 1960s and early 1970 to defuse student demonstrations” ( Winner, 1980 , p. 124). It is particularly examples of the latter kind that fit the thinking of the second perspective (and that have been mostly referred to by later authors).

The idea of technology as a human construct has also been strongly articulated in Science and Technology Studies (STS), in particular in more constructivist approaches. In line with constructivist approaches to science (e.g. Bloor, 1976 ; Latour & Woolgar, 1979 ; Collins, 1985 ), since the 1980s different models and theories for understanding technology and technological change as human constructs have been developed (see e.g. Bijker, Hughes, & Pinch, 1987 ).

One early example is the SCOT, Social Construction Of Technology, model developed by Wiebe Bijker (see e.g. Bijker, 1995 ). According to this model, technological artifacts are interpreted differently by different social groups; such interpretations also typically suggest different paths for further technological development. Depending on what interpretation becomes dominant, technological change will take different paths. What is striking about the SCOT model is that factors such as the state of technological knowledge or what is technically feasible at a certain time do not seem to have an independent place in the model. Technology is just a human construct.

The view of technology as a human product open to, for example, design choices has increasingly been accepted by philosophers of technology and it can, in different degrees, be found also among the second and third generation of philosophers influenced by Heidegger like, for example, Don Ihde, Alfred Borgmann, Andrew Feenberg and Peter-Paul Verbeek (e.g. Ihde, 1993 ; Borgmann, 1984 ; Feenberg, 1991 ; Verbeek 2011 ).

Although there are, of course, many nuanced differences between thinkers that roughly fit this second perspective, I think one can fairly state that often the following three assumptions are present:

Technology is a human product or social construction and, as such, open to human choices;

Technology is value-laden, and different products can embed different values, depending on their design;

We (can) shape new technologies by our interests and values.

Whereas thinkers in the first approach typically have a monolithic idea about Technology, with a big T, in this second perspective they tend to talk about technologies in the plural, and to stress that the normative assessment of technologies may be very different from one technology to another. Different technologies have different normative qualities depending on choices made by humans, for example during the design process.

We find this second view also in popular media, in policy circles, and among non-philosophers. An example is the science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov who has become well-known for his three laws of robotics ( Asimov, 1950 ):

A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

The idea behind these laws is not that robots will automatically obey them, but that they should be so designed (by humans) that they do. This clearly fits the idea of technology as a human product.

The idea that we can deliberately design values into technology is also key to Value Sensitive Design ( Friedman & Kahn, 2003 ; Friedman & Hendry, 2019 ), and related approaches like Design for Values ( Van den Hoven, Vermaas & Van de Poel, 2015 ) that aim at incorporating values of ethical importance into the design of new technologies.

This way of thinking has also been taken up in policy circles. Initially, it was particularly new variations to technology assessment that made this approach more widespread. Whereas traditional technology assessment was aimed at predicting and assessing the consequences of new technologies, modern varieties like Constructive Technology Assessment ( Rip, Misa & Schot, 1995 ) and real-time technology assessment ( Guston & Sarewitz, 2002 ) stress the importance of feeding insights from the anticipated possible consequences of new technologies into the design and research and development (R&D) phase of new technologies, so that better technologies can be developed.

These ideas have also been taken up in approaches like Mid-Stream Modulation ( Fisher, Mahajan & Mitcham, 2006 ) and, more recently, in the approach of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) ( Owen, Bessant & Heintz, 2013 ). RRI has particularly been taken up in the European Union where it has been defined as “the on-going process of aligning research and innovation to [sic] the values, needs and expectations of society” ( European Commission 2014 ).

Co-evolution of Technology and Society

The second perspective is more nuanced than the first in the sense that it focuses on technologies rather than monolithically on technology, its essence or its inevitable development. In this way, it also opens possibilities for more nuanced normative assessments of technologies and suggests constructive ways for better governing the development of new technologies.

However, the second perspective may also be in danger of overstating the degree to which we can steer or direct technological developments. In addition to the first and second perspective, which stress, respectively, the autonomy of technology and human choice in technology, we might distinguish a third perspective that theoretically starts from the idea of co-evolution of technology and society ( Rip & Kemp, 1998 ).

The idea of co-evolution is certainly not new and many authors I cited for the second perspective may well subscribe to it. What sets the third perspective apart from the second, then, is not just or merely a recognition of the co-evolution of technology and society but rather a recognition of what I would like to call the non-malleability of technology, and of the fact that technology brings novelty and, therefore, unforeseen and unintended (social) consequences.

Let me explain these terms in some more detail. With non-malleability, I do not mean so much to refer to the laws of physics (although these puts limits on what is technologically feasible), but rather to the fact that technological developments are often hard to govern. In the literature, this has been understood in a variety of ways, for example in terms of technological complexity and scale ( Collingridge, 1992 ), in terms of technological momentum ( Hughes, 1994 ), in terms of path-dependence and lock-in ( David, 1985 ; Arthur, 1989 ) or in terms of technological regimes ( Nelson & Winter, 1977 ; Rip & Kemp, 1998 ; Van de Poel, 2003 ). What all these explanations have in common is that they see the non-malleability of technology not as purely technical in nature, but as, at least partly, social in nature. It is due to organizational complexities, economic considerations, power constellations, social institutions, and the like.

Technological development, according to the third perspective, is not just non-malleable but it also brings novelty ( Rip & Kemp, 1998 ). With novelty, I mean here that it creates something that did not exist before and that we cannot fully capture beforehand. This novelty is an opportunity; it may, for example lead to new options that help to solve social and moral dilemmas ( Van den Hoven, Lokhorst & Van de Poel, 2012 ). However, the novelty is also a potential threat in the sense that it may lead to unintended and undesirable risks or side-effects.

We can, again, summarize the third perspective in terms of three key assumptions: Technology and society co-evolve; technology does not determine society nor do societal choices fully determine technology;

Some aspects of technology development are very hard to change or unmalleable, and are hardly (still) open to human choice;

Technology creates novelty and unexpected (and unintended) consequences.

The combination of the second and third assumption results in the so-called dilemma of technological control that was already formulated in Collingridge (1980) . This dilemma states that, in its early phases, a new technology is still malleable, but one lacks sufficient knowledge about its social impact to steer it in the right direction. Later, when this knowledge has become available, the technology is so well-entrenched in society that it has become hard or impossible to change anymore.

The dominant response to this dilemma in the second perspective is to try to proactively steer technology during its early phases, like the R&D and design phase, while addressing the knowledge problem by increased anticipation and deliberation (e.g. through stakeholder involvement). While such an approach is certainly sensible, it also runs the risks of overlooking issues and concerns that are hard, or impossible, to anticipate at these early stages.

An alternative to the anticipatory approach, and more in line with the third perspective, is an approach that addresses the other horn of the Collingridge dilemma by trying to avoid, or at least postpone, the lock-in of a new technology and using this time for an extended period of experimentation and learning about a new technology ( Van de Poel, 2016 ). Such an approach would conceive of the introduction of a new technology into society as a form of social experimentation ( Krohn & Weyer, 1994 ; Felt et al., 2007 ) and would seek better, and more acceptable, forms of social experimentation with technology. Rather than on anticipation, the emphasis is in such an approach on experimentation, adaptability and learning.

In the light of the third perspective, the RRI approach aimed at better aligning technology with the ‘values, needs and expectations of society’ is sympatric, but perhaps somewhat naïve, both in the sense that technology may be harder to govern than expected and that even, when such governance efforts are successful, unexpected consequences and unpleasant surprises will occur from time to time, due to the novelty of technology.

Moreover, from a co-evolutionary point of view, the ‘values, needs and expectations of society’ are not given but evolve, as a result of technological development. They, hence, do not provide a normative rock bottom that can guide technological development. While many may subscribe to such a statement where it concerns societal needs and expectations, some would probably believe that values are more stable and unchangeable and have, or at least can have, a solid normative foundation. Ethicists of technology have, however pointed out that technological developments may induce technomoral change ( Swierstra, 2013 ) or value change ( Van de Poel, 2018a ).

