The last few centuries have seen society undergo progressive improvements in technology that have made daily life simpler, more convenient, and more exciting. That said, the dramatic change really took place in the 21st century.
A few examples of the most recent developments include 3D printing, blockchain, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence. While we have grown accustomed to technological progress in general, is it actually beneficial to society as a whole?
Today, we will take a look at how technology is taking over the world and if such can be considered a good or a bad thing.
What Is Tech?
“Technology” is any application designed or developed using science or math to tackle a social problem. The agricultural technology of the ancient realm and the computing technologies of the modern world are examples of this.
Examples of past technology:
- Ships
- Chariots
- Compass
- Calendar
- Batteries
Examples of present or modern technology:
- Robots
- Fax machines
- Computers
- Tablets
- Cellphones
Examples of possible future technology:
- Smart gadgets with more sophistication
- Sophisticated blockchain techniques
- Sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI)
- Quantum computers
- Quantum encryption
What Is Society?
A society is a group of people living in an organized community. It usually has an economy, some sort of system of governance, and rules.
In the past, economy frequently meant an agricultural economy as well as imports and exports. More often than not, ancient societies also had institutions for learning and the military. Those that excelled in these areas often became kingdoms and empires.
What about societies with the best governments, like Rome, Egypt, China, and Greece? Well, we all know how they turned out.
A Look Back on How Technology Has Shaped Society
Every empire that’s ever built, grew to power, and fell was spearheaded by technology. It was the ancient Sumerians of the once-thriving civilization of Mesopotamia who paved the way for today’s technology.
Among their greatest inventions were ships, irrigation systems, metallurgy, and some of the earliest forms of writing.
Technology influences all aspects of societies, kingdoms, and empires based on the science and math these communities have access to. This includes every civilization’s substructure, such as:
- Cities
- Architecture
- Government
- Military
- Health
- Communication
- Language
- Calendars/Time
- Record keeping
How Technology Shaped the Ancient World
Among the ancient technologies that enabled past societies to manage time, regulate economies, expand territories, and translate numerical quantities were the Adam’s Calendar and one of the first calculators.
Technology also shaped agriculture, the bedrock of these ancient societies’ thriving economies. Advanced agricultural techniques enabled these societies to flourish. It contributed to the creation of glass, irrigation systems, and buildings with advanced architectural designs that helped these ancient towns and cities grow.
Moreover, it was these innovative discoveries that laid the foundation for the technology responsible for megacities, high-rise buildings, and the modern farming responsible for feeding the entire world.
Galleons, chariots, and some of the man-made wonders of the ancient world aided kingdoms in their rise to power and the expansion of their influence. That’s why the powerful kingdoms of the past were fond of conquests that tied civilizations together and formed empires.
Technology’s Impact on Language
Language, the most basic component of communication, has also been influenced by technological disruption. For instance, the Basque tongue, which is still spoken today, has modern elements that can be linked to the word “stone.” Hence, it may be said that these words have ancient origins.
Hypothetically speaking, the way the English language is spoken now could be very different had other languages been responsible for the formation of English words.
Technology and Human Evolution
When it comes to technological progression across time, controlling fire and inventing stone stools are two of the most impactful events. These two instances were key contributors to evolution and the development of human behavior in society.
It was because of them that hunter-gatherer societies survived, thrived, and eventually led to the development of famous Homo-sapien prehistoric behavior. It forever shifted the genetic makeup of society as a whole and altered the flow of evolution.
The Egyptian, Kushite, Chinese, and Assyrian kingdoms, among others, eventually developed into empires due to their strong militaries, thriving economies, and advanced transport and communication methods. Their advanced technology made all this possible.
Therefore, it may be argued that leading-edge technology progressed and application has shaped the path of human history. Across history, humans transitioned to a more “settled” lifestyle governed mostly by technology from wanderers who mainly relied on what nature gave them. This is primarily where the downside of technology is evident.
People letting technology rule them has resulted in an increase in unhealthy lifestyles borne of sedentary behavior. On the plus side, everything can now be done faster and easier.
Messages can now be exchanged lightning-quick online, and traveling by air doesn’t take nearly as long as it once did. In ancient times, it might have taken months to deliver a message across the globe or to move from one country to another.
