good and bad of technology essay

Essay on Technology – A Boon or Bane for Students

500+ words essay on technology for students.

In this essay on technology, we are going to discuss what technology is, what are its uses, and also what technology can do? First of all, technology refers to the use of technical and scientific knowledge to create, monitor, and design machinery. Also, technology helps in making other goods that aid mankind.

Essay on Technology – A Boon or Bane?

Experts are debating on this topic for years. Also, the technology covered a long way to make human life easier but the negative aspect of it can’t be ignored. Over the years technological advancement has caused a severe rise in pollution . Also, pollution has become a major cause of many health issues. Besides, it has cut off people from society rather than connecting them. Above all, it has taken away many jobs from the workers class.

Familiarity between Technology and Science

As they are completely different fields but they are interdependent on each other. Also, it is due to science contribution we can create new innovation and build new technological tools. Apart from that, the research conducted in laboratories contributes a lot to the development of technologies. On the other hand, technology extends the agenda of science.

Vital Part of our Life

Regularly evolving technology has become an important part of our lives. Also, newer technologies are taking the market by storm and the people are getting used to them in no time. Above all, technological advancement has led to the growth and development of nations.

Negative Aspect of Technology

Although technology is a good thing, everything has two sides. Technology also has two sides one is good and the other is bad. Here are some negative aspects of technology that we are going to discuss.

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With new technology the industrialization increases which give birth to many pollutions like air, water, soil, and noise. Also, they cause many health-related issues in animals, birds, and human beings.

Exhaustion of Natural Resources

New technology requires new resources for which the balance is disturbed. Eventually, this will lead to over-exploitation of natural resources which ultimately disturbs the balance of nature.

Unemployment

A single machine can replace many workers. Also, machines can do work at a constant pace for several hours or days without stopping. Due to this, many workers lost their job which ultimately increases unemployment .

Types of Technology

Generally, we judge technology on the same scale but in reality, technology is divided into various types. This includes information technology, industrial technology , architectural technology, creative technology and many more. Let’s discuss these technologies in brief.

Industrial Technology

This technology organizes engineering and manufacturing technology for the manufacturing of machines. Also, this makes the production process easier and convenient.

Creative Technology

This process includes art, advertising, and product design which are made with the help of software. Also, it comprises of 3D printers , virtual reality, computer graphics, and other wearable technologies.

Information Technology

This technology involves the use of telecommunication and computer to send, receive and store information. Internet is the best example of Information technology.

FAQs on Essay on Technology

Q.1 What is Information technology?

A – It is a form of technology that uses telecommunication and computer systems for study. Also, they send, retrieve, and store data.

Q.2 Is technology harmful to humans?

A – No, technology is not harmful to human beings until it is used properly. But, misuses of technology can be harmful and deadly.

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Relationships Articles & More

What makes technology good or bad for us, how technology affects our well-being partly depends on whether it strengthens our relationships..

Everyone’s worried about smartphones. Headlines like “ Have smartphones destroyed a generation? ” and “ Smartphone addiction could be changing your brain ” paint a bleak picture of our smartphone addiction and its long-term consequences. This isn’t a new lament—public opinion at the advent of the newspaper worried that people would forego the stimulating pleasures of early-morning conversation in favor of reading the daily .

Is the story of technology really that bad? Certainly there’s some reason to worry. Smartphone use has been linked to serious issues, such as dwindling attention spans , crippling depression , and even increased incidence of brain cancer . Ultimately, though, the same concern comes up again and again: Smartphones can’t be good for us, because they’re replacing the real human connection of the good old days.

Everyone’s heard how today’s teens just sit together in a room, texting, instead of actually talking to each other. But could those teenagers actually be getting something meaningful and real out of all that texting?

The science of connection

A quick glance at the research on technology-mediated interaction reveals an ambivalent literature. Some studies show that time spent socializing online can decrease loneliness , increase well-being , and help the socially anxious learn how to connect to others. Other studies suggest that time spent socializing online can cause loneliness , decrease well-being , and foster a crippling dependence on technology-mediated interaction to the point that users prefer it to face-to-face conversation.

It’s tempting to say that some of these studies must be right and others wrong, but the body of evidence on both sides is a little too robust to be swept under the rug. Instead, the impact of social technology is more complicated. Sometimes, superficially similar behaviors have fundamentally different consequences. Sometimes online socialization is good for you, sometimes it’s bad, and the devil is entirely in the details.

