Technology is the application of scientific knowledge to the making of tools to solve specific problems. It is the branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical means and their integration with life, society, and the environment, drawing upon such subjects as industrial arts, engineering, applied science, and pure science.Technological advances such as automobiles, airplanes, radio, television, cellular phones, computers, and fax machines have brought major advances and changes to the world. 20th century technology has completely, and irreversibly, changed the way people meet, interact, learn, work, play, travel, worship, and do business.
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Technology as a social change
Technology is a social change, as it has gradually developed over a long period of time and changed human interactions and interrelations. Technology affects the lives of everyone in today’s society. Whether it be deliberate or not, every individual is exposed to media and technology. People are able to shop and pay by using technology (credit card, debit card), travel by using technology (vehicle, airplane) and watch or listen to the news over their radio or on their television. Technology has even gone as far as multiple restaurants in larger cities offering customers the option to input their orders on a provided iPad. Technology is a wide-scale change that has been made possible by many people, as well as organizations, around the world. Technology plays an important role in connecting people across the globe in order to share their ideas and thoughts.
Present and future technology
Technology has taken over society in the past decade. Everyone uses technology, from children and teenagers to adults and seniors.Technology is vital in today’s world, as it makes everything much easier and more accessible. Technology has influenced people and their daily lives, some better than others. Technology has made an impact on things such as retail (online shopping), communication (mobile phones), entertainment (flat screen TVs), and education (enhanced by technology within the school). The impact and amount of technology will only increase as the world continues to develop. At this point, we are only just entering a world filled with technology. Technology will continue to become more advanced as our generation ages, and by the time we have children technology will most likely be completely different than it currently is. It is quite possible that some day, we could live like the people in science fiction movies do. We have seen great leaps in digital technology in just the past five years. Smartphones, iCloud, tablets, Segways, etc are all innovations that revolutionize the way we work, as well as the way we live.
Pros to technology
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cons to technology
- Human-to-human Interactions: Due to the use of technology, many people communicate through texting, calling, Skype etc rather than actually speak face-to-face. Although this is sometimes convenient, many studies have shown that this could be very detrimental in the years to come.
- Exploitation: Once something is posted to the internet, it can never be removed. Many women in particular have been sexually exploited online, and it is not difficult to find inappropriate websites, videos, and photos online through the use of technology.
- Distraction: Students can be easily distracted while using technology. There are many distracting websites (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) online, resulting in no work being accomplished. However, schools have the ability to block unwanted or distracting websites. Distraction applies to all people in today’s society, not just students. We now have a law against texting and driving, as the level of accidents increased rapidly due to people being distracted by their phones while driving.
- Cyberbullying: This is when someone bullies another person online. This form of bullying has been created due to technology, and has been a cause for many suicides.
The impact cameras have on differentiating generations
Cameras have allowed for this generation to capture special moments, as well as daily things that happen in an individual’s life. Selfies have become quite popular, and there are multiple social media sites that allow for others to see these photos. This has only become popular as of this generation. We have access to many different cameras, but mainly our phone camera for the times we need a quick picture of something. Before our generation cameras were only used on special occasions, as it was expensive to develop photos and purchase film. While we carry our cameras around with us wherever we go, previous generations rarely used them.
what cameras say about our generation
Due to technology and cameras, we are able to change our look and mask our identity on social media. Photos are modified to keep social presence more consistent with the self-image an individual wants others to see. Technology has also allowed us to shape who we are and highlight specific features in ways we could not do as easily offline. A perfect example of this is Instagram, as the filters make every photo look more appealing than what the photo truly looks like, let alone what the individual looks like face-to-face. This would not have been able to be done with such ease less than 10 years ago. Therefore, the camera has become part of the identity of an individual in this generation. Everywhere we go there are people with different types of cameras, whether it be someone with a camera phone at a party or paparazzi at the red carpet. We have access to cameras wherever we go, the main reason being that mobile phones now have good quality cameras as well. Our lives are documented through pictures, which is both beneficial and detrimental. We are able to take photos in order to remember our already created memories, but some people have become more obsessed with the idea of taking pictures throughout their day rather than actually living their life to the fullest. I, unfortunately, am one of these people. While cameras were not often used in the previous generation, cameras have become a norm in this generation. Most people would be surprised if someone did not have a camera with them in this generation, whereas the previous generation would have been surprised to see someone carrying a camera with them 24/7.
pros and cons to cameras
Cameras provide very little privacy, as once something is posted on the internet or put in iCloud it is always there. Pictures are also easily spread, and pictures that were meant for one my be seen by many. Therefore, cameras also allow for sexual explicit photos to be taken. By having this technology however, it allows people to capture memorable photos over the course of their lifetime.
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In conclusion, technological advances have allowed for major advances and changes to the world. It has irreversibly changed the way people interact, learn, work, meet, and do business with each other. We still have much more to understand, learn, and experience when it comes to technology. The impact that technology has on our society has only just begun, and will continue to impact it for the rest of existence. Each generation will have a different experience with technology, as it will continue to intensify and influence society both positively and negatively.