Technology and Society

Current Issues , 2010

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From the discovery of fire and the invention of the wheel until the modern incorporation of computers into nearly every aspect of life, technology has had widespread effects on the development of human societies. Many technologies have had an impact on humanity in a positive way, making it easier to perform a task or improving overall quality of life. At the same time, these advances sometimes have negative consequences, and they have forced heated debates about whether or not humanity was better off before the new technology was introduced. The issue of technological advancement and its effects on society is also infused into every part of the human experience, from universal applications that have the potential to save or destroy large populations to more personal technologies that can radically alter the way each individual lives his or her daily life.

Technology's Effect Is Universal

For virtually any topic, from medicine to cars, technology has undoubtedly provided ways to advance these fields in positive ways. For example, modern medicine has given humanity the ability to cure many diseases, extend human life, and in some cases improve the quality of that life. Although these are generally considered positive effects, they also lead to associated negative consequences such as the current overpopulation problem. According to the United States Census Bureau's World Population Clock, which tracks the current estimated global population, as of February 2010 there were roughly 6.8 billion people in the world. As the population continues to increase (just over a decade ago, in 1999, the United Nations reported the population as reaching 6.0 billion), a greater number of people must share limited natural resources, such as water. Likewise, technology has led to the development of automobiles, which have brought about unprecedented prosperity and mobility for many developed nations. At the same time, cars burn some of the planet's limited fossil fuels, which has sparked a contentious debate both over the depletion of these resources and the effect that the associated air pollution is having on the environment as a whole.

Large advances in technology can also bring great power, which can be used in ways that either benefit or harm the human race. The most vivid example, and one that is central to questions about the future survival of the human race, is the issue of nuclear energy. Technology gave humans the ability to harness the power of the atom and develop a form of potent nuclear energy, which according to the U.S. Department of Energy's May 2009 report is "projected to supply an increasing share of the world's total energy demand." On the other hand, not all nuclear energy is designed to support life. When at the end of World War II the United States detonated atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the world witnessed the birth of a destructive new force, and the Atomic Age was born. In the decades that followed, during the so-called Cold War, the former Soviet Union and the United States engaged in an arms race, both superpowers amassing enough thermonuclear weapons to blow up the world many times over, but neither firing the shot that could trigger a nuclear war and end humanity. Although the official Cold War ended in 1989 with the fall of the Berlin Wall, in 2006 North Korea became the latest country to conduct its first nuclear weapons test, and in 2010 the world community turned its focus to Iran's suspected development of a nuclear weapon, something that has yet to be confirmed. These two occurrences have raised the specter of nuclear war once again.

Technology's Effect Is Personal

Although technology is at the center of debates about issues that provoke worldwide concern, many people also feel the effects of technology more on a day-to-day basis in their own lives.

Greater Efficiency

By their very nature, increases in technology tend to bring about greater efficiency. The whole purpose of a technological advance is to improve upon an existing item or process. Taken to its logical end, this means replacing some human tasks entirely with technological devices. For example, throughout the twentieth century large manufacturing industries with assembly lines employed humans to stand along these lines and put together the product pieces that moved down the conveyor belt. Many of these assembly lines, once considered the model of efficiency, have now been replaced or adapted to accommodate robotic devices, which can put together more products in less time. This efficiency is a benefit for the company, but it also leads to the assembly-line workers losing their jobs and needing to find another way to make a living. And although the robotics trend started with manufacturing, that was only the beginning. As CNN.com noted in a 2006 Future Summit report, "The pace of technological change is rapid, and it is easily possible to foresee a time when robots become our teachers, policemen and even soldiers."

Digital Communication and Technostress

Widespread use of robots would change the way people live and how they do their jobs, but in the meantime there is another area where efficiency is having a direct effect in all sectors of life: communications technology. With the Internet, e-mail, and smart mobile phones, it is possible to go virtually anywhere in the world and still remain in contact with somebody as well as to pack more of these communications into a single day. While many hail such impressive communication abilities as a technological achievement, it also pressures people into doing more in the same amount of time. The image of the businessperson "vacationing" on a beach while working on a laptop or talking into a GPS-enabled mobile phone to a client has become a stereotype, but there is some truth behind this image. In many environments and in many ways, people are now expected to always be available and to utilize newer communication technologies to their fullest, even as they are bombarded by a constant stream of advertising embedded in these new forms of media. This situation can lead to a condition known as "information overload," which means that so much information is present that the person becomes overwhelmed and has a hard time making decisions. This term was first coined by futurist Alvin Toffler in 1970 in his book Future Shock, written before the computer revolution. These days, most refer to "technostress," or a feeling of anxiety caused by overexposure to computer technology.

Effects on Socialization

Humans are social animals who need to have regular interaction with others to experience the full benefits of socialization and lead a balanced life. In June 2006 a widely reported Duke University study published in the American Sociological Review indicated that since 1985 Americans had become more socially isolated. The authors suggested that new technology such as the Internet and mobile phones, which diminish the need for in-person visits with others, had helped to bring about this isolation. This study ignited a debate about the level of social isolation in America and to what degree technology might be a part of this. To the general public, this seemed to make sense, and it resonated with the increasing number of people who worked in solitary home offices or who watched their children spend hours alone online.

In November 2009, however, the Pew Internet & American Life Project released its own study, which refuted the Duke study's claims of increased social isolation. The authors noted: "People's use of the mobile phone and the internet is associated with larger and more diverse discussion networks. And, when we examine people's full personal network—their strong and weak ties—internet use in general and use of social networking services such as Facebook in particular are associated with more diverse social networks."

A Matter of Perspective

Technology offers the ability to both radically advance and forever destroy human society. Within these two extremes lies a hotbed of ethical dilemmas and personal opinions about the best way to use technology to help the most people. Unfortunately, when it comes to the discussion about technological advancements, this often applies mainly to developed nations, who face different challenges than those countries who suffer from the lack of even basic resources. For the undeveloped world, issues of technology generally equate to not having enough of it. For example, whereas advanced nations debate the benefits or disadvantages of genetically engineered food, impoverished nations face a shortage of food in general. Likewise, whereas the Western world has access to medicines that can greatly prolong life, developing nations are thankful when they receive even simple antibiotics. So as the discussion continues over whether or not technology ultimately helps or hurts humanity, it is important to remember that in many ways, this issue is a matter of perspective.

Source Citation

"Technology and Society." Current Issues: Macmillan Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 25 Sep. 2012.

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