The impact of social technology
Technology can be termed as the purposeful application of theoretical knowledge into practice.
The changing time has seen technology taking giant leaps of advancement from its humble beginnings. Tracing its existence from the prehistoric era of human evolution, small technical discoveries and inventions have largely contributed to the progress of the human race. The process of creating fire itself by the mechanical process of generating heat due to friction between flint stones is the foundation stone of advancement. To delve deeper into technicality, the invention of the first wooden wheel to ease locomotion is a fine example of the birth of technology in the rudimentary society of the primates.
Impact of technology on society can be discussed on many levels from different perspectives.
With the changing technological status of a country, the culture and ethnic practices are susceptible to change as well. Skeptics blame technological innovations for a lot of social changes like mechanization of society. Each constituent of the society is treated as an appendage of a structurally huge mechanical organization. People have changed their outlook towards social relationships due to the sudden surge of technological options they are offered. Their huge dependence on the internet, cell phones, music players and of course television sets has minimized the importance of the public sphere. Every individual is akin to a robot, keyed to go on with a set routine of achieving specific goals while depending on a variety of technical gadgets. Culture is bearing the brunt of high technological progress as more and more people are drifting apart from ethnic music and dance recitals as they prefer to hear or watch them at leisure in the comforts of their homes on their televisions. Spirituality that was once upon a time the binding force of society is degrading with science answering more questions bout the universe than mythology and belief could ever. Therefore, as spirituality loosens its grip on people, automatically society enters the phase of singularizing its constituents. Stratification of society due to affluence can also be blamed on the availability of technical gadgets to only certain sections of society. So the onset of technology has only widened the already gaping void between the rich and the poor bringing a direct unfavorable link between power, money and technology.
For the optimists, technological advancement is the sign of a renewed vigor in society. Social networking sites have proved that it is possible to be updated about anyone and everyone in any part of the world. It brings the world closer and knits them into a single harmonious big family. Some believe that society has gained a new dimension with the introduction of technology into its sphere. The impact of technology is making its mark in every dimension. Technology has brought many thinkers to believe that the world is moving towards transhumanism, a futuristic take on human evolution post extreme technological, intellectual and cultural advancement. A lot of theories state that with enhanced alternative technology the earth’s environment can be restored from all the damage it has faced to make it more suitable for the transhumanistic society. In a nutshell, technology has played a commendable role in the evolution of society to what it is today despite having its share of avid believers and equally pronounced critics.
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Category: Importance of Technology
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I think the impact of social technology is good & bad. It depends on how you see it. For me, I used to be addicted to video games back in 2009. It was an online game that had million of players so obviously it was socially involved within the game. As a result I stopped caring about my RL life and started playing this game 10 hours a day for 3 consecutive years from 2006-2009. Who knows what I could have achieved in that time. I quit it thankfully but I’m just saying. Its great to be able to reach others in such an easy and fast way but also can be devastating to some individuals.
I am a huge believer in technology, but I also see its negative effects everyday as well. People on social networking sites with hundreds and sometimes thousands of friends who struggle to have a face-to-face conversation, because they are so used to talking to their keyboard.
When it comes to technology’s impact on society, I firmly believe that it just further widens our social divide and more clearly defines the line between rich and poor. Only the rich can afford modern technology while the poor are getting by with scraps.
On the topic of social networking sites, I think it hinders personal communications. Most of the time, people would prefer talking online or on the phone than meeting in person. It lessens personal interactions and so people seem more distant. It’s ironic, really, that the things that should bring people closer only increase the distance between them.