This isn’t a novel proposition; after all, conflicting results started appearing within the first few studies into the internet’s social implications, back in the 1990s. Many people have suggested that to understand the consequences of online socialization, we need to dig deeper into situational factors and circumstances. But what we still have to do is move beyond recognition of the problem to provide an answer: When, how, and why are some online interactions great, while others are dangerous?

The interpersonal connection behaviors framework

As a scientist of close relationships, I can’t help but see online interactions differently from thinkers in other fields. People build relationships by demonstrating their understanding of each other’s needs and perspectives, a cyclical process that brings them closer together. If I tell you my secrets, and you respond supportively, I’m much more likely to confide in you again—and you, in turn, are much more likely to confide in me.

This means that every time two people talk to each other, an opportunity for relationship growth is unfolding. Many times, that opportunity isn’t taken; we aren’t about to have an in-depth conversation with the barista who asks for our order. But connection is always theoretically possible, and that’s true whether we’re interacting online or face-to-face.

Close relationships are the bread and butter of happiness—and even health. Being socially isolated is a stronger predictor of mortality than is smoking multiple cigarettes a day . If we want to understand the role technology plays in our well-being, we need to start with the role it plays in our relationships.

And it turns out that the kind of technology-mediated interactions that lead to positive outcomes are exactly those that are likely to build stronger relationships. Spending your time online by scheduling interactions with people you see day in and day out seems to pay dividends in increased social integration . Using the internet to compensate for being lonely just makes you lonelier; using the internet to actively seek out connection has the opposite effect .

“The kind of technology-mediated interactions that lead to positive outcomes are exactly those that are likely to build stronger relationships”

On the other hand, technology-mediated interactions that don’t really address our close relationships don’t seem to do us any good—and might, in fact, do us harm. Passively scrolling through your Facebook feed without interacting with people has been linked to decreased well-being and increased depression post-Facebook use.

That kind of passive usage is a good example of “ social snacking .” Like eating junk food, social snacking can temporarily satisfy you, but it’s lacking in nutritional content. Looking at your friends’ posts without ever responding might make you feel more connected to them, but it doesn’t build intimacy.

Passive engagement has a second downside, as well: social comparison . When we compare our messy lived experiences to others’ curated self-presentations, we are likely to suffer from lowered self-esteem , happiness, and well-being. This effect is only exacerbated when we consume people’s digital lives without interacting with them, making it all too easy to miss the less photogenic moments of their lives.

Moving forward

The interpersonal connection behaviors framework doesn’t explain everything that might influence our well-being after spending time on social media. The internet poses plenty of other dangers—for two examples, the sense of wasting time or emotional contagion from negative news. However, a focus on meaningful social interaction can help explain decades of contradictory findings. And even if the framework itself is challenged by future work, its central concept is bound to be upheld: We have to study the details of how people are spending their time online if we want to understand its likely effects.

In the meantime, this framework has some practical implications for those worried about their own online time. If you make sure you’re using social media for genuinely social purposes, with conscious thought about how it can improve your life and your relationships, you’ll be far more likely to enjoy your digital existence.

This article was originally published on the Behavioral Scientist . Read the original article .

About the Author

Jenna Clark

Jenna Clark, Ph.D. , is a senior behavioral researcher at Duke University's Center for Advanced Hindsight, where she works to help people make healthy decisions in spite of themselves. She's also interested in how technology contributes to our well-being through its effect on our close personal relationships.

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Essay about technology advantages and disadvantages – Analytical Essay

Introduction

Technology is now a big part of our society and our foreseeable future. There is little room for people that wish to live without technology, and luckily, it is still advancing at a rate that has helped stave off stagnation. Here I analyze the advantages and disadvantages of technology

Thesis statement

I believe that for every advantage that technology brings us, it also brings us a disadvantage at the same time.

Analysis of cars on our roads

Cars and other vehicles are now readily available and are technologically advanced enough to be safe for use every day and to work as a reliable tool for getting people and goods from one place to another in a relatively short space of time.

The advantages of cars are that they are safe and that people can get to very specific places as per their own timeline. People do not have to rely on trains or planes in order to get to where they want to go, and they can set off at their own time and arrive when they wish without having to work around a train or plane schedule.

