Benefits of Technology to the Society

Introduction

“The term “technology” comes from the Greek word “technologia”, which is a combination of two words, “techne” meaning “craft” and “logia” meaning the study of something” (Green, 2002). Technology is a particularly wide concept used to refer to various categories of science and study, for instance, medical technology, biotechnology, information technology, among others. As a term, it consists of various fields of study and science, bringing benefits to members of the society.

In day-to-day life, people come across many obstacles that would have been extremely difficult to solve without the use of technology. They include the communication between organizations or other groups of people and completing college assignments. However, the invention of the Internet, mobile phones, word processors and virtual libraries in computers has made work quite easy for people of all occupations (Green, 2002). People use emails and instant messages to communicate exceedingly fast instead of using snail-mail or letters, or even having to wait for one-on-one meetings.

Benefits of Technology to the Society

Technology has been always tremendously helpful in easing communication among all members of the society. This industry has gone through considerable growth and expansion in the recent past, opening new modes and means of communication. Blogging and social networking have enhanced opportunities for people from the most remote areas of the world to communicate with those from all other parts of the world. The speed of communication is astounding and almost instantaneous regardless of the physical location of people communicating.

Technology enables people to be aware of what is happening thousands of miles away from them. It is only a matter of seconds for someone being in remote parts of Africa to know that there has been a bomb attack in some town in Arabia. It is possible through live broadcasting of events through satellites, the Internet and the social media. Twitter and Facebook are the easiest way of passing information among members of the society (Green, 2002). Through technology, the world has become a small global village, and the flow of information in it is inevitable.

The personalization of communication has increased too, since people can talk one-on-one with any person in any part of the world. Before the invention of mobile phones, emails, and social media, people had communicated through letters. It had taken a long time before they reached an intended person. In some situations, letters disappeared along the way, and the intended recipient did not receive the message. In other cases, there was a compromise of privacy during such forms of communication, and more often than not, people read other people’s messages. With technological advancements, such inconveniences fade. Improvements in gadgets have increased the clarity of both audio and video communication. News broadcasting and other forms of communication can reach a wide audience using emails and social media, and people can give their responses immediately.

Interactions between people around the world are now easier than ever before. Through photo sharing applications, such as YouTube, Facebook, and Whatsapp, people can interact and share photos with relatives across the globe. Instant messaging and chat rooms have also enabled a one-on-one conversation between people, who are in two different locations. Video calling and conferencing have made communication even better, since people can see each other. Organizations can make use of teleconferencing to hold meetings with staffs and board members remotely. It enables companies to save a lot of time and travelling costs (Carroll & Buchholtz, 2008). People can also make new friends from anywhere in the world without a physical meeting, which in turn results into global integration. It entails a substantial revolution in the communication industry, which societies continue to enjoy.

One of the largest beneficiaries of technological advancement is the healthcare sector. Medical research has brought to an end many ailments and diseases through the discovery of medications and drugs helpful in preventing lethal disorders and diseases. Safe procedures are in place today. It has enabled to save many people’s lives, which would otherwise have been lost. At the present time, every illness can be prevented, if not cured. The communication between doctors and patients is personal, efficient, sensitive, and flexible (Green, 2002). The maintenance of personal records for patients is efficient through new technologies of record-keeping, which make it easier to keep track of patient’s diagnosis and previous mysterious conditions. Moreover, it enables a new doctor to understand the medical history of a patient. In addition, through the Internet, people with terminal and life-threatening diseases can interact and share experiences, encouragement and survival tactics. Moreover, they can get information from the Internet about their health conditions, and what hospitals are available to treat them. Most importantly, the costs of most medical operations and procedures have changed due to technological advancements. It is because there is a remarkable reduction in the time spent on such operations.

