20, 2016

INNOVATIONS AND
TECHNOLOGIES BRING MORE

SYAMIL BIN ROSLI

A15KM0439
Section 30

MUHAMMAD HEYQAL SAZLAN BIN MOHD HIFNIE

A15KM0432
Section 30

LECTURER: MDM ZANARIAH MD LECTURER

MDM ZANARIAH
MD SALLEH
SALEH

INNOVATIONS AND TECHNOLOGIES BRING MORE

BENEFITS TO MANKIND
In todays era of modernisation, many countries in the world have come up with new
technologies and innovations. According to the definition given in Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia, the meaning of technology is the collection of techniques, skills, methods and
processes used in the production of goods or services or in the accomplishment of objectives.
Technology can also be the knowledge of techniques, processes, and the like, or it can be
embedded in machines, computers, devices, and factories, which can be operated by
individuals without detailed knowledge of the workings of such things. While, innovation is
defined simply as a "new idea, device, or method. However, innovation is often also viewed
as the application of better solutions that meet new requirements, unarticulated needs, or
existing market needs.
Yes there is no doubt with all these inventions of technologies and innovations make
people life more convenient and bring the country toward the future but based on our
readings and findings, we found that there are pros and cons of these advance technologies
and innovations. One of the greatest, maniac and genius scientists; Albert Einstein once said
that It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity. He
stated that even though the advance technologies can make our live easier, somehow the
innovations itself can create new hazard and new behaviour within man. In this developing
country of Malaysia, we are in the need of all these advance technologies and innovations in
achieving our 2020s vision and bring Malaysia as same par as other advance country, yet we
need to consider the consequences.
Regardless it can be said that based on our research and readings, the technologies
and innovations bring more harm than benefit towards mankind. The technologies and
innovations seem to make people go to dependent or hooked on it, make people to lose their
job and lessen their etiquettes.
One of the negative aspects of technologies and innovations is that it makes people
getting to dependent or hooked on it. Technologies developed in every area day by day and
have rendered people unable to live without it. Even though some people use
technology as needed, many people cannot live far from technology even
for one minute of their daily lives (Choliz, Echeburua, & Labrador, 2012;
Lee, Chang, Lin, & Cheng, 2014). With the invention of these smart
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technologies for example smart phones, laptop and etc. people are now
cannot be apart from it because nowadays everything is just on your
fingertips.

Technology

is

amazing

and

incredible;

however

the

improvement of it is reaching the point where it helping us too much and

its actually hurting us (Casey, Brookfield, Illinois, 2008). The more
technology does, the less people do. Todays people are too lazy to think
and too lazy to do something, for instant even a simple mathematics
calculation; people will use their calculator to calculate rather than to use
their brain to think. Another example, now, most of the houses does not
use ice tray anymore, it has been replace with electronic ice machine. Just
the simple task of putting water into a tray and putting it back into the
freezer is now too much work for us. We just have to push a button and
put our cup underneath the spout and a couple ice cubes fall into the cup.
This show people are taking this convenient for granted as they go lazy to
do simple housework. Moreover, all of these smart technologies are very
addictive that will make people spend more time on it and spend less time
on outdoor activities as well as quality time with family and friends. People
especially the youth, nowadays rather spend their free time sitting in front
of computer or laptop for surfing the internet or playing video game for
long term than go outdoors in the evening. This will cause people to be
unhealthy person and infected various diseases. Others may not believe this, but
technologies and innovations can affect our health in new ways. Due to overuse of
technology, there are new illnesses nowadays (Ylmaz, Ulucan, & Pehlivan, 2010).
Sometimes, the illnesses may be visible physically while others may be noticed from their
behavioral attitude changes. If we are going to give an example, smartphones will be the best.
The increasing smartphone use in the past ten years threatens human health by creating an
addiction to them, especially in case of overuse, though they provide advantages (Chiu,
2014). This type of addiction has penetrated through all kinds of generations, regarding the
elderly and young generations. The examples of health effect if people overuse the
technologies are cellphones emit a type of ionizing radiation known to increase risk of cancer,
people who spend hours in front of computer are prone to asthenopia (fatigue of the eyes),
positions user sit in while using devices can cause pain and discomfort, keeping a laptop
connected via Wi-Fi on the lap near the testes can decrease male fertility and sitting more
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than eight hours a day can lead to thrombosis (a blood clot inside a blood vessel). Sitting in
front of computer or laptop for too long can hinder the growth of young children. We say
that sunlight and fresh air are very important for a plant to grow well; similarly outdoor
physical activities are very important for peoples health and well-being (Study Moose
(n.d.)). Technologies also can lead to hazard and death. On 3 rd Sep 2015 in the town of
Uchaly in southern Russia's Republic of Bashkortostan, there a tragic happened where a 17
years old teenager dies after playing a computer for 22 days in a row. Hence, psychological
illnesses are the most obvious if we are talking the disadvantages. As well as affecting
youngsters and children in many ways, they can bring personality disorders and even develop
violence from within (Griffiths, 2000). Yao and Zhong (2014) claims that people who overuse
the Internet suffer from a behavior disorder, or they have the feeling of being alone and
desolated. As been stated that people will spend less time with family members and friends
they eventually have been isolated. Ironically, the more people connected with
the virtual world, the more people become isolated from human
interaction. People more connected through chat rooms, forum and
websites rather than meeting face to face for instance todays technology
and invention of application that connecting people visually beyond
boundaries universally around the world such as Whatsapp, WeChat,
Facebook,