Acknowledging the possibility of value change may, occasionally, lead to a form of moral relativism, but it does not necessarily imply a moral relativist position. One may, as well, argue that new technologies create new realities and new types of moral situations and, hence, new moral problems, that demand new moral values to adequately deal with them. When the idea that technology creates novelty is taken seriously, this is a real possibility. So conceived, the introduction of new technology is also a form of moral experimentation, in which we only along the way find out what the new moral issues created by a new technology are, and, along the way, (re)invent the moral standards and values by which to judge that technology ( Van de Poel, 2018b ).

AI as an example

I want to end this essay with a brief example of how the three philosophical perspectives on technology and society play out in a concrete case, namely Artificial Intelligence (AI). This helps to see how all three are still present and relevant today, as well as to suggest how my discussion of them might be relevant to deal with the new challenges to society that AI introduces.

The first perspective, technology as an autonomous and determinate force, is clearly visible in techno-optimist as well as techno-pessimist visions on AI. On the one hand, there are scientists, governments and industries sketching AI largely as an inescapable development that will bring economic and social progress. The argument is often that we should free up large amounts of money for AI in order not to be surpassed by competitors who will do the same, so contributing to a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Also, many techno-pessimists have recourse to the first perspective. An example is Stephen Hawking’s warning that AI could end mankind ( Cellan-Jones, 2014 ), a fear that is now also voiced it in many popular articles about AI and machine learning. Similar fears are voiced in Nick Bostrom’s recent book Superintelligence ( Bostrom, 2016 ). While these voices might help to point out some of the potential perils of AI and can, hence, be seen as a form of early warning, their analyses bring relative few insights as to how to improve the development of AI, and its social impacts.

Here the second perspective has proven more useful. The earlier mentioned report of the High-Level Expert Group on AI (2019) is a clear example of the application of the second perspective; it articulates the ethical principles of respect for human autonomy, prevention of harm, fairness and explicability as the ones that should guide the development and design of AI. These ideas are backed by more scholarly work on responsible AI, Humane AI, explainable AI, and meaningful human control (e.g. Floridi et al., 2020 ; Wachter, Mittelstadt & Russell, 2018 ; Santoni de Sio & Van den Hoven, 2018 ). So, the second perspective is now clearly showing its relevance for better governing the development of AI.

However, the second perspective may – in line with my general discussion above – have two important blind spots. One is that the actual control of AI developments may be much harder than expected, or at least hoped. One problem, as also alluded to by Bostrom, is that AI may give countries a competitive advantage not only economically but also in warfare, which might make it particularly hard to control, especially because some governments are clearly much less interested in developing AI in a responsible manner than others.

Another blind spot may be the novelty and unintended consequences brought by AI. These are partly due to the fact that AI allows the design of artificial agents that are autonomous and adaptive, and can hence learn – often in unpredictable ways – from interaction with their environment (cf. Floridi & Sanders, 2004 ). Moreover, AI may bring social and economic disruption, for example in terms of (un)employment, but also conceptual and moral disruption, as it challenges some key philosophical notions like (human) moral agency and responsibility. The tendency of techno-pessimists, in the first approach, and of those adhering to the second perspective is often to reject such disruptions, and the accompanying AI technologies, either because they are seen as a peril to humanity (first perspective) or because they endanger some of our core human values (like human autonomy, and responsibility) (cf. van Wynsberghe & Robbins, 2019 ).

Here a somewhat more nuanced view might prove fruitful. On the hand, AI does not only bring threats but also opportunities, and some conceptual and moral changes may be desirable, not because they are triggered by AI but because we have independent (philosophical) reasons to consider them good or desirable. What the third perceptive also adds to the other two is a stronger emphasis on the co-evolution of AI and society, and, hence, on developing AI technologies that support humans rather than replace them. Like most other technologies, AI may well improve human capabilities and contribute to a better society.

Given the uncertainties and opportunities as well as threats that surround the development of AI, and in line with the third perspective, one should also aim at a more gradual introduction of AI into society, in which it does not only amount to an uncontrolled de-facto social and moral experiment, but in which we can (first) apply more small-scale and guided forms of social and moral experimentation that allow us to learn and adapt along the way. Such an approach to AI may sound idealistic, but in other realms of technologies, like the medical, we have come to accept over time that new treatments, drugs or vaccines first need to be tested out extensively before they can be safely and responsibly introduced on a larger scale in society.

Three philosophical perspectives on the relation between technology and society can be distinguished. Very roughly, they either interpret technology as the determining force in this relation (first perspective) or view humans and society as the determining force (second perspective) or start from the idea of co-evolution of technology and society (third perspective). As was illustrated for the case of AI, these perspectives are all present in current debates about new technologies. The perspectives can therefore be seen as cultural resources that people have recourse to in debates about such technologies. However, that does not mean that they are equally adequate or desirable from a normative point of view. I believe the third perspective, co-evolution between technology and society, to be preferable for at least two reasons. One is that it able to integrate insights from the other two; the other reason is that I consider it to be more descriptively adequate, although that it admittingly hard to demonstrate. Moreover, as the case of AI suggests, it is able to point out blind spots in current debates in which the first and second perceptive are often still more dominant.

Acknowledgement

This publication is part of the project ValueChange that has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 788321.

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How To Write An Ielts Essay On Modern Technology?

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Updated on 02 February, 2024

Mrinal Mandal

Study abroad expert.

An IELTS essay is structured like all other essays - introduction, body, and conclusion. Task 2 or the essay writing test of the IELTS writing section needs to be completed within 40 minutes, and the minimum word count is 250 words. The questions around general interest topics are mostly repeated by changing the question pattern and wording. Essays on modern technology have been frequently included as a part of task 2 over the years. 

Success in IELTS task 2 is purely based on technique and practice. These tips and samples of   IELTS essays on modern technology   will help aspirants prepare for the writing task.

Table of Contents

• Modern technology is a Gift of God. Discuss the Advantages and disadvantages.

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Modern technologies have boosted the agricultural sector. give your opinion., tips to write a winning essay, popular study abroad destinations, essay on modern technology: sample 1, modern technology is a gift of god. discuss the advantages and disadvantages. .

It was not very long ago when we had to actually pull out a large folded map to get directions while traveling. Nowadays, we click on Google Maps or ask Siri and we can access the entire map on our devices. The modern generation is quite technical and we can access any information with ease. Now, we like everything to be 'quick'. The days of searching for a book in the library are gone. The world is at our fingertips with the help of smartphones, the internet, technology, and various smart devices. Throughout the day, we use technologies to accomplish our daily tasks and assist in our routine activities.

However, it is disheartening that modern technology has changed the way societies were tied to each other. Bonds were emotional and genuine, cultural aspects were there, and humans were more physically active. These shiny pieces of tech do have some drawbacks. Let us take a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of modern technology. 

Modern technologies have helped us stay connected with people from all across the world. We have taken to technology like fish to water and it has become very difficult to survive without it. 

How many lives have been saved so far with the help of modern medical technologies? Well, the numbers are uncountable. Modern equipment, technology, and better healthcare facilities have helped humans defeat chronic and acute health crises. 

Secondly, satellite communications continuously broadcast data around the globe to our computers and handheld devices. We get to watch our favorite shows, movies, news; know the weather conditions, forthcoming disasters, and even trade-in stock markets. 

Thirdly, the education system has improved. It is due to modern technology that the students were able to study from home during the pandemic. Modern technologies have helped mankind with a better standard of living. Innovative technologies for household chores and modern facilities have made a significant contribution towards better living conditions. At times, it seems like a gift of god for the betterment of mankind. But it has its drawbacks too.

Ours is a technology-dominated society. Even the simplest of things are done with the help of a machine or devices. Eventually, everything seems artificial. Below are some of the threats that individuals need to be careful of. 

Simply put, even the things that need little effort are now being done with the help of technology. We prefer to read on a light-emitting device and instead of books. We prefer to drive instead of walking a mile. Our social skills are also getting compromised as we believe in communication through online modes. Gone are the days when we used to understand non-verbal cues more than the texts.

What impact does it have on our minds? Will technologies like AI and ML replace manpower in the coming years? Maybe! Without realizing the extent of dependency and the cons associated with it, we are blindly adopting modern tech to make life easier. It makes everything virtual and impairs the power of real human interaction. We tend to find more value in communication through a device rather than face-to-face interaction. 

By making things easier, modern technologies have also invited a lot of crimes. Modern technologies open more opportunities for crime. Smart devices and technological advancements are being used in negative ways too. Many illegal activities are carried out online through social media platforms, targeting the young generation.

