Positive And Negative Effects Of Technology

Technology has impacted and influenced how people function and devote their time immensely. With the creation of smartphones, computers, and social networks, people have adopted them into their lives and use them daily, which creates a dependence on these devices. An immoderate dependence upon technology is a state that humanity has come to in today’s age that permits people to believe that they essentially cannot function without it. The fear of not having one’s cellphone or being in a position where one’s cellphone cannot be used, whether it be because of a dead battery or having no signal, is known as nomophobia. This irrational phobia can be described as a cell phone separation anxiety. Even though technology is revolutionary, technology is addictive and has adverse effects on people’s lives when used excessively.

The effects of technology usage have long been a topic of debate, with the negative consequences often being brought up. Authors such as Robert Samuels, Alison Gopnik, Nicholas Carr, Gary Small and Vorgan Gigi have all addressed this topic in their own articles. In Samuels’ “Breaking Down Borders: How Technology Transforms the Private and Public Realms,” he discusses the creation of private bubbles in public spaces due to technology, and the consequent alienation of others. “Diagnosing the Digital Revolution” by Gopnik argues that the habits that tech users have today have always existed, while Carr’s “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” states that technology is actively changing the way humans think. “Meet Your iBrain” by Gigi and Small covers how technology affects brains and alters them. This paper will use the articles and an interview with a peer to analyze the perceived negative effects of using technology, particularly worse memory, shorter attention span, exacerbation of bad habits, and shifting emotions.

Technology has a negative effect on society because people are becoming antisocial, technology is creating bad habits, and online problems are emerging. “Technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master” (Christian Lous Lange). Imagine being in a world with no cell phones or technology, the only way to communicate is through person. In society it is easy to get caught up in society online instead of our own lives. Technology is an easy way to communicate to others, and also helpful in everyday life. Although there are many amazing things technology does for society there are negatives sides to technology. Technology can be a huge distraction in life and can blind society from the most important things in life.

Do you think Bill Gates or Steve Jobs ever envisioned that their technological advances would actually have negative consequences? Most phones and devices used in society today come from the ideas that these two men had. What Jobs and Gates didn’t realize is that there are negative effects stemming from overuse of these devices and people need to be aware of them. Even though our state of the art, handheld computer/phone devices have made everyone’s lives remarkably easier, using too much of any one thing is a recipe for disaster. This is true for technology as well. The impact of round the clock use of these devices and technology in our everyday lives can be harmful to our emotional, physical, and mental health, but there are ways to minimize the harmful effects that our devices and technology are having on us.

The technological advances in the military have changed the way people fight in wars. New military technologies are making wars easier to fight and some may take soldiers off the battlefield. Recently many new military technologies have been created one being a laser cannon that is mainly used to destroy drones and mortar shells, the navy is even planning to add larger versions of them to ships in the future. Another new technology is the plasma protection field that is designed to protect vehicles from incoming blast damage however it can’t protect from direct oncoming projectiles like RPG’s. Some of these technologies are still in development such as the satellite melter, this is a satellite designed to track down and melt enemy satellites. Other technologies in development include self-steering bullets designed to track town the target and a unmanned submarine hunter which will be used to find and track submarines. (Sammon) Drones are also being used to bomb areas without the risk of a pilot getting killed along with the possibilities of robots replacing soldiers. (Atherton) Due to the injuries caused by warfare there has also been the need for new medical technology.

In this era of technological excellence, people are continuously making this world more accessible. These developments are allowing us to connect and interact easily. Time and distance are not an obstacle in terms of exchanging information anymore. We are able to connect with anyone at anytime from a very long distance. This helps us maintaining our relations, communicate and gain information. Yet, many of these developments create stress, interruption, and isolation. While everyone is saying, this is a gift. In many cases, this is a malicious curse. Technology has its positive and negative impacts. There is no clear right or wrong side of this debate. But obviously, it has changed what used to mean appropriate social interaction.

Technology has evolved over the years, improving in fields such as medicine, computer programming, business, and the list goes on. It has opened up a number of jobs and work opportunities and helped make society more efficient. The human brain has also benefited a great deal, due to fast paced research and new ways to improve and present creativity skills, using different pieces of technology and search engines. There are some downsides to technology and the wide growth of it, while some problems are created through the misuse of it and how others take advantage of it. However, technology really has more of a positive impact than anything, because it has made society and people work more efficiently, opened up new work opportunities, helped our brains think more in depth and helped people become more creative, and has really made an impact in medicine.

