When we think about the impact technology has on our society, there is no simple answer. This impact has always been both positive and negative. It’s the same story today. On the one hand, we can achieve more, save time and money. On the other hand – technological achievements damage our planet and the environment.
Does it mean that we shouldn’t discuss the influence technology has on our society? On the contrary! As we believe, our ultimate goal should be to make this impact as positive as possible. Moreover, we should actively try to limit the adverse effects on our society and planet. That’s the only way we can develop technology without hurting future generations.
But let’s be more specific, and take a closer look at both the positive and negative sides of technological improvements. To do so, we’ve compiled a shortlist of crucial aspects on both sides of the table.
Positive impacts of technology on our society
We truly want to believe that technology has generated more positive than negative effects. Among them, we can name:
- Mechanization and automation: Today, robots and machines do the vast majority of work for us. This means that our work environment is much safer. We can concentrate on more creative and innovative aspects of work and save a lot of time.
- Transportation: The times of horse-drawn carriages are long gone. We now have planes, ships, and cars. All these means of transportation are getting more advanced and safe day by day.
- Communication: Thirty years ago, no one imagined we could take a small piece of plastic in our hand and communicate with the whole world within seconds. Smartphones and tablets introduced a whole new era of communication. Today, worldwide communication is accessible, cheap, and quick.
- Education: Today, you have the entire human knowledge literally at your fingertips. People can learn new skills, master foreign languages, and explore any field of expertise. Moreover, frequently for free! And thanks to something we call remote education, you can live in Warsaw and study at the university in Canada, without the need to fly and live there.
Negative impacts of technology
Of course, there’s always the other side of the coin:
- Health issues: We spend most of our lives sitting, which causes many health problems. And because of smartphones and social media, our mental problems have increased. We are now introverted and lonely.
- Environment: We admit, humans took it too far. For many years, we haven’t cared about the condition of our planet. Now, we realize our influence more thoroughly, but many scientists believe it’s too late to reverse all the effects of our activity.
- Cyber threats: Some time ago, it was unimaginable to destabilize the whole country using just a laptop. The more advanced our technology is, the more susceptible to cyberattacks it becomes.
Of course, we’ve barely scratched the surface here. If you want to read more about technology’s positive and negative impact on society, read the hyperlinked article.