Technological dependency has made the lifestyle sluggish and costly too. Our standard of living is getting higher and higher with more expensive technologies coming into our day-to-day lives. Hence, we end up taking the massive burden to get more materialistic happiness. 

Technology is changing the way we used to live. The famous saying 'technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master' needs to be implemented in our lives. Nowadays, it is apparent that we are not controlling our smart devices, but our devices are controlling us. Modern technologies have both advantages and disadvantages to offer to mankind, it depends upon how sensibly we embrace them.

Important Resources to Read About IELTS:

IELTS Essay on Modern Technology: Sample 2

Agriculture & Food Production is one domain which has been in dire need of innovation and technological advancement. Climatic change, low awareness among farmers, natural hazards, resource depletion, floods, and opaque supply chains have led to low productivity and profitability in farming. Modern technologies have developed a digital agricultural presence, where the high yield makes the country self-sustaining. Modern technologies like artificial intelligence, GIS Software, big data, applications, sensors, and cloud computing have boosted agricultural productivity. In my opinion, the incorporation of modern technologies has been a blessing to the agricultural sector. 

Modern technologies in precision agriculture have been developing new ways of managing farms, treatment of crops, and food systems. Digital presence has made agriculture profitable, safe, and effective. Modern farms get significant benefits from digital agriculture. Let us check some of the ways modern technologies have helped agriculture. 

Firstly, GIS Software or Geographic Information System is a digital technology that helps the farmers stay alert about the changes that are taking place in the farms like plant health, crop yield, changes in moisture, and temperature. The GPS integrated software applications enable pesticide optimization and fertilizer control so that the farmers can treat a specific affected area and not the entire farm. This helps in the conservation of time, manpower, and capital.

Secondly, drones offer data from the sky. It takes images of the large farmlands with high precision. Several conditions like crop height, mass cultivation, soil erosion, waterlogging, and level of precipitation can be traced. These drones help the farmers monitor each part of the land effectively. Within a short time frame, drones can offer every information and data about a large farm. Various hazards are prevented and decision-making has become easier with the application of drones in farming. 

Thirdly, mobile applications have kept the entire agricultural supply chain transparent and in proper coordination. Through these mobile applications, retailers, farmers, sellers, and suppliers can communicate with one another and receive all the latest updates and insights. Mobile applications help in decision-making and awareness increase, which results in productivity, transparency, and profitability. 

Fourthly, agriculture has incorporated Artificial intelligence and Machine Learning to produce healthy crops, organize data for farmers, control pests, workload management, and decision-making throughout the agricultural supply chain. Data is important. AI and ML process the unstructured data into a useful insight that can be used to make better decisions regarding the productivity of agriculture. Artificial Intelligence makes the farmers aware of the weather forecasting so that they sow and reap the crops accordingly to reap maximum yield. 

Simply put, modern technologies are not only automating the entire agricultural sector but also enabling precise cultivation with high productivity and sustainability. The concerns of labor, resource depletion, soil health, data, and opaque supply chain in agriculture are slowly being eradicated with modern technology.

More Resources to Read About IELTS:

• The minimum word limit for  writing task 2 is 250 words. If test takers submit an essay below 250 words, they will lose marks. 
• The time limit is 40 minutes for task 2 essay writing. Plan your essay, so that you complete it within the time given. 
• Practice common topics like art, crime, education, modern technology, historical sites, social problems, public smoking, and many others. 
• There are various types of essays that are asked in task 2. Practice all the types of essays. Some of the common ones are opinion-based essays, advantage and disadvantage essays, problem-solution essays, and agree-disagree essays.
• Learn vocabulary relevant to topics. You need a rich vocabulary to come up with good ideas and avoid repetition of words. 
• Understand how task 2 is evaluated. The important criteria are lexical resources, vocabulary, grammar, and coherence. Focus on all the aspects. 
• If you are writing an opinion essay, you need to give your opinion after you discuss both sides (agreeing and disagreeing). Stick to the same opinion from introduction to conclusion.
• For an advantage and disadvantage essay, you need to write an introduction, then two paragraphs on the advantages and disadvantages of the issue, followed by your opinion and a conclusion. Give equal weight to both advantage and disadvantage. One side should not be outweighed unless the question demands. 
• The introduction should have an outline or overview of some of the most important features and facts about the topic. 
• Organize your essay in short paragraphs. This increases the readability of the essay. 
• Proofread your essay to scan minor and major mistakes.

Practicing essay samples are helpful for IELTS task 2 preparation. Writing task 2 contributes to 66% of the total writing score. It is important to learn and practice the right writing skills. For more information related to task 2 essay on modern technology or other topics, get in touch with the experts of  upGrad Abroad .

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Mrinal Mandal is a study abroad expert with a passion for guiding students towards their international education goals. He holds a degree in mechanical engineering, earned in 2018. Since 2021, Mrinal has been working with upGrad Abroad, where he assists aspiring students in realizing their dreams of studying abroad. With his expertise and dedication, he empowers individuals to navigate the complexities of international education, making their aspirations a reality.

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Essay on Technology

Have you ever thought about your life without technology? No, then you must think over it. From mobile phones to satellite, pc to a supercomputer, friends to the boss, and life to death, everywhere technology plays a vital role in connecting our lives in every sphere and making life easier. So, let us see how technology acts as a global force in driving mankind towards evolution.

Short and Long Essays on Technology in English

Have a look about technology through these essays of 100 – 150 Words, 250 Words, 500 Words and 600 Words limit:

Technology Essay 10 Lines (100 – 150 Words)

1) Technology is the practical application of science to human activities.

2) We rely on technology for everyday work.

3) Technologies are responsible for the development and evolution of products.

4) For our safety and security, technology plays a vital role.

5) Modern technology has enabled people to connect all over the world.

6) By creating artificial livers and kidneys, technology helps save lives.

7) Technology has provided us with many useful innovations, like the Internet.

8) Misuse of technology can be dangerous if it is not handled properly.

9) Thanks to technological advancements, everything has become compact and efficient.

10) During the past few decades, technology has fundamentally changed the world and our daily lives.

Essay 1 (250 Words) – Role of Technology

Introduction

“Technology”- the study and application of technical aspects of a material, science, nature in order to design a mechanical, electrical, biological, and information system to enhance our efficiency with making our life easier. Technology has a history from the Neolithic age or before. The people in the Neolithic age or before used their skills, resources, and developed technologies for their optimum use. Since then, technology has made a vast advancement in the life of human beings.

Role of Technology

The first visible use of technology on a mass level was started in the 18th century as the Industrial Revolution, where human hands were replaced by machine tools. After that many researchers, scientists, and engineers have tried to bring technology closer to humans. This bonding of man and technology has made our life more dependent on technology and easy as pie.

Technology has penetrated from the atomic level to the gross level of our daily life. We cannot imagine our life without technology. The implementation of technology has made it possible for us to look into other planets situated at a distance of several light-years beyond.

The technology has also mobilized our economy. People can easily hang out with their friends, relatives, far and close ones at their will. Technology has become a 360-degree system of this planet. Whether it is about shopping, automation, IT, medicine, space, education, communication, etc, you can easily find the presence of technology.

In short ‘technology is our new digital age lifeline’. Day after day, technology is expanding and advancing. New inventions, vision, researches are done using technology as the backbone.

Essay 2 (400 Words) – Technology: As a Game Changer during Covid-19

It was by the end of the year 2019 when the world witnessed the new ‘Coronavirus’. The first case of novel coronavirus was reported in the people of the Republic of China. Nobody knew what this novel virus was all about. As time elapsed the whole world was under the grip of this deadly virus. The world stood still and was perplexed about this new coronavirus. All the activities like trading, traveling, economy, working, production, education, etc. were put inside the cage called lockdown. Then, it was the technology that came to rescue the world from COVID-19.

Role of Technologies during Covid-19

Technology emerged as the sole dependent thread that helped the world to fight against COVID-19. Here are a few essential sectors where technology proved to be a boon.

• Health Care

As with limited knowledge about coronavirus and its cure, the technology worked as our mentor in studying about Covid-19. The Covid-19 hospitals were created and patients were treated. Labs were set-up to diagnose the virus. Research is still going on to find a cure for this virus. It is all possible due to the medical technology capability that kept us alive and moving.