Twitter,

Skype

and

etc..

Society

is

becoming

more

individualized and we are losing our ability and desire to be around with
other people (Randi Bergsma, n.d.).
Next, because of people are too dependent on technologies
existence, it cause people to diminishing their skills. This means that
when the computer or the machines break down or crashes, we become
almost disabled until the problem resolved. We have degraded ourselves
in term of critical thinking, problem solving solution and troubleshooting
problem when we depend too much on the smart technologies and make
ourselves less self-reliant. When software takes over, manual skills wane (Carr, 2014).
For examples, the doctors felt that the software was impoverishing their understanding of
patients, diminishing their ability to make informed decisions around diagnosis and
treatment, (Hoff, 2007-08). We can experience such situation in todays hospitals. Medical
practitioners (not all) are now too relying on software to perform diagnosis without knowing
the origin of the methods. In the end, they will be ruined if none of the software helps or
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break down. Same goes with aviation field where most pilots today fail to counteract
instrument errors. Flying skills decay quite rapidly towards the fringes of tolerable
performance without relatively frequent practice, Mr. Ebbatson concluded. Such problem
has led to some fatal crash.
The second disadvantages of the existence of the technologies and
innovations are job losses. Now, with more on sophisticate technologies
and innovations, the jobs requirement for mankind is lessening. Job loss
happens when technologies make people jobs obsolete. Machines which
mean smart technologies can do faster work than human can be and more
accurate. Mostly now, people that are jobless are the line workers and
assembler with no

skills

in computer.

Computer

illiteracy means

immediate disqualification from a huge percentage of jobs. Most

employers todays are searching for candidates with knowledge on how to
create a blog and websites. This is how people with no technological
knowledge are kept out of the workforce. Based on (Lynda Moultry
Belcher, studioD, n.d.) Machines automate processes and do the works of
10 people with one computer, companies find they don't need to employ
as many people to get the job done. This negative effect also will lead to
de-skilling where nowadays, we do not use trains driver anymore, its all
have been automate by the system. Robots are replacing workers around
the world. The density of robots per 10,000 workers is actually higher in
Japan and Germany than in the United States, according to the White
House Council of Economic Advisers. In the Economic Report of the
President, released in February, they cited research noting that middleskill employees, such as bookkeepers, clerks and assembly-line workers,
have been replaced first, but that big data and machine learning will
make it possible to automate many tasks that were difficult to automate in
the past, (Ignatius, 2016).
Finally, peoples ethics are lessening with the booming of various
technologies. We are now facing a new era of people becoming less
friendly in the outside world yet very harsh on the net. For example, cell
phones improve the efficiency of our lives, come in handy in emergencies,
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and keep us in close contact with our families and friends, but there are
also ethical dilemmas that arise from the use of cell phones. For obvious
reasons, we may notice that our privacy is no longer private. People are
talking loudly in public that others may become irritated. At some point,
these gadget users even scold others around them to keep their mouth
shut just to satisfy their selfish needs, though they are the one who
supposedly need to run away from the crowds. Furthermore, these gadget
geeks may pose threats to us in form of tripping and mostly in common,
hitting people accidentally. Worst, fatal accident may happen if these
gadget users are unaware of their surroundings. Imagine a smartphone
user walking down the street and unaware of his or her surroundings. The
latter may soon fall off cliff, cesspool or even enter hazardous territory
without any notice. Same goes with drivers who are relying too much on
gadgets such as the Global Positioning System gadget, GPS. The GPS may
sometimes get out of date and eventually leads the poor driver to
catastrophe. In June 2011, three women driving a rented Mercedes SUV
near Seattle made the absolute wrong decision. When their trusty little
robot rerouted them down a large boat launch, these women simply
shrugged and hit the gas. They cruised all the way into the Mercer Slough,
where the car became submerged in murky water. Sometimes, drivers
may get distract by incoming calls and notifications and eventually, ended
up on the other side of the road. On the other hand, these drivers may
also end up with a collision with front vehicles.
Ethics among people is not just about what we see physically, but
also our privacy online. There are hackers outside who are searching for
victims to satisfy themselves in making easy money for example. Frauds
and spams are threatening our privacy especially when it comes to online
transactions. Moreover, cyberbullies are outnumbered and they are
making our internet experience worsen. People are getting trolled and
condemned by slanders that make up stories that does not actually
related to us. Many people nowadays become depressed by their privacy
that ended up online. Plus, we can see the moral degrade with various

