Is Technology Our Friend?

“The Science of Today is the Technology of Tomorrow.”___ Edward Teller

The term technology has been derived from Greek words techne 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'. So from this we can say that the
motive behind the technological advancement is to make the life of human beings easier.
As everything has two aspects in the same way Technology also has positive as well as negative
aspect. Positive aspect of Technology is much more dominating because today we cannot imagine
a society without technology. 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 us1.
Technology has many effects. It has helped develop more advanced economies (including
today's global economy) and has allowed the rise of a leisure class. Many technological processes
produce unwanted by-products known as pollution and deplete natural resources to the detriment
of Earth's environment. Innovations have always influenced the values of a society and raised new
questions in the ethics of technology. Examples include the rise of the notion of efficiency in terms
of human productivity, and the challenges of bioethics2.
It’s not difficult to recognize just how much of the technology we use on a daily basis — from
computers, cell phones, laptops, tablets and TVs to refrigerators and convection ovens that cook
food evenly. Here are six ways technology impacts your daily life3.

1: Improved Communication
The continuous advances in technology have led to the appearance of numerous new methods of
electronic communication, such as social networking websites, emails, voicemails, and video
conferences. These advanced communication tech tools have helped us to eliminate time and
distance as obstacles to effective communication. This is beneficial not only to our personal
relationships, but also to education and business. Technology has improved cultural education by
giving children the opportunity to communicate with other children from different countries and
learn about different cultures4.

1
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.indiacelebrating.com/essay/technology-essay/amp/
2
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology
3
https://tech.co/news/6-main-ways-technology-impacts-daily-life-2017-02
4
Ibid
2: Improved Home Entertainment
Not that long ago, our entertainment experiences used to live in the moment they happened, exist
in our memories and find their way in old-fashioned photographs on wall. Today, that has all
changed due to the rapid growth of the Internet, mobile connectivity, and social networks.
One of the biggest changes, for example, was the switch from videotapes to CDs/DVDs. This
enabled manufacturers to put more data onto the medium. This meant that there were no risks of
the tape coming out of the player and getting damaged that easily, and due to the small size of the
DVDs, it also meant that a lot more could be stored in the same amount of space5.

4: Changed Health Industry

There’s no doubt that technology is the driving force behind the huge improvements in healthcare.
The majority of the hospitals today have implemented modern technology in hospitals and surgical
rooms, which has significantly reduced the mistakes made by doctors. The increased accessibility
of treatment is also one of the most amazing ways that technology has changed health care. Besides
the technological advancements in hospitals, there are also many health phone and desktop apps
that allow you to easily monitor your weight, heart rate, and other health properties at any time of
the day. Needless to say, the Internet is our main source of medical information6.

5: Convenience in Education
Technology has impacted every aspect of our lives today, and education is no exception.
Technology has changed education in so many ways. First, technology has expanded the access to
education and there are huge amounts of information (books, images, videos, audio) that are
available through the Internet and that will enable you to empower yourself with knowledge. In
addition, online courses are on the rise and most of them are free.
Modern technology has made it simple for students to learn from any place in the world through
online education. Also, nowadays students use modern technology in classrooms in order to learn
better7.

6: Convenience of Traveling
Modern transportation technology has made it easier for individuals to travel long distances. Since
transport is an important part of our lives, technology has been regularly working on making it
more efficient and quicker. The first steamship was built in the 1770s, the first steam-powered
train was built in 1798, and the modern car was created in 1886, while the first powered, controlled
flight is believed to have taken place in 19038.

5
https://tech.co/news/6-main-ways-technology-impacts-daily-life-2017-02
6
Ibid
7
https://tech.co/news/6-main-ways-technology-impacts-daily-life-2017-02
8
Ibid
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. While
children seem entertained using devices such as tablets, television, cellphones, and computers,
many studies show that these devices may have negative effects. Overuse of electronic devices
may cause impairment in the development of a child’s social skills. This includes the ability to
make friends in person, take responsibility for actions, display good manners, use polite language,
control emotions and temper, follow verbal directions, and develop empathy for others.9
There is no doubt that technology is playing a critical role in developing societies as countries
depend on it in all disciplines of life. Countries all over the globe are competing to invent and
develop the highest technological devices that can maintain the highest efficiency and accuracy of
the work. Starting from 1980s, people started to use technology every day. The use of technology
kept rising dramatically that people used it in tiny things. That overuse resulted in many negatives.
There are many negative effects of overusing of technology on societies but the three major effects
could be health problems, privacy problems and social problems.10

Conclusion:
From this paper we concluded that Technology has affected us in both good and bad aspects. We
can not imagine the modern society without technical advancement. Technology has done a lot for
the betterment of human life. Although there is some negative aspects also but it can be avoided
by some reasonable care and awareness. So all negative things can be overlooked in front of it’s
positive aspects.

Author:- Shashank Patel

LL.B (Hons), Faculty of Law, University of Lucknow
shashankpatel2698@gmail.com
8707072271

9
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.gosanangelo.com/amp/99872132
10
https://www.ukessays.com/essays/technology/negative-effects-of-technology-on-society.php