Coronavirus has seriously damaged the economy of the world. The world is still suffering the effect of coronavirus. But, during these tough times also economy survived due to technology. Most of the economic activities like banking, stock trading, payment system, and businesses are made to work over the internet. The IT infrastructure took the burden of all the activities and made it possible to transit from offline to online.

The biggest concern that parents have today is about the study and future of their wards. The whole education system is under the lockdown till today. But, in the period of lockdown technology showed us the silver lining. Technology gave us the solution to the virtual classroom and e-learning. Student started their study through online mode. Over the online mode, students and teachers came together. The teachers delivered their lectures through different software developed by the IT companies. The lectures are as interactive as they used to be in physical classrooms. This new structure of education has given parents a sense of relief and safety for their ward’s future.

Everybody needs money to meet their needs. The coronavirus is contagious in nature. The only solution that is available is social distancing. But, social distancing doesn’t mean to shut down our work. Nowadays the offices are carried over laptops or smartphones. From petty work to high-level board meetings are organized by technology.

Once again technology wins the hearts of billions of people across the world. Not only technology has kept the world moving but also provided safety without comprising our health. All those years of hard work, time, money are showing us the result that how technology is changing our lives.

Essay 3 (500 – 600 Words) – Technology: The New Digital LifeLine

Days have gone when we have to visit banks, queue for tickets, bills, public phone booths, appointments to doctors, and government offices. If you have not experienced these long queues and tedious work, then you are lucky enough to bypass these entire mammoth tasks. Thanks to the inception of technology and its application.

Applications of Technologies

Today, technology finds its application in every field ranging from personal, public, professional, and extraterrestrial life.

• Personal Life

Technology has given us the medium to communicate. Communication devices like pc, smartphones, tablets, and laptops have proved to be best friends of today’s generation. This generation loves to work at a fast pace and believe in designing their own life by following unconventional ways. In earlier days writing was only limited to literary people’s work. But in this new digital age, anyone can write and present it to the world.

Concepts like blogging, vlogging, chatting, self-publishing over the internet are common nowadays. To accomplish these concepts one needs to have an electronic device and internet connection to get the work done.

The digital aged tech-savvy generation has new places to hang out with friends known as social networks. The social network not only keeps people connected virtually but also offers ample of opportunities for earning. There are many websites that support freelancing jobs, online business models, digital marketing, and various other options to choose.

• Public Life

Everybody wants to keep themselves updated regarding the events going around our surroundings. People live two identity life. One is real and the other is e-identity. Dominantly, the way we are spending our time on the internet, we can easily access any information just by a click. Even the government is also connecting with the masses and listening to their problems. We can easily convey our simplest as well as complex problems by simply dropping a message.

Obsolete technologies have been scrapped and are replaced by the new upgraded technologies. One of the major reforms brought by technology is financial and health inclusion for the public. Public transport like the metro, bullet trains, airplanes, cruises has reduced our time of travel significantly. Travelling is no more hectic job. All the hectic process like ticketing, booking, and reaching the destination has been minimized.

Modern technology is used to improve the productivity of crops. Different cropping equipment is used by the farmers to make their farming convenient. Farmers can easily take advantage of technology by using good quality seeds and communicating with the experts. This minimization of the global world into the local world has been only made possible by technology.

• Professional Life

The vast ambit of the profession has categorized jobs to numerous sub-category jobs. If you have the basic skill required by the industry, then anyone can earn their livelihood. In the past, livelihood heavily depended on manual work like farming, manufacturing, milling, and book-keeping, etc, but with the use of technology, anyone can work and connect irrespective of their location. The location of a professional doesn’t matter anymore. What matters is the timely completion of work at your ease. To add more to the ease, work from home is a new place of office, especially amid pandemic, natural disaster, and other unseen circumstances.

• Extra-Terrestrial Life

New explorations in outer space have only been possible due to the use of technology. Once sending a mission in space was considered as close to impossible. But, with the power of technology, these space missions are no longer an impossible task. More new technologies are discovered to enhance the reach of human beings to look outside our solar system.

Internet traffic is a new form of income generation. At a very rapid rate technology has infiltrated in our lives. Life is no more time-limited but is running in terms of 1 or 0. The only language that technology understands is of bits, chips, and energy.

FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions

Ans . The word technology has been derived from two Greek words techne which means art and craft and logos that means words.

Ans . Technology is important as it has made our life more convenient and easy.

Ans . Technology is not good or bad but it depends upon the way we use it in our life.

Ans . The stone tools used by early man were regarded as the first invention in technology.

Ans . Egypt was the first country in the world to invent technology.

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Technology and Its Impact on Humanity

Introduction, technology and discoveries, the internet, what does the term ‘human’ mean, internet’s contribution to loss of human qualities, delegation of certain aspects of our lives to technology, people’s reactions to advancement of technology, reference list.

In this paper, new technological developments have been discussed with special focus to the internet. Effects of the use of internet on what is truly human have been addressed and especially the negative effects. This has mostly arisen as a result of the delegation of certain aspects of peoples lives. There have been different reactions to the modern technology and specifically the use of internet with some embracing the use of internet to carry out different functions, others having a negative opinion about it while others holding a neutral opinion.

People have throughout the ages tried to simplify life through different means. More ways of improving the quality of life on earth are being discovered. A very common way that has been used is the use of technology. There have been a lot of technological discoveries recently and the rate at which more inventions are being made is still very high (Berg, 2009).

More new gargets are being fabricated and the existing ones are also being refurbished making the world more and more developed technologically. The issue of technological discoveries is not a very new concept because there have been numerous discoveries throughout history. From discovery of medicine like penicillin, cars, electricity and many other things which were non existent in the old age period.

Most of the technological discoveries have been applauded by people because of their ability to make life a better (TheQuestionConcerningTechnlogy, n. d ) . For example the invention of mobile phones has made communication to any part of the world very easy. This is a lot easier and faster compared to the use of letters and telephones were used before this discovery. The invention of cell phones is one of the major successes in technology. Many homes today do not see a need for the telephones which were not portable because all members of the family own cell phones which they carry everywhere.

Technology is a common term in this age with too many possible definitions. According to Heidegger, it can mean a way that is used to achieve something. It can also be used to mean a human action (Adeline, 2009). The two definitions are however related because human actions are involved in achieving a certain intended goal. Part of technology is also the things which have been invented to help improve the human life by making work easier, faster and more efficient.

In the past, the use of simple stone or metallic tools was employed in carrying out certain tasks as there were no complex tools. More discoveries have continued to be made throughout generations from inventions of simple things like fire to complex things like robots. Recently, there have been a lot of discoveries which are a threat to humanity.

For example, the latest discovery by scientists of ‘Home Assistant Robot’ (HAR) was designed to help in household tasks. They can carry out the not so complex tasks like cleaning and arranging furniture. It is amazing how the robots work because they have been made as human like as they can learn and even rectify their own mistakes (Purdy, n. d).

There are also those robots which are capable of making breakfast and serving one the breakfast in bed. This is a step forward technologically and with this trend, we are left to wonder what scientists are going to make next. The accuracy with which these robots perform tasks that could only be done by human beings is amazing and scaring at the same time.

According to Adeline (2009), the rising trend of numerous discoveries some which are completely or partially replacing human activity has led to some fundamental questions: has technology made our lives better or it has made us worse off? Have we been doing the right thing by allowing most of our lives to be driven by technology? Is this trend leading us to be liberated or it is going to be our undoing in the long run? In this paper, these questions will be tackled as we examine a very common technological instrument that is being used by almost everyone who can access the computer, the internet.

This is one of the most outstanding discoveries in human history. The record of existence of internet dates back to the 19 th century when the computers were invented.

A series of interconnected networks is basically what internet is all about. Some services available on the internet are World Wide Web, and other communication services for example messaging services and electronic mails. The internet has been a useful tool to many people ranging from the students, researchers, business people and even ordinary people seeking for information or entertainment. By use of internet services, one can access any material required at the click of a button.

This has come with a lot of advantages and disadvantages too. With the ever increasing information available in the internet, it is threatening to become a source of destruction for what is essential in life. The major threat caused by the internet is the threat of separating people from what is truly human. In the rest of the paper, we shall examine how internet has threatened to rob people of what is truly human after understanding what ‘truly human’ exactly mean.