porn websites emerge quite rapidly. That is why technologies are said to
bring more harm in term of lessening peoples ethics.
Yes, there will be supporters of technology that refute these points. Some might say,
With technologies, we have achieved the status of modern mankind. It is truly, undoubtedly
undeniable, and acceptable if we look from other perspectives. However, face the truth; we
are getting one step backwards in the view of humanity and attitudes. People are no longer
friendly by facing them directly and humiliations towards people without technologies are
now here exist. For example, we have now built a new spirit of bashing others opinion on
the internet and a new term emerged; that is; keyboard warrior. We have become an internet
scorner, but in real life we are truly a coward, no bravery to express our opinion before their
eyes. What really terrifying is the fact that slanders spreads like dandelion seeds and many
have suffered from such internet-based slanders.
Next, who can deny the contribution of technologies in easing our work? In professional
fields, complex calculations and workload are getting alleviated by the help of technologies.
Even so, we forgot the origin of the methods conducted by the technologies. Realize it, we
have entered the de-skill phase where we cannot even be creative if technology is getting
out of service. Bright (1996) concluded that the overriding effect of automation (a significant
word for industrial technology) was (in the jargon of labour economists) to de-skill workers
rather than to up-skill them. Computers are taking over the kinds of knowledge work long
considered the preserve of well-educated, well-trained professionals (Carr, 2014). Dont we
even realize how ancient technologies still mesmerize us, even though our ancestors were not
living in computer age? Even the doctors nowadays feel that the booming of software is
impoverishing their understanding of patients, diminishing their ability to make informed
decisions around diagnosis and treatment, (Hoff, 2007-08). It is not the innovations that
guilty, but perhaps the users and professionals themselves.
However, thanks to technologies, we can discover the world. Computer geeks may have
their points right, yet again, the history hath we look upon. Christopher Columbus discovered
America without the help of computers. Refers from history.com, the explorer Christopher
Columbus made four trips across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain: in 1492, 1493, 1498 and
1502 and eureka, found America. We can surely believe that no one has ever imagined the
characteristic of computer during that time, yet against all odds, the world had been
discovered. Just turn the view to ourselves and realize that our geographical knowledge is
6

degrading. We are now becoming too dependent on Global Positioning System (GPS) to plot
and manage our route. If we look at ranker.com, there were mishap regarding drivers and
their issues with GPS. Driving towards new territory might be nerve-racking, but we have
degraded our common sense and sometimes, too believing in GPS that may lead to
catastrophe.
As a conclusion, even though we believe that innovations and technologies are vital
today, the drawbacks seem bigger than its benefits. Again, the technologies itself cannot be
put on the blame in total. At the end of the day, it is ourselves that determine the effect of
innovations and technologies, depending on how we use them. Perhaps by starting to control
the usage of technologies to mankind, we can become modern and civilized in all aspects,
including attitudes towards each other. The world will become friendlier and we can become
stronger person in facing circumstances where technologies become unavailable. We are the
one who supposedly controlling the technologies, not the technologies are controlling our
lives.

Bibliography
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http://www.ranker.com/list/9-car-accidents-caused-by-google-maps-and-gps/robertwabash
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