How Technology Is Taking Over the World Today
As implied earlier, technological advancements have impacted every aspect of life. To add to that, the following are where it has ingrained itself in particular:
Lifestyle
The majority of people now depend on the internet as an indispensable component of their lives, whether they are working remotely, ordering delivery of food or lodging, or just browsing the web. Technological advancements have drastically transformed the daily activities of modern humans.
Health
A few examples of technological developments in healthcare in the past few decades are telehealth, electronic health records (EHR), 3D medical imaging, and smart wearable gadgets that monitor blood oxygen levels and heart rate.
Privacy
Privacy is more crucial than ever in the digital age. While the prevalence of cybercrimes rises—also a recent technological innovation—advances like antivirus software and cryptography counteract these and protect users’ online privacy.
Youth Behavior
A significant portion of the current generation actually cannot envision their life without technology. They own self-driving cars and robots, use smart devices at home and school, use Google to find whatever information they need, wear smartwatches, and conduct video conversations.
Business
The modern corporate landscape has been dramatically transformed by developments like cloud computing, data science, big data, and AI/ML. The COVID-19 pandemic hastened digital transformations and forced the majority of firms to operate remotely.
Human Behavior
People virtualized the majority of their daily chores as a result of the widespread use of mobile smart gadgets. Everything has its own smartphone app, including ordering a ride, keeping tabs on one’s eating and sleeping patterns, and even “predicting” how one will look like in the future.
Media and Media Consumption
The last two decades have had a significant impact on where and how we consume media. Many computer companies were still concentrating on increasing communication for work in the early 2000s, using modern bandwidth for media consumption that is widespread now, such as video streaming.
Some people choose to diversify their media sources beyond the conventional ones. By giving LGBTQIA+ populations a voice and an alternative media source as more people went online, early tech pioneers like PlanetOut accomplished this.
After the introduction of these initial new media platforms, communities, and alternative media, social media had a rapid expansion. Facebook hadn’t yet been introduced in 2004 when less than one million people were using MySpace. Today, Facebook has 2.936 billion users, while hundreds of millions to a billion people are also using other social platforms.
While these new online forums and methods for communication have provided fantastic spaces for alternate viewpoints, their rising use has also raised concerns about increased polarization and misinformation.
Many internet start-ups today are committed to protecting these online media venues and reducing the misinformation that might accompany them.
Several tech pioneers have recently taken on this topic, including TruePic, which specializes in photo recognition, and Two Hat, known for creating AI-powered material moderation for social media. Both of these companies focus on combating this issue.
Climate Change and Green Tech
Many scientists now believe that technology will help humanity transition to a carbon-neutral planet. Despite the fact that climate change is currently receiving more attention than ever, efforts to find a technological solution are not new.
After the computer bubble burst in 2001, green technology provided investors with a fresh investment opportunity. It sparked a boom in investments in start-ups that produce renewable energy, including Bloom Energy, a Technology Pioneer in 2010.
The attention on climate change among digital startups has only increased over the last 20 years. Many people nowadays concentrate on programs far outside of renewable energy to lessen the effects of climate change.
Numerous start-ups have now started to deploy carbon capture technology, among them Carbon Engineering and Climeworks from this year’s Technology Pioneers. These technologies help reduce CO2 in the atmosphere, allowing researchers to lessen some of the harm caused by burning fossil fuels.
Innovation in food systems is currently a growing sector for emerging digital companies. Many businesses are developing inventive meat and dairy substitutes that are significantly more environmentally friendly than their conventional equivalents, such Air Protein and Aleph Farms.
Biotech and Healthcare
The biotech boom, which began in the mid-1990s, peaked in the early 2000s. It saw many businesses shift their focus to advancing biotechnologies through improved tech research.
One of these businesses was Actelion Pharmaceuticals, a forerunner in technology. The tiny layer of cells that separates each blood vessel from the bloodstream was the focus of the company’s technology. They had a particular interest in treatment research of specific diseases, like many other biotech companies back in the day.
While many tech businesses today continue to focus on researching diseases and treatments, others tackle healthcare delivery.
Recent years have seen a boom in telehealth as new technologies have expanded alternatives for virtual healthcare. Particularly during COVID-19, new technologies like chatbots and virtual visits were employed to provide healthcare to people.