The human nature is a term that can have different definitions from different perspectives. The definition differs from one religion to another and also is defined differently by philosophers. In this discussion, we will consider the human nature as those unique features found in human beings. They comprise of how an individual reasons, feels or does things.

These unique features occur naturally in all human beings. What is essentially human therefore include characteristic features like being able to communicate with each other, socialization, ability to think and invent new things, reasoning capability among other distinctive features common to human beings only.

Internet has undoubtedly contributed massively to loss of important human qualities. One of the ways is by increasing the distance between how people communicate and how they interact (Berg, 2009). The current trend is pointing towards a direction that physical interaction and seeing face to face as a communication strategy will be very rare or even impossible.

This is due to over reliance on the social sites like Facebook, Twitter and other electronic messaging and mail services for communication. This is a dangerous trend because socialization at a personal level is slowly being replaced by communication through the available social networks. Since socialization is one of the distinct qualities of human beings which make them distinct from animals, it becomes an issue when the quality is robbed from them by technology.

Facebook and other social networks are not entirely bad and especially when communicating with people and friends one meets but has no other way of reaching them. It becomes a menace when one uses it as a means of communicating with people who one has access to and can use other more interactive ways to communicate for example verbal communication. Meeting with people and talking to them is better than the use of internet.

Another quality that is slowly but surely being eroded by technology and especially the social networks sites is that of truthfulness and honesty Heidegger, 1977). It is not an uncommon phenomenon for people to lie when using social networks. People are comfortable lying about any aspect of their lives and mostly concerning their marital status. This has led to the disintegration of the family unit which is a very important part of the human being. The quality of being honest is therefore on the verge of disappearing from the human beings because of the use of the internet.

Although internet has been an important source for people seeking for new knowledge and information, it has been blamed for other serious problems related to generation of new information. Creativity among individuals is slowly disappearing and is being replaced by the internet to search for any material one may need even if one is in a position to generate his/her original ideas.

Due to this growing trend and especially among the scholars, the use of human mind to think and come up with useful information is declining hence fewer discoveries or copying from the already existing inventions. The question that therefore comes to mind is the fate of human beings in the coming years if things do not change (Wright, n. d). Such a way of doing things also limits the creative minds that could have come up with great inventions if they were not limited by the use of internet.

People wonder why they should go to the pains of thinking about certain important concepts when they can easily and readily find them in the internet. Everything can now be goggled and information availed immediately. Important things like birthdays, anniversaries and appointments can also be found on social networks sites like the Facebook. This has contributed to the loss of our capability to think and come up with new things as human beings which are essential qualities of being truly human.

It is odd how people would think of any one who does not have an account with the social networks as being backward. People consider such connections as big achievements and especially when one has many friends in his/her account. The question however is the importance and the value that such adds to ones life. On the contrary, one spends a lot of time in updating and commenting on peoples’ statuses instead of doing other productive works.

This reduces an individual’s productivity in the area of work because it is very common for people to open their social networks accounts at the place of work. Cases of addiction to accessing these sites are also very common. Some people spend excessively long hours chatting with friends or doing other unimportant things in the internet or using the social networks. Again, this is harmful both to the individual and the people around him/her because it reduces the time for interaction with others gradually and makes one live in isolation and interpersonal skills and other skills necessary for living are not acquired.

It is also common for people to meet friends and start relationships through the internet. Many people are turning to the internet as a site for meeting spouses and even getting married. This is because the time one spends on the internet is too much and there is hardly enough time left for one to visit social places where there are high chances of meeting new people and interacting face to face.

The problem with relationships formed through the internet is that most of them are based on lies and many people end up being deceived into marrying the wrong people or end up losing valuables or even their lives. Since marriage is supposed to be based on fundamental human qualities like love and companionship, marriages established between people who meet through the internet are likely to lack these important human qualities.

Children have also suffered from the problems that technology has brought (Eisenstein, chapter 2). This is because parents have left the responsibility of bringing up children to technology and they hardly spend enough time with them. The strong bond that is supposed to exist between the parents and their children is longer there.

There is too much reliance on the internet for the children to learn what they should otherwise have learnt from their parents. Because of easy access to the internet by the children, moral decadence has been on the rise (Dreyfus, 1999). Cases of children accessing pornographic and other harmful information are very common. The internet therefore corrupts the good morals of the children because of the unlimited access to these sites by them.

The internet can be used as a means of getting money. This depends on the complexity of the job one does use the internet services. It is therefore possible for people to work from their homes at their convenience with many people preferring doing this. In attempt to earn more, one ends up spending more time on the internet than with the family. One also becomes separated from other people because one just works alone without any interaction with clients.

Initially, technological discoveries were designed to make life easier and better. For example, the internet was majorly used for research purposes and communication through emails. This was done moderately and there were few cases of misuse of these services.

No doubt these services served a very important role in communication industry by making it faster and cheaper and still do have a vital role in communication. It is very easy to reach any one in any part of the world cheaply and very conveniently (Dreyfus, 1999). Important information for any one intending to research a particular topic is also available in the internet.

However certain important aspects have been left entirely to the internet. When things which make us human, like socialization are entirely left to the internet, it becomes a major problem that needs to be addressed without delay. Internet in itself is not a problem per se, but the problem arises when there is misuse of it, which has been the case in the recent past. Such misuse is what, if not addressed promptly would lead to a technological calamity on humanity.

When vital aspects of human life are delegated to machines, we are left to wonder what would happen in case the machines fail to follow the commands given to them by human beings (Montalbano, n. d ) . If ever such a thing happens, it would be catastrophic for the human race which has not been so keen in addressing this problem. The dangers of such delegation are therefore very real and something needs to be done before a problem of greater magnitude than there is now arises.

People have put a lot of trust and confidence in technology and have forgotten to take care of what makes them truly human. Ignoring aspects of importance like creativity and leaving them to the internet to get any information shows great negligence and is a threat also to new inventions which are very necessary in this age.

It is important to note that this delegation is already having many negative effects on people. For example, the use of internet has been associated with increase in the rate of crimes. People have been conned and others have lost many valuables through internet crimes (Wright, n. d). There have been cases of people accessing confidential information from companies or even government agencies through the internet. Worse still, important information has been lost in some cases never to be recovered again.

These are just some of the possible problems that could arise when important aspects are delegated to technology. Other worse problems could arise if people continue with the trend of having a lot of trust in the internet and using it to carry out human activities that could be done by people themselves. This is a wake up call to the people to rethink about their opinion on the internet services and other technological advancements that are a threat to the future.

There have been different reactions to modern technology. Some are pessimistic about the different discoveries for example some philosophers like Herbert Marcuse see technology as having adverse effects on the society. He therefore views technology as a hindrance to people’s liberty and a cause of psychological ill health.

Other philosophers like Martin Heidegger hold the view that technology is not entirely bad but it depends with how an individual applies it (Eisenstein, chapter 2). He is of the opinion that people should not overly rely on technology to the point of it enslaving them. On the other hand, people should not shun technology and try to do things without using it because it is a helpful tool to achieving a certain desired goal and efforts to avoid it may be futile. According to Kuang, 2002), there should be a balance in the use and also in how people view technology so that it becomes a useful tool in their hands instead of being a source of destruction and enslavement.

The other question that has been raised is whether computers then can be programmed to behave like human beings. This is because it seems that this is the direction that latest developments have been heading. Otherwise how else can one describe the efforts of scientists to come up with robots which can carry out human activities very efficiently?

Programming computers to be more human may be a great challenge because computers can not perform all human functions. They can only be fed with data and commands they are supposed to obey (Wright, n. d). It is human beings who come up with facts as they try to create new things that are beneficial to them.

People are therefore responsible for organization of their world by using their creative minds to improve it. It is impossible then to achieve this kind of organization done by the human beings through other means like the use of technology. Human beings and technology need to work together to achieve a balance instead of leaving things to be done by technology alone or by use of human efforts alone which may be futile in the end.

Technology is a useful tool in the hands of people which helps to achieve a lot that can not be done by human means only. When used appropriately, modern technology and especially the internet can be said to be one of the best discoveries in the human history. On the contrary, technology if not used well as a servant and not a master can have devastating effects on people.