The disadvantage is that all forms of vehicle on our roads are polluting the atmosphere and are slowly killing the earth by adding to greenhouse gasses that do not allow the sun’s heat to escape. Even electric cars are powered by electricity generated by fossil fuels. Car accidents are also a very big killer worldwide and many lives have been lost because of car accidents/incidents.

Analysis of Smartphones

They allow people to stay in touch, even over long distances, and they are relatively safe and reliable to use. There are devices that can communicate with plus at the other end of the planet and getting and keeping in touch with other people is very easy.

The disadvantages to this is that it means people no longer need to meet in person as much, and interpersonal relationships are suffering worldwide because people are communicating through a small handheld device. Lots of people have Smartphones and they use them almost semi-continuously, including in public settings when they could be making new friends, finding new lovers, and talking/interacting with their current friends. Analysis – Fast and efficient Internet access

The advantages are that people can communicate over vast distances and can gain access to information and answers to their questions very quickly. The disadvantage is that the Internet isn’t moderated in the way that people think and a lot of it is filled with misinformation and outright lies.

Even brand-named websites that have a lot of trust are not accountable for what appears on their own websites. Even respected and branded news sites have stories that have passed through many people’s hands and originally started as lies with zero accountability throughout the dissemination process. For example, that is why so many celebrities have been reported as dead on news sites when they were actually alive. Conclusion

My analysis proves that technology is a good thing, and that is has its advantages, but that with each technological element we gain disadvantages as well as advantages, and many times those disadvantages are overlooked by technology users.

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The Positive and Negative Effects of Technology on Your Life

As a society, we've come a long way with the help of technology. But is it all rainbows and sunshine? Or does technology have its downsides?

Technology is around us everywhere, from simple devices like our smartphones, laptop, and TV to background tech that we don't even notice. It isn't going anywhere anytime soon, meaning we have to get accustomed to it. Once we get the hang of using tech the right way, it can improve our lives.

On the other hand, tech can also make our lives harder. Whether tech has a positive or negative effect on our lives, it all depends on how we use it. So, let's look at some of the positive and negative aspects of technology in our lives, shall we?

Positives of Technology in Our Lives

Technology has, without a doubt, made all our lives easier over the past two decades. From connecting with people across the globe from the comfort of your home to running a full-fledged business without a physical space, technology has impacted our lives positively in several ways. So, read on below:

1. Technology Boosts Business

Many new tech advancements and innovations are made by and for businesses. Why? Because companies are always looking to upgrade their products and services for profit.

New technology continues to come out faster than we can keep up with. The purpose is to boost business and make the daily management of enterprises more systematic, structured, and successful.

Tech has boosted businesses by improving the hiring process, error-free collection and analysis of business data, and better communication with clients and partners.

Additionally, tech has also changed the way we work remotely for the better. It is now commonplace for people to work from home. However, certain tech, like the cloud, has made it easier than ever to work whether you're at the office or not.

What's more, tech has made it effortless to communicate remotely too. Businesses now typically use tools like Slack and Zoom on a regular basis.

2. Technology Makes Shopping Online Possible

Advancements in tech have made it easier for more people to access the internet, resulting in online shopping being more popular now than ever.

Currently, most people prefer to shop online without leaving the house because of its sheer convenience. Instead of wasting hours in the shopping mall, tech makes shopping simple.

A few of the benefits of online shopping include cheaper products, saved time, fuel, and energy, easier-to-find items, a wider variety online, and no added pressure.

Amazon is a great website to do basically all of your online shopping. It's one of the most popular online shopping platforms because you can practically find everything you're looking for, from groceries to clothing.

Generous discounts, cheap shipping, and a massive selection of products are just some of the other excellent benefits of shopping online using Amazon. What's more, there is an Amazon Shopping mobile app that you can download and use for free. If Amazon isn't available to you there are plenty of alternatives to Amazon for your online shopping .

Download: Amazon Shopping for iOS | Android

3. Technology Has Advanced Education

One of the most downplayed areas of technology that has dramatically improved over the past few years is education. Technology has definitely been beneficial for those in the business world, but it has impacted education in a big way.

A few examples include the availability of online courses, accessibility of web seminars, and unlimited online resources for research. Before tech, you'd have to physically go to class, attend a meeting or go to the library to do research.