Technology’s Positive Impact
It is easy to lose awareness of how crucial inventions and improvements are for the general advancement of civilization when all aspects of human activity quickly become digital. However, technology greatly facilitates our lives, as the following scenarios prove:
- Farmers can cultivate and harvest more crops now, thanks to mechanization and automation in the agricultural processes.
- People can move quickly and comfortably across great distances by land, air, or water because of transportation innovations.
- With the help of online platforms, 5G technology, and video calling, communication has advanced to new heights, bridging individuals from all over the world.
- For citizens in every nation on earth, radio, television, and electronic media are important sources of news and information.
Technology’s Negative Impact
Sadly, not all technological advancements are a blessing; some end up being a curse, as shown in the following:
- Technology overuse, a lack of face-to-face interaction, and abusive use of social media have all been linked to poor mental health.
- People are frequently hog-tied to convey non-verbal signs in online conversation, which leads to misunderstandings and crimes.
- People who communicate more frequently online than they do offline may find that their relationships get strained and fragile over time.
- Younger people who are more prone to addictions in the digital realm can lose their ability and motivation to interact with others in person.
- Those addicted to video games frequently live sedentary lifestyles and don’t leave their houses for weeks on end.
- Teenagers who spend excessive time browsing through their TikTok and Instagram feeds are more likely to experience serious mental health issues. Why? Because they frequently compare themselves to others’ seemingly flawless online representations of themselves.
Ways To Reduce Technology’s Negative Impact
We should be mindful of this before we hastily digitize our lives, as too much use of technology might cause more harm than good. It is necessary to keep an eye on how technology is being used in every part of everyday life. This way, we can reduce the amount of time spent staring at a smartphone screen before the damage becomes irreversible.
Also, using all-in-one apps is preferable to moving between a dozen different smaller apps for each activity. This is especially true when managing a complex set of chores (such as having all your messengers and email accounts linked to one location).
Find a paperback that interests you and read it instead of playing electronic games or surfing through social media. Spend time outdoors regularly, too. Speak to your family or learn to garden as an alternative to watching another Netflix program.
More time outdoors, away from technology, encourages work-life balance and generally leads to a healthy lifestyle.
How To Get the Most Out of Technology
Everyone should employ modern technological breakthroughs where and when necessary to be empowered rather than burdened by them. When lacking focus or discipline, for example, you can utilize productivity and time-tracking software that is available for PCs and smartphones.
Lastly, choose technology that puts focus on health and wellness as much as possible. Some of these digital tools can be downloaded for free, so there’s nothing to worry about.
Technology: A Boon or a Bane?
All facets of human life are enhanced by technology, making them simpler and more varied as a result. Though improvements in technology are generally viewed as positive developments, some of them can also result in unfavorable outcomes.
Overusing smart devices and digital apps, as well as relying too heavily on internet resources, can occasionally have disastrous results. Even so, if technical advancements are utilized properly, they should be nothing but beneficial to you.
Clearly, technology is neither beneficial nor evil on its own. What matters more than anything is how we use it.
Technology Taking Over the World FAQs
1. How is technology changing the globe?
When trying to figure out how technology is taking over the world, you’ll find that almost every element of modern life is impacted by it, including access to food, financial inclusion, healthcare, sociability, and productivity. It also influences communication, security, transportation efficiency, and safety.
2. How is technology changing the way we live our lives?
The internet of things, improved communication tools, improved entertainment services, quick access to information, on-the-go services, and constant encouragement of invention and creativity have all contributed to the way technology has made our lives easier.
3. Is technology making us better?
Yes, it is. With the aid of technology, people can complete their tasks faster and independently. They feel more in control, optimistic, and confident as a result. A lot of people can benefit from technology. The newest technology can also make lives easier, so it’s not only about being cool.
4. Why is technology vital?
Information technology is vital to our daily life because it makes dealing with the unpredictable events of each day easier. Technology offers numerous methods for promoting development and exchanging information. IT aims to accomplish both of these objectives to simplify tasks and find solutions to multiple issues.
5. How does technology bring about change?
Among the ways technology has changed society is through producing new goods and procedures. This increases effectiveness while reducing costs, as well as aids in economic progression.