The internet for example can be very dangerous and can bring about negative effects on the society and vital values and morals. Caution needs to be taken when dealing with the modern technology, particularly the internet to avoid future problems.

Adeline, A. (2009). Discoveries of Technologies: information about world’s latest and Smart Technologies. Web.

Berg, K. K. (2009). The Impact Of The Internet On Human Behavior . Redding: Third Door Media. Web.

Dreyfus, H. L. (1999). What Computers Still Can’t Do: A Critique of Artificial Reason. Cambridge: The MIT Press. Web.

Eisenstein. C. (2008). The Ascent of Humanity. Web.

Heidegger, M. (1977). ‘‘the Question Concerning Technology,’’ in The Question Concerning Technology and Other Essays, trans. W. Lovitt . New York: Harper Torchbooks, 1977, pp. 25–6.

Kuang, W.T. (2002). Technology, Humanity, Conscience . Philadelphia: Missionary Institute. Web.

Montalbano, D. (n. d) Humanity among Technology. Web.

Purdy, R. (n. d). The Internet: Boon or Detriment to Society? Web.

TheQuestionConcerningTechnlogy . (n. d). Web.

Wright, C. (2007). Technology could soon replace human beings on frontline . Web.

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Technology Essay

Technology is the use of scientific knowledge to produce new machinery and devices that can be used to provide different services or can be employed further to create more devices. The application of information to design and produce machines and other goods to make life more convenient for the human beings is known as technology. Here are some essays of varying lengths on Technology to help you with the topic in your class tests and exams.

Long and Short Essay on Technology in English

Essay on technology 1 (200 words).

The term technology has been derived from Greek words technne and logos . Technne means the skill required to craft something and logos stands for knowledge or discussion about something. Technology thus means the use of knowledge to create something to enhance life. Several big and small things we use in our day-to-day lives have been an outcome of technological development.

Scientists conduct research and experiment with different things to come up with newer ideas. Technologists use these ideas to develop newer devices. People these days have grown extremely accustomed to the use of these technological inventions that they simply cannot do without them. They await the launch of newer and more advanced devices. Mobile phones and cars are the best examples of this. People wait for the new models and replace them without giving it a second thought.

The smart phones offer so much, from amazing gaming experience to instant connectivity with people, that it is hard to take your eyes off it. Your car, air conditioner, microwave and other technologically advanced devices also seem as good because of the convenience they offer. However, it is wise not to go overboard with their use. Maintain a balance between science and nature to lead a peaceful life and keep your surroundings healthy.

Essay on Technology 2 (300 words)

Technology has helped in the growth and development of the mankind as a whole. Technological inventions have made living convenient. Connecting with people in different parts of the world, travelling long distance, having constant sources of entertainment and ease of cooking and storing food are some of the best things technology has offered us. But is technology really a boon to the mankind?

Technology: A Boon to the Mankind?

Well, this has always been a point of debate. While technology has paved the way for a better living its downside cannot be overlooked. The continual use of technologically advanced equipments as well as the process of their production has led to a drastic rise in all types of pollution. The rising pollution has become the cause of several health issues. Excessive use of technology has also contributed to problems such as obesity and visual impairment. Besides, it has isolated people socially more than connecting them. It has also led to a decrease in the employment opportunities particularly for the labour class.

The Relationship between Science and Technology

While science and technology are interdependent, these are two completely distinct fields of study. Science contributes to technology in several ways. It is the knowledge of science that gives way to new and innovative ideas to build different technological tools. The research and experiments conducted in science laboratories lead to the designing of various technological techniques and devices. Knowledge about science also helps in understanding the impact of technology on the environment and the society. Technology on the other hand extends the agenda of science. When the ideas are put to use, the scientists are inspired and motivated to research and experiment further to come up with newer ideas.

Technology certainly has given way to an improved lifestyle and contributed towards the growth of economies; however, the amount of damage it has done to the environment as well as the mankind is a cause of serious concern.

Essay on Technology 3 (400 words)

From the television you watch to the mobile phone you use to connect with your near and dear ones, from the car you drive to the refrigerator you use to store your food, from the air conditioners you use to beat the heat to the laptops you use to accomplish various tasks –  everything is a gift of technology.

Technology – An Integral Part of Our Life

Technology has become an integral part of our lives. It is ever-evolving and is responsible for our changing lifestyle. Newer technological inventions are taking the market by storm and people hardly take any time to get accustomed to these.

Technological advancements have also led to the growth and development of the nations as a whole.

The Downside of Technology

Here is a look at the downside of technology:

The use of technological equipment has given rise to various types of pollution. The industrial waste is thrown in the seas and other water bodies, thereby leading to water pollution, the smoke emitted by factories and vehicles causes air pollution, noise pollution is also a result of the production/ use of technological devices. Industrial waste has also led to soil pollution. Technological advancement has also given way to thermal, radioactive and light pollution.

• Depletion of Natural Resources

Many natural resources are being over-exploited to produce technological equipment. While these equipment have proved to be useful in many ways this practice is resulting in the depletion of natural resources which is a threat to the environment.

• Health Issues

Rise in the level of pollution and the weakening of natural environment has led to several health issues. The use of technology has also reduced physical activities which again has given rise to various health problems. Breathing problems, lung infection and obesity are among the problems that are on an all time high due to the increasing use of technology.

• Unemployment

The work which was once done manually is now accomplished with the help of machines. The production of machines has thus taken away the livelihood of several people.

• Nuclear Weapons

Technology has also led to the production of nuclear weapons that are a threat to the mankind.

Almost everything we use in our day-to-day life is a gift of technology and we cannot imagine our lives without most of these things. However, as much good as the technology has done to the mankind, we cannot deny the fact that it has also caused as much harm to our surroundings.

Essay on Technology 4 (500 words)

Technology is commonly defined as the use of scientific and technical information to design, create and monitor machinery, electronic devices and various other kinds of goods to serve the mankind. Technology has been classified into different categories with each of them having its own unique purpose.

Types of Technology

Here is a look at the different types of technologies:

• Industrial Technology

This type of technology deploys manufacturing and engineering technology for the production of machines and other equipment. Employing these technologies makes the production process quicker and more efficient. The process is also made simpler.

• Alternative Technology

This type of technology is known to be environment friendly compared to the other technologies that are more dominant in today’s scenario. Some of the examples of alternative technology include the use of wind turbines to produce electricity, the process of composting, use of solar panels, anaerobic digestion, biodiesel, vegetable oil, wind generators and grey-water recycling.

• Creative Technology

It includes art, product design and advertising made with the use of software based, electronic or data-driven device. This includes the use of 3D printing, computer graphics, virtual reality and wearable technology among other things.

• Architectural Technology

This involves the use of technology to design and build buildings. It is a part of architecture and building engineering. It is closely associated with the advancement in building science. At times, it is seen as a separate discipline.

• Low Technology

This is a term given to simple technology that does not make use of non-mechanical things to create new objects. This was mainly prevalent before the industrial revolution. It can be practiced with low capital investment and is not capable of producing high-end devices.

• Assistive Technology

This involves making use of different kinds of goods and services to aid people with disabilities. It includes non-mechanical, non-electronic aids, mechanical, electronic and microprocessor based equipment as well as exclusive instructional materials and services to assist disabled people in learning and functioning. It is also used to make the environment easily accessible for them.

• Instructional Technology

It is the practice of development, utilization, management and assessment of the procedures and resources of teaching and learning. Its main purpose is to generate engaging and effective learning experiences.

• Micro Technology

It is basically a technology that makes use of microelectronics. It was in the year 1960 that the scientists learned that by bringing together microscopic transistors on one chip, one could build microelectronic circuits that can enhance performance and functionality with reduced cost.

• Medical Technology

As the name suggests, this type of technology produces various devices and equipment to diagnose and treat different medical conditions affecting human beings and animals.

• Information Technology

It involves the utilization of computer systems and telecommunication to study, store, send and retrieve information. Internet is the most common example of information technology.

While technology has been classified into several categories each serving its own purpose, the core motive of all these remains the same,  that is to design and build newer devices to make life more convenient.

Essay on Technology 5 (600 words)

Technology is basically the application of information to build equipment and devices that can be put to different use. Technology has gradually become a part of our everyday life. The things we use everyday including the gas stove, refrigerator, bike, laptop, phone, air conditioner, car, lamps and internet connection have all been sourced by technology.

