The Negative Impact of Technology
Introduction
Even though technology has resulted in numerous benefits to humanity, there are a number of ways in which it has led to negative effects on functioning of human brain and development of children. In many ways, the negative impact of technology actually overshadows its positive impact. Following the explosion of technologies that are in a position of surmounting obstacles of time as well as space, one would actually think that these tools would be instrumental in gaining understanding of diverse cultures, encouraging individuals from different geographical backgrounds to meet, maintain and strengthen family relations. To the contrary, the rise in the use of technology has only resulted in distractions, isolation, and qualitatively empty relationships.
Television and Societal Development
Availability of television in homes today is an indication of technological advancement. In as much as some studies indicate that spending some quantity of time watching television is beneficial in strengthening family ties, others are of the idea that it leads to the breakdown of societal ideals, because people spend little time with others in their communities when compared to the time they spend on watching television. Overall, television seems to have taken much of people’s time and, therefore, provides little prospects for significant interaction. In most cases, viewers simply sit and ingest what is presented to them without any opportunity to interact or respond to. This, in turn, derives serious effects on people’s social skills.
For some people, especially the teenagers, exposure to what is viewed on television is likely to lead to grave consequences on their social lives. For instance, exposure to television programs with sexual content is likely to lead to adolescent pregnancies. Teenagers watching sex and violence scenes become prone to imitating the behaviors that are revealed on television.
Inactive Lifestyle
It should also be noted that technology has led to passive style of life . In many ways, people have begun falling into a hypnotic state of a slothful lifestyle. This could be the reason as to why there is a rise in low self-esteem, depression, as well as other different mental afflictions. Without doubt, people who spend a lot of time watching TV have low self-esteem than people who do not.
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Additionally, a lot of people are not disciplined to handle the lavishness present in current generation standards of living. In as much as there are health movements advocated by schools and the government, these initiatives are highly ineffective since reverse side of technology is favoring lazy lifestyle. As a result of the modern technology, other negative factors have been on the rise (Rajput 567-572). For instance, stress factor, hectic life, cyber crime, fear of nuclear war, as well as a high growth in eye diseases. In many ways, some of the latest technologies are able to annihilate the whole world in just a matter of seconds, just by the pressing of a button. Today, there are thousands of cyber crime cases where millions of people lose their hard earned money through fraudulent means. In addition, children born in this generation are vulnerable because they have access to harmful materials they can get through the internet.
Environmental Degradation
Current environment is put under serious threat. As a matter of fact, the layer of ozone is steadily decreasing, with water and the air being polluted as well. Additionally, the pesticides which are used on farms are also polluting the food people eat. Production of halogens has greatly increased the ozone layer depletion. By and large, the main cause of the ozone layer depletion is chlorofluorocarbon. CFC contains carbon, fluorine atoms and chloride.
In most cases, CFCs are applied in refrigerators, fire extinguishers as well as aerosol cans. These are responsible for approximately eighty percent of ozone layer depletion. The other twenty percent are accounted by other halogens. In this way, it is notable that the rise in technology has led to degradation of the environment, including aspects such as acid rains, global warming, smog, inversion of temperatures as well as serious health hazards (Attewell 23-27). Development of technologies and new inventions like solar panels, smart cars, and friendly scooters requires establishment of numerous factories.
Health Challenges
Technology has harmful effects on the health of people. In some parts of the world, namely in the United States, technology has greatly contributed to the epidemic of child obesity. Today, people eat unhealthy foods and in larger proportions. Evolution in technology has resulted in production of a variety of convenient food that many are not able to resist. In the developed world, an individual can even order food with a push of a button on a cell phone or a computer and within just a couple of minutes, one is able to pick up a plate of fully cooked foods (Shelly & Vermaat 9-12).
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there has been an increase in the number of children who become obese as a result of a rise in their daily calorie intake. This mostly happens because of the unhealthy snacks being advertised on television. Additionally, these children do not burn enough of these calories since they spend most of their free time in front of TV sets (Shelly & Vermaat 9-12).
Challenges in the Business Sector
In as much as advancement in technology has led to a rise in efficiency in the way businesses are handled, it has also led to many challenges for some businesses. For instance, implementing some of technological inventions may be costly to some businesses. As a result, small enterprises that cannot afford expensive technology are usually left out and as such, they may be forced to lose their clients and eventually close down (Shelly & Vermaat 9-12).
In some cases, technology has led to replacement of some professions in the job market. Some of the work that was previously done by people has been taken over by the technology. As a matter of fact, jobs like accounting are now being done by software. As a result, accountants have lost job opportunities (Krow). Additionally, advances in technology can also lead to security breaches for governments as well as businesses.
For instance, since firms store their data on computers with a user name and a password, there is usually a risk of losing the data to criminals who hack the systems or cause any other harm to businesses. Additionally, technology has resulted in a reduction in the value of human workers (Krow).
Due to the fact that machines automate processes and perform the work that could be done by people with a single computer, a number of companies have realized that they do not need to retain many employees to have the work done. As computers and machines become more and more advanced, more and more companies prefer technology to human power.
On the other hand, technology is costly not only to purchase, but also to maintain. The need to upgrade to new software raises the costs too (Krow). It is also worth saying that it is expensive to train and educate employees on the use of latest editions of technologies. At times, introduction of new technology is likely to affect the performance and productivity of employees because they are under pressure to adapt to new systems (Krow). For older employees who may not be technology friendly, the process of switching to new technology is likely to be time consuming.
Apparently, technology has also led to an over dependency on the latter, a phenomenon in which people depend on technological devices to the extent of everyday existence. This basically implies that in case there is a mechanical breakdown or a computer crash, people become almost disabled (Krow). This kind of dependency on technology is wrong, since it actually makes people to be less self-reliant.
It should also be noted that most clients are not always excited about technology. Doing online operations, like paying bills online, basically puts away the in-person client/business relationship as well as puts the privacy of a client at risk. In case a client feels that he/she is not in a position of speaking to the staff of a company, they may resort to look for alternative ways of doing their business, that is when online operations come at hand.
Positive Impact of Technology
Ease of Communication
It is quite impracticable to imagine of a life without technologies and gadgets. In the broad sense of the word, technology is electric machines and systems that individuals use on a day to day basis. The strongest advantage of technology is due to the fact that it is instrumental in bringing humanity much easier communication and entertainment. On the aspect of communication, technology development was revolutionary in terms of the way it enabled people to relate with one another (Rajput 345-348).
Previously, to communicate people at times had to travel for days to initiate communication with one another. People would travel for long distances without their families and friends knowing their exact location (Rajput 345-348). However, all that is now history, since the availability of technological advances like cell phones, internet, Skype and many others have made the world a global village. Today, families are able to communicate with one another even though they may be thousands of miles apart.
Entertainment
Technology has also been instrumental in providing entertainment through millions of chatting rooms, movies, as well as multiplayer games. Availability of different content also bears negative impact in terms some vulnerable individuals may develop behavioral deviations or wrong perception of social norms. Today, an individual is able to stay alone for long periods and would still be entertained, thanks to the internet, television, movies as well as other forms of entertainment.
Conclusion
All in all, in spite of the fact that technology might have played a key role in easing communication in the world today, the negative impact of technology still overshadows the positive impact. Considering the fact that technology is a key catalyst in degradation of the environment, its further development raises doubts concerning its reliability and positive impact . Today, children are becoming obese due to technology, with families having poor social relations since interactions are limited by technology.