Technology has an immense impact on the improvement of education by creating an entirely new learning environment. Through advancements, it is easy to help students with unique needs and those, who are gifted. Through the Internet, it is possible to find ways of assisting such students by adjusting a curriculum to their needs. Through emails, teachers can give instructions to students and offer their feedback without having to go through books, since it is quite cumbersome. The only things needed are to set up a common email for a classroom, and then to issue instructions. Students can access such guidelines, do their homework, and submit it to lecturers through the same email. Afterwards, the latter can mark the completed assignments and give their comments on how students should have done them.

Students can pick their own curriculum out by setting their own targets with ease. It is called personalizing learning. Online education and e-learning have changed the education system making it easy and systematic, allowing a student to receive personal attention. In addition, the Internet has a lot of information that students use in carrying out their homework. It is also used to enrich the curriculum that benefits students (Green, 2002). Through technological advancements, many persons can study through distant learning. People from different parts of the world can receive certifications from colleges of their dream without having to travel to attend classes physically. It has made education a little bit cheaper and accessible to many people across the globe. Moreover, persons from the working class do not have to sacrifice their jobs to attend and advance their studies. Distant learning has made it possible, and it ensures that people gain competencies to improve their performance at work.

Technology continues to shape the entertainment scene for most members of the society. Many people are moving from such traditional entertainment forms as television, cinema and radio to more sophisticated ones, such as video games, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. These forms of entertainment are cheap and keep people occupied minimizing the amount of idle time at their disposal. It in turn helps counter delinquency among teenagers and young children, as long as parents put in place proper control over the accessibility of such sites.

Technological advancements have been hugely influential in helping governments deal with terrorism and use intelligence information to predict terrorism patterns across the globe. Through advanced technology and screening, it is almost impossible for terrorists to gain entry to some countries, especially developed ones. Advancements in weapon design and technology continue to increase the effectiveness of armed forces in ensuring safety in the society. The encryption of sensitive data also enables intelligence service agencies to obtain added security.

Technological advancements play a crucial role in ensuring environmental preservation by companies, as they produce their goods and services for the benefit of the society. Firms devise ways of renewing wastes and waste products, reducing the pollution of the atmosphere or water systems. Carbon emissions have been also reducing, since companies aim at preserving the ozone layer. They are seeking alternative sources of energy to retain and save non-renewable ones. It is made possible due to advancements in technology. Car manufacturers produce cars that are more efficient and make minimum emissions into the environment. All these efforts to preserve the nature help in ensuring that the society lives in the pollution free environment.

Today, technology pervades all aspects of the modern society starting from shopping, making travel arrangements, banking and university admission. It provides convenience needed in business and personal transactions. Through online shopping, people can order things they need without having to travel to shopping areas (Green, 2002). People can also initiate a bank transaction through online banking at the comfort of their houses or offices. Sending gifts and money is also speedy, making the lives of many people particularly easy.

Business communities have also leaped many benefits from developments in technology (Carroll & Buchholtz, 2008). Through advancements in plants, machines and equipment, productivity has grown, which in turn increases profit margins in companies. Automated processes have reduced the costs of production and ensured that it is fast and efficient. Companies can also share information with other firms for their benefit, since the flow of information is easy with the help of new technologies. It is also easy to establish and maintain global partnerships and collaborations, which are beneficial for international businesses. The storage and accessibility of company and consumer records are quite easy through developments in information technology, which help in market penetration. Through advanced research methods, businesses can study the market and consumer needs, and thus produce their goods and services to satisfy such customers. It is helpful in combating competition, increasing companies’ market share and sales. An increase in profits translates into rising living standards of people working for a company, and thus the society as a whole.

Conclusion

Technological advancements have grown rapidly for the last few years, and their benefits are visible to all members of the society. They shape the daily lives of all members of the society, and technological benefits sweep across industries, though some of them have benefitted more than others. The advantages of technology include reduced costs of production, easy networking, increased employment levels, effective and efficient processes, advanced education and safe and secure medical developments. The entertainment scene is utterly different, and the communication between people around the globe is faster than ever before in history. Technology is changing rapidly, and the society needs to change to derive maximum benefits from advancements.