While technology has made life convenient for us, the negative repercussions it has cannot be overlooked. Here is how technology has impacted our lives and also how to strike a balance to overcome this impact.

Addiction towards Technology

The use of technology for improving one’s way of living is fine. However, addiction with technological devices can prove to be disastrous. Unfortunately, we have come a way too far when it comes to using the technology. Almost everyone today is glued to the technology these days. One of the apt examples of this can be the cell phones. Whether you are in a café, office or at home – everyone around just seems busy fiddling with his/her smartphone.

Similar is the addiction to air conditioners. During summers, it is almost impossible to sit without air conditioners. Summers used to be as hot a few years ago too but people did without this air cooling device but now it has become an addiction. Another example of technological addiction is the use of vehicles. We have almost forgotten how it is like to walk.

Similarly, we have grown addicted to most of the technological devices.

Negative Repercussions of Technology

This addiction towards technology is destroying us physically as well as mentally. Here is how:

• Engrossed in technology, children these days develop social isolation that results in lack of social skills. Extreme use of technology and a socially isolated life can even lead to depression.
• Abundant sources of entertainment are available at home and thus people do not feel the need to go out. Most kids these days stay indoors rather than indulging in outdoor activities. This leads to health problems such as obesity, poor sleeping habits and stress.
• The use of technology has led to a drastic increase in pollution which in turn is responsible for various health problems.

Striking a Balance between Technology and Nature

Most people are unable to strike a balance between technology and nature. There are certain people who are too addicted to technology and their high standard of living that they have almost forgotten how it is like to live the natural way. On the other hand, there are those who are still stuck with the old ways of living and are hesitant to use technology to improve their standard of living.

The idea is to strike a balance between them. You must not go overboard with any of the two modes of living. It is understandable that you cannot stop working on your laptop or avoid using your mobile due to the nature of your job. However, you can certainly put it aside when you are with your family and friends. Talk to the people sitting next to you rather than constantly chasing the ones far away. Similarly, it is a good idea to try hands at gardening on the weekend rather than spending time watching movies.

Instead of using elevator or escalators it is suggested to take the stairs. Also for travelling small distances, it is better to go walking rather than using your vehicle. This way you will not only indulge in physical activity but will also do your bit to control the vehicular pollution.

Technology seems addictive due to the convenience and easy sources of comfort and entertainment it offers. However, being one with the nature is no less ecstatic. Try striking a balance between the two and you will see how your life changes for good.

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David Brooks

Why Is Technology Mean to Me?

By David Brooks

Opinion Columnist

It is never easy to re-examine one’s fundamental convictions, but now I am forced to question my previous disbelief in the existence of Satan. I am compelled to confront this ugly possibility by the fact that from time to time my electronic devices seem to fall under demonic possession.

Now, I should start by saying that I am not someone with a natural animosity toward personal technology. I have been known to be completely reasonable when the supermarket self-checkout machines refuse to let me proceed until I place my last purchased item into the bagging area. I patiently explain, sometimes with dramatic physical re-enactments, that, in fact, I have placed the product directly in the center of the bagging area, and even into a bag itself.

Despite these kinds of sympathetic efforts, technology finds me wanting; I am disfavored within the silicon-based community, and the situation has become so bad that it’s brought to mind this possibility of a malevolent presence — Beelzebub, Lucifer, the Dark Lord, whatever you want to call him.

Let me describe the events of last Friday, when technology was especially mean to me. I woke up in Chicago to find that my phone, which normally charges through the port on the bottom, was no longer accepting charges from that entry point. I didn’t think much of it, assuming I could clean out some dust or something.

Then I tried to pair it with my earbuds, which it usually automatically pairs with. Nothing doing. This sometimes happens, so I tried connecting it with my backup earbuds, the ones that sound like they’re beaming music from the bottom of the Pacific. These devices also refused to be on speaking terms. I went to the Bluetooth page on the phone, and it was just a bunch of “not connected” readings.

I did what any master technologist would do. I rubbed the earbuds against my phone in a seductive circular manner that I thought might foster a rapprochement. I put them in my ears and grazed the phone against my cheeks with a pressure that was amorous and gentle, but also firm. Still, the phone and earbuds refused to sync. People talk a lot about artificial intelligence but not enough about artificial obstinacy.

As I rushed to the airport my Find My app rubbed salt in the wounds by telling me I had left behind the earbuds that my phone refused to recognize in the first place. At the airport it occurred to me that I might clean the charging port by using a suction technique. So if you were at Midway International Airport last Friday and a small child asked you, “Why is that man sucking on his phone?” that man was me.

I got on the plane, secure in the knowledge that Southwest has very reliable Wi-Fi service. But the flight attendant informed us that this time it wasn’t working, because, you know, Satan. I got home and found my home Wi-Fi wasn’t working, either. I fixed it by turning it off and on, a maneuver that shows, as the Silicon Valley types would say, that I am “tech savvy.”

While at home I had to print six documents. I used to have a printer that served me well until one day it decided my ink cartridges were “corrupt” and refused to do any further printing. I bought more cartridges from the printer’s manufacturer, but my printer still saw shadiness in all new cartridges — like QAnon members looking at national politics.

We bought a new printer, but it’s snooty. Asking it to print something is like applying to Harvard. It was willing to print out an essay from the journal Daedalus and an academic paper on aging, but it was unwilling to print four other documents from mere newspapers and websites. Like Bartleby the Scrivener, it would prefer not to.

You might be reading this account thinking that I’m the problem here. I’m just a technology idiot who doesn’t know how to fix things. I am open to this possibility. When I last went shopping for a car and the salesman started explaining the amazing electronic features on the new models, I was unable to follow him after 0.7 second. But I remind you of the central reality. Gizmos that were working for me one minute stopped working the next. I want my technology to have many capacities, but free will is not among them.

As I’m writing this sad tale my computer is alerting me that I have to shut it down for a vital security update, as it does frequently when I’m on deadline. For a decade, if I deleted an email on my phone it was also deleted on my laptop, but one day that stopped working, too. Every time I log onto my bank’s website, using the same computer each time, I get an email telling me a new device has been detected. And don’t even get me started on subjective security questions. How am I supposed to remember what my favorite pizza topping was 15 years ago when I opened that account? People grow and change.

I am thinking of finding a priest who can do a full-scale technological exorcism — like in that old Linda Blair movie. Before I do, let me just send this off to my editor before my computer crashe$^%#&*((@”+!%#.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

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David Brooks has been a columnist with The Times since 2003. He is the author, most recently,  of “How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen.” @ nytdavidbrooks

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That Viral Essay Wasn’t About Age Gaps. It Was About Marrying Rich.

But both tactics are flawed if you want to have any hope of becoming yourself..

Women are wisest, a viral essay in New York magazine’s the Cut argues , to maximize their most valuable cultural assets— youth and beauty—and marry older men when they’re still very young. Doing so, 27-year-old writer Grazie Sophia Christie writes, opens up a life of ease, and gets women off of a male-defined timeline that has our professional and reproductive lives crashing irreconcilably into each other. Sure, she says, there are concessions, like one’s freedom and entire independent identity. But those are small gives in comparison to a life in which a person has no adult responsibilities, including the responsibility to become oneself.

This is all framed as rational, perhaps even feminist advice, a way for women to quit playing by men’s rules and to reject exploitative capitalist demands—a choice the writer argues is the most obviously intelligent one. That other Harvard undergraduates did not busy themselves trying to attract wealthy or soon-to-be-wealthy men seems to flummox her (taking her “high breasts, most of my eggs, plausible deniability when it came to purity, a flush ponytail, a pep in my step that had yet to run out” to the Harvard Business School library, “I could not understand why my female classmates did not join me, given their intelligence”). But it’s nothing more than a recycling of some of the oldest advice around: For women to mold themselves around more-powerful men, to never grow into independent adults, and to find happiness in a state of perpetual pre-adolescence, submission, and dependence. These are odd choices for an aspiring writer (one wonders what, exactly, a girl who never wants to grow up and has no idea who she is beyond what a man has made her into could possibly have to write about). And it’s bad advice for most human beings, at least if what most human beings seek are meaningful and happy lives.

