The Advancements In Technology And Their Correspondence To Human Evolution

The Advancements In Technology And Their Correspondence To Human Evolution

Literature Analysis
Diego A. Reyes
RWS 1302
M 1200

The Advancements In Technology And Their Correspondence To Human Evolution

2

Abstract
Technology has become a leading issue that should not go unnoticed. The aim of this article is to
show how technology is affecting our society- how each new innovation affects the individual
and the society in many ways. It portrays the different types of changes that have taken place in
the population technologically. Also, the survey conducted consisted of fifty individuals in which
most of them showed inclination towards new technological products and having an average of 4
devices in their possessions. For future studies, the people taking the survey were also asked how
many days out of the week they exercise for 30 minutes or more. The average was 2-3 days but
there was also a high percentage of people who exercise for 5-6 days.

The Advancements In Technology And Their Correspondence To Human Evolution

3

The Advancements In Technology And Their Correspondence To Human Evolution

Technology boomed from the early 2000s and since then has started increasing in
quantity and quality as the supply-and-demand continues to grow. The technology outbreak
began with the Internet start-up in the year 2000 when people started getting ahold of a
computer. According to Corbin Ball, by the year 2000 more than 60% of the U.S. household
population owned a computer. The increase in technological devices only fastened with the
music and video game industry. Starting with little things such as cd-players, house phones, and
televisions, technology has risen to cell phones, laptops, mobile games and that is just the least of
innovations.
With the huge increase in technology, there have been controversies about the actual
benefits that technology brings about. The controversies include actual problems and benefits in
the health of an individual as well as the daily usage of technology and where it is taking society.
In order to view the true aspects of technology one has to consider the following questions:
1. With the new ways of learning such as ebooks, online classes, etc., is the education
progressing?
2. Due to new technology being introduced at younger ages, will there be significant changes in
future generations?
3. Many people have become well acquainted with the way technology works. Is there enough
protection against technological threats such as hacking, cyber bullying, etc?
4. How much has society adapted to technology and how have the standards changed from the
times were technology was barely starting?

The Advancements In Technology And Their Correspondence To Human Evolution

4

The following literature review will give a better understanding of where technology
stands. The literature review will also demonstrate how technology is evolving and how society
is adapting to such a fast growing creation.

With new ways of learning such as ebooks, online classes, etc., is the education progressing?
The original method of teaching school used to be going to class and reading the
textbook. Many things have changed from the original method. Now classes have eBooks, online
courses and online labs instead of being hands-on. For example, in Ohio State University, there
was research made of whether it would be helpful for students if they had online classes offered.
The research Ohio State University conducted showed that people who were in debt were more
inclined to take those online classes. Many students would drown themselves in debt and have
nothing to show for in return (Kasich Also Implored To Expand Summer and Online Courses.
(2015)). Online education opens many opportunities for people. People who are older than the
average student and do not have the time to go to school can do so from their home.
EBooks are another great way to access information. The benefits of eBooks are that they
do not need to be carried and can be accessed from everywhere with an Internet connection.
There is no need to carry multiple heavy books anymore. As Neelima Navuluri shows in her
research, backpack weight is to be considered when kids and teenagers suffer from back and
neck pain. On the other hand, eBooks make it more difficult to access the information quick
since they require each page to load independently rather than simply turning pages.
As opposed to making it easier for students to get a better education, many students take
advantage of the material being online, being unsupervised and makes them get tempted to cheat

The Advancements In Technology And Their Correspondence To Human Evolution

5

or have group work. Thus, instead of education progressing, it can also have the opposite effect.
Education with technology comes down to how each individual makes use of the material.

Due to new technology being introduced at younger ages, will there be significant changes
in future generations?