While thinking about technology created by mankind, look at carbon dioxide gases produced by burning fossil fuels, resulting in the greenhouse effect. The power of the atom for nuclear power plants or the power of the atomic bomb. The use of Freon used in cooling systems for refrigeration to preserve food has caused holes in the ozone. Technology used today has provided people the advantage of having more leisurely time. Having gained time, we can choose to use it in productive or self-destructive ways.

Technology has made many positive changes in our society such as increase in our knowledge and understanding of the world we live in. Whether it is via the television, internet or audio files we have greater understanding of the environment and our impact on the world both in negative and positive terms.

Whether you are a geek buying the latest smartphone, game console, and latest apple products or you are just the minimalist who only has the necessary smart devices like your phone and maybe a laptop it is undeniable that technology is making it’s way into every nook and cranny of modern society. Owning your own car was treated as a freedom back in the eighties but now owning a car is starting to become a thing of the past as companies such as UBER and Lyft are replacing taxies but making a new form of public transportation constantly available almost everywhere around the world. Even though technology has basically taken over every aspect of our lives does not mean that every person has embraced it with open arms. These days we still have an ongoing debate about whether smart devices and the internet are helping or hurting society as a whole or not. Enthusiasts on this topic tend to look at a more optimistic view on this new technological age expressing how they think that robots and artificial intelligence will change our world for the better both Kevin Kelly’s “Better than Human”, Clive Thompson’s “Smarter than You Think”, as well as Brooke Gladstone and Josh Neufeld’s “The Influencing Machines” explore. On the other hand, skeptics tend to write about how these new technologies are tainting our own capabilities and making us more dependent rather than relying on our own skills says Nicholas Carr in his article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”. Although technology has

88 percent of teenagers, ages 13 to 17 have a smartphone, or have access to a smartphone. (www.growingwireless.com) Due to the fact that people are exposed to technology at a young age, they become very reliant on technology for the remainder of their lives. Throughout the years technology has evolved to make people’s lives easier, possibly too easy. As the generations evolve, people are forgetting how to live their lives without a cell phone, iPad, or laptop, which is causing people’s social skills and independence to become much worse than those of people’s just a decade ago. Millennials have the reputation of constantly being glued to their cell phones and are seen as being addicted to their devices twenty four seven. Technology is detrimental to today’s society and has negative long-term effects, because it causes people to become lazy, it is a distraction, and people are being cyberbullied.

The advancement of technology in American has caused many changes across modern day aspects of life. Civil workers have better equipment to perform tasks safer and more effectively. Engineers have produced advanced computers, that allow the design process to accelerate faster, furthering more technological development. A majority of everyday people now holds these computers and is practically apart of their person. I personally would feel uncomfortable if I had left my phone at home and had it missing. Although technology has done quite a lot to improve American development in general, technology such as the cell phone might have some negative side effects in regard to the individual. Technology might be seen to cause face-to-face anti-social tendencies, risks in potential networking opportunities, and overall health of the individual.

Over the years, technology has had a detrimental effect on society by altering critical thinking, reading techniques, and the human thought process. In the article, Is Google Making Us Stupid, author Nicholas Carr, explains the disadvantages the web has had on modern day citizen’s creativity and ability to read efficiently. In contrast, in the article, Is technology producing a decline in critical thinking and analysis? Composer Stuart Wolpert dwells on how technology has improved societies visual skills. While both novels use quotes, research,

In today’s society, technology is looked at in usually two different ways. It can be looked down upon or highly praised by many. Back then authors predicted and wrote about some technological advancements that are either portrayed as a helpful or detrimental. Two prime examples of this are “There Will Come Soft Rains” and “Fahrenheit 451”, both pieces of literature written by Ray Bradbury. Technology is usually praised by the masses due to the countless medical advancements, its positive effect on the education around the world, and its assistance with certain tasks. However, some people might think otherwise.

Technology is a very controversial topic in our modern day world. Because of the controversy of the inclusion of technology in the education system, the overuse and abuse of technology, and how it is affecting the way we behave and think in the world, various authors and producers over the years have commented about the increasing use and incorporation of technology in today’s world through their work. Many authors have very different views on the topic, some such as Ann Woo and Vannear Bush argue that technology is a positive addition to our society, where other influential individuals such as Neal Gabler, Nicholas Carr, and Charlie Brooker each argue that technology is having a negative influence on our society and will in the future