But this is not an essay about the benefits of younger women marrying older men. It is an essay about the benefits of younger women marrying rich men. Most of the purported upsides—a paid-for apartment, paid-for vacations, lives split between Miami and London—are less about her husband’s age than his wealth. Every 20-year-old in the country could decide to marry a thirtysomething and she wouldn’t suddenly be gifted an eternal vacation.

Which is part of what makes the framing of this as an age-gap essay both strange and revealing. The benefits the writer derives from her relationship come from her partner’s money. But the things she gives up are the result of both their profound financial inequality and her relative youth. Compared to her and her peers, she writes, her husband “struck me instead as so finished, formed.” By contrast, “At 20, I had felt daunted by the project of becoming my ideal self.” The idea of having to take responsibility for her own life was profoundly unappealing, as “adulthood seemed a series of exhausting obligations.” Tying herself to an older man gave her an out, a way to skip the work of becoming an adult by allowing a father-husband to mold her to his desires. “My husband isn’t my partner,” she writes. “He’s my mentor, my lover, and, only in certain contexts, my friend. I’ll never forget it, how he showed me around our first place like he was introducing me to myself: This is the wine you’ll drink, where you’ll keep your clothes, we vacation here, this is the other language we’ll speak, you’ll learn it, and I did.”

These, by the way, are the things she says are benefits of marrying older.

The downsides are many, including a basic inability to express a full range of human emotion (“I live in an apartment whose rent he pays and that constrains the freedom with which I can ever be angry with him”) and an understanding that she owes back, in some other form, what he materially provides (the most revealing line in the essay may be when she claims that “when someone says they feel unappreciated, what they really mean is you’re in debt to them”). It is clear that part of what she has paid in exchange for a paid-for life is a total lack of any sense of self, and a tacit agreement not to pursue one. “If he ever betrayed me and I had to move on, I would survive,” she writes, “but would find in my humor, preferences, the way I make coffee or the bed nothing that he did not teach, change, mold, recompose, stamp with his initials.”

Reading Christie’s essay, I thought of another one: Joan Didion’s on self-respect , in which Didion argues that “character—the willingness to accept responsibility for one’s own life—is the source from which self-respect springs.” If we lack self-respect, “we are peculiarly in thrall to everyone we see, curiously determined to live out—since our self-image is untenable—their false notions of us.” Self-respect may not make life effortless and easy. But it means that whenever “we eventually lie down alone in that notoriously un- comfortable bed, the one we make ourselves,” at least we can fall asleep.

It can feel catty to publicly criticize another woman’s romantic choices, and doing so inevitably opens one up to accusations of jealousy or pettiness. But the stories we tell about marriage, love, partnership, and gender matter, especially when they’re told in major culture-shaping magazines. And it’s equally as condescending to say that women’s choices are off-limits for critique, especially when those choices are shared as universal advice, and especially when they neatly dovetail with resurgent conservative efforts to make women’s lives smaller and less independent. “Marry rich” is, as labor economist Kathryn Anne Edwards put it in Bloomberg, essentially the Republican plan for mothers. The model of marriage as a hierarchy with a breadwinning man on top and a younger, dependent, submissive woman meeting his needs and those of their children is not exactly a fresh or groundbreaking ideal. It’s a model that kept women trapped and miserable for centuries.

It’s also one that profoundly stunted women’s intellectual and personal growth. In her essay for the Cut, Christie seems to believe that a life of ease will abet a life freed up for creative endeavors, and happiness. But there’s little evidence that having material abundance and little adversity actually makes people happy, let alone more creatively generativ e . Having one’s basic material needs met does seem to be a prerequisite for happiness. But a meaningful life requires some sense of self, an ability to look outward rather than inward, and the intellectual and experiential layers that come with facing hardship and surmounting it.

A good and happy life is not a life in which all is easy. A good and happy life (and here I am borrowing from centuries of philosophers and scholars) is one characterized by the pursuit of meaning and knowledge, by deep connections with and service to other people (and not just to your husband and children), and by the kind of rich self-knowledge and satisfaction that comes from owning one’s choices, taking responsibility for one’s life, and doing the difficult and endless work of growing into a fully-formed person—and then evolving again. Handing everything about one’s life over to an authority figure, from the big decisions to the minute details, may seem like a path to ease for those who cannot stomach the obligations and opportunities of their own freedom. It’s really an intellectual and emotional dead end.

And what kind of man seeks out a marriage like this, in which his only job is to provide, but very much is owed? What kind of man desires, as the writer cast herself, a raw lump of clay to be molded to simply fill in whatever cracks in his life needed filling? And if the transaction is money and guidance in exchange for youth, beauty, and pliability, what happens when the young, beautiful, and pliable party inevitably ages and perhaps feels her backbone begin to harden? What happens if she has children?

The thing about using youth and beauty as a currency is that those assets depreciate pretty rapidly. There is a nearly endless supply of young and beautiful women, with more added each year. There are smaller numbers of wealthy older men, and the pool winnows down even further if one presumes, as Christie does, that many of these men want to date and marry compliant twentysomethings. If youth and beauty are what you’re exchanging for a man’s resources, you’d better make sure there’s something else there—like the basic ability to provide for yourself, or at the very least a sense of self—to back that exchange up.

It is hard to be an adult woman; it’s hard to be an adult, period. And many women in our era of unfinished feminism no doubt find plenty to envy about a life in which they don’t have to work tirelessly to barely make ends meet, don’t have to manage the needs of both children and man-children, could simply be taken care of for once. This may also explain some of the social media fascination with Trad Wives and stay-at-home girlfriends (some of that fascination is also, I suspect, simply a sexual submission fetish , but that’s another column). Fantasies of leisure reflect a real need for it, and American women would be far better off—happier, freer—if time and resources were not so often so constrained, and doled out so inequitably.

But the way out is not actually found in submission, and certainly not in electing to be carried by a man who could choose to drop you at any time. That’s not a life of ease. It’s a life of perpetual insecurity, knowing your spouse believes your value is decreasing by the day while his—an actual dollar figure—rises. A life in which one simply allows another adult to do all the deciding for them is a stunted life, one of profound smallness—even if the vacations are nice.

Impact of Technology on Human Beings Essay

Media and communication technologies have significantly impacted the lives of human beings today. Such technology has improved the ability of people to communicate over long distances while simplifying monotonous tasks. However, despite the numerous benefits of such technology, there are concerns of the effects it has on humans. In that regard, media and communication technologies are suggested to affect the mental capacity of people while also negatively influencing younger generations that have grown up with it.

The Internet has taken a huge controlling interest in the daily lives of individuals to the extent that some activities cannot occur without its assistance. Carr (2008) states that, “never has a communications system played so many roles in our lives—or exerted such broad influence over our thoughts—as the Internet does today” (para. 22). This means that the Internet has slowly made human beings dependent on its power. Additionally, the negative effects of social media on the mental state of younger generations has recently been on the rise. Twenge (2018) says that “social-networking sites like Facebook promise to connect us to friends. But the portrait of iGen teens emerging from the data is one of a lonely, dislocated generation” (para. 30). This highlights the fact that more teenagers are being linked with mental issues that affect their overall productivity when compared to previous ones.

Both authors raise pertinent concerns about the use of communication media and technology due to their long-lasting effects on humans. While these concerns are valid, such advancing technologies will still continue to be developed. Therefore, the shortfalls of such technologies should not be used to undermine their importance and the strides made in the field. Developing appropriate ways of dealing with the issues raised will help put measures in place that can minimize the dangerous effects of these technologies on human beings.

Carr, N. (2008). Is Google making us stupid? What the Internet is doing to our brains. The Atlantic . Web.

Twenge, J. M. (2017). Have smartphones destroyed a generation? The Atlantic . Web.

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IvyPanda. (2022, September 28). Impact of Technology on Human Beings. https://ivypanda.com/essays/impact-of-technology-on-human-beings/

"Impact of Technology on Human Beings." IvyPanda , 28 Sept. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/impact-of-technology-on-human-beings/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'Impact of Technology on Human Beings'. 28 September.

IvyPanda . 2022. "Impact of Technology on Human Beings." September 28, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/impact-of-technology-on-human-beings/.

1. IvyPanda . "Impact of Technology on Human Beings." September 28, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/impact-of-technology-on-human-beings/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Impact of Technology on Human Beings." September 28, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/impact-of-technology-on-human-beings/.

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