As technology is introduced at younger ages, new research develops. As an article

published in The Journal of Educational Technology and Society by Ching-Ting Hsin, they state
how technology is actually helping kids with cooperative skills. The research also shows how it
is very important how kids get familiarized with technology at their house. Technology for
education is helpful indeed. Kids are more entertained by a computer than by a book, which at
the same time can also be a downside since kids are more susceptible to owning a technological
device than a book nowadays.
Making sure kids grow up with the right education is also very important. Studies have
shown that kids who play violent video games are more prone to show violent behavior. In future
generations, making good use of technology can ultimately make kids better learners. Video
games need to be taken well into consideration by the legal guardians of the kids. Not only is it
bad for children to play violent/scary video games, but playing too much can also be addicting.
The future generations are dependent on how kids and parents learn how to deal with
technological issues effectively in the house as well as outside.

Many people have become well acquainted with the way technology works. Is there enough
protection against technological threats such as hacking, cyber bullying, etc?

The Advancements In Technology And Their Correspondence To Human Evolution

6

Malware, harmful and malicious software, is the most common way of harming someone
through the cyber world. Viruses attack a computer and can get many of the personal information
the computer holder has in that desktop. In the year 2000, the LoveBug virus infected around
2.5 million PCs and caused an estimate of $8.7 billion in damages (Corbin Ball). There are
ways people can protect themselves from these softwares such as matching the digital signatures.
When it comes to credit card technology, it is wise for people to change their pin number
frequently. The Target incident during the Black Friday in 2013 showed how some of the systems
are flawed in their security. To protect people from this, banks are liable for the breach in
security and have to deal with it effectively.

Figure 1.1 This pie chart shows how cyber attacks were made for the year 2014 from January to
April.

How much has society adapted to technology and how have the standards changed from
the times where technology was barely starting?

The Advancements In Technology And Their Correspondence To Human Evolution

7

Technology has become more and more needed in the daily life of an individual. The
main device that is required is the cell phone. There is not much of a surprise in having cell
phones as abundant in quantity in the population since they are able to make calls, send texts,
send pictures, access the internet, and play music. There is little that cell phones cannot do, but
just like them smart televisions are being made, new luxurious cars are being sold and most
people want the top notch device in the market. Some people make tents outside of the store in
advance only to buy the devices as they come out. According to The Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA), the number of people with cell phones increased from 1.8 billion
to 4.6 billion from 2004 to 2009 alone. They also show that the number of people on social
networks, people with televisions, and cars is only growing at a very fast pace. In a nonscientific
study, the average of technological devices that the people in the survey had is four devices many
of which are the newest of their kind- newest laptop, cell phone, video console, etc. The new
standards in society are to have the newest device possible instead of just having what is
necessary and affordable.

Conclusion/Synthesis
Technology is still growing at an impressive rate and it will only continue to grow in
future generations. There is still much controversy on whether technology is more beneficial than
harmful to individuals and society. Nonetheless, technology does have its perks and its flaws but
it ultimately narrows down to how it is used.

The Advancements In Technology And Their Correspondence To Human Evolution

8

Sources Cited
Ching-Ting, H., Ming-Chaun, L., & Chin-Chung, T. (2014). The Influence of Young Children's
Use of Technology on Their Learning: A Review. Journal Of Educational Technology &
Society, 17(4), 85-99.
Jasiul, B., Szpyrka, M., & liwa, J. (2014). Detection and Modeling of Cyber Attacks with Petri
Nets. Entropy, 16(12), 6602-6623. doi:10.3390/e16126602
Kasich Also Implored To Expand Summer School and Online Courses. (2015). Community
College Week, 27(13), 45.
Navuluri, N., & Navuluri, R. B. (2006). Study on the relationship between backpack use and
back and neck pain among adolescents. Nursing & Health Sciences, 8(4), 208-215.
doi:10.1111/j.1442-2018.2006.00284.x
News. (n.d.). Retrieved March 21, 2015, from
http://www.corbinball.com/articles_technology/index.cfm?
fuseaction=cor_av&artID=8878
Reyes, D. (n.d.). Technology Usage Daily. Retrieved March 21, 2015, from
https://www.surveymonkey.com/analyze/xkDQXautOlfJSZOmJ6FPRBenTL3BruKYfdC
8NAKlSoI_3D
Technological Development and Dependency. (2011, May 1). Retrieved February 27, 2015, from
http://www.fema.gov/pdf/about/programs/oppa/technology_dev_ paper.pdf