Now, education is easier for everyone, no matter where you live. Online classes have made it possible for all students to enroll without leaving their homes.

Today, you can find several great sites for free college courses online , such as Udemy—a fantastic website that offers thousands of free and paid-for courses to choose from. Whether you want to create virtual reality games or become a yoga instructor, Udemy has a course that's perfect for you.

In terms of technology, Udemy also offers a wide variety of great tech-related online courses. The categories available range from IT hardware and software to operating systems and network and security. So tech can help you master your chosen path and possibly broaden your career opportunities.

4. Technology Makes Everyday Life Better

Most technology these days is created to improve businesses and generate profit. However, tech can also make our daily lives so much better.

Tech has made an immensely positive impact on the daily lives of everyday people. Some positive examples include improvements in the transportation system.

The Bullet Train is an amazing piece of tech that can travel six times faster than a regular train. Think about the introduction of self-driving cars, too: they were unheard of a few years ago, and now they're a reality.

A fair amount of people drive Teslas, and they are well-known for having state-of-the-art self-driving capabilities. Some other companies that support autonomous driving capabilities besides Tesla are Mercedes-Benz and Volvo.

Besides transportation, technology has also had a positive influence on household items. For example, smart homes are now commonplace. Smart hubs allow households to connect their devices and appliances, making life a lot easier.

Negatives of Technology in Our Lives

As much as we appreciate technology for the convenience it brought to our lives, several aspects of it have impacted our society negatively in more ways than one.

1. Technology Causes Health Problems

As technology advances, we are connected now more than ever, and it has become a huge part of our lives. That's why it's possible for technology to impact our physical health negatively.

These physical health problems can be severe. Nevertheless, you can avoid most of them by creating healthy tech habits instead of bad ones.

Apart from creating unhealthy sleeping patterns, electronic devices can cause digital eye strain, poor posture, and increased inactivity, leading to health problems like obesity.

Taking regular breaks from these devices can help you avoid these health problems. You can find a range of apps that remind you to take frequent breaks.

One popular app to use is called Focus Keeper. This app will help you reduce your digital eye strain, take regular breaks, and prevent tech burnout.

Using the Focus Keeper app is easy. All you have to do is pick the time you want to focus on something and hit the play button to start the session. When the session is over there is a quick break and then the next session begins.

In addition, you can customize the settings under Options to change the sessions per round, daily focus goal, and timer sounds.

Download: Focus Keeper for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)

2. Technology Creates Job Insecurity

Job loss and downsizing are two significant adverse effects of technology. Because of advances in the tech field such as AI integration, automating and accomplishing tasks have become easy.

In this day and age, most companies need to stay up to date with the latest technology, but in the process, low-skilled employees, like factory workers and cashiers, will be replaced.

Machines can now carry out tasks that only humans could do so far, which creates a massive shortage of jobs. The bottom line is that people aren't necessarily needed for work tasks anymore because of how efficient tech has become.

3. Tech Products Lack Longevity

Technology grows incredibly quickly, so the digital devices and gadgets that we use have a short lifespan and become outdated in a matter of months.

Since these devices are so important in our daily lives, we need to maintain and upgrade them regularly. Besides maintenance and upgrades, these pieces of tech may just become outdated and pushed aside by newer, more advanced versions.

Tech products lack longevity, so they can be costly and lead to unnecessary e-waste. Instead of throwing your older devices away or tossing them in the cupboard, use a website like Decluttr . This site makes it easy to buy and sell your used tech online.

You can sell your old tech on the Decluttr website, whether you want to get rid of your outdated phone, wearable, or console.

When you've found the correct category and product, tap Sell Now and the website gives you an instant price based on its carrier and condition. Moreover, Decluttr is also available as a free iOS or Android app to help you declutter your life .

4. Technology Spawns Misinformation and Fake News

The spread of misinformation and fake news online is nothing new. In fact, it has been going on for many years. However, with all the developments that happen so frequently in technology, it has become harder to define what's true and what's not.

Since so many people cannot tell what information is factual and what isn't, it creates a lot of skepticism and misunderstanding about important topics. This can be especially harmful when it comes to political issues and trusting the media.

One example of how tech advancements are negatively affecting us is the use of deepfakes. Several negative deepfake incidents have surfaced, and it's getting harder and harder to spot them.

These incidents can warn us about the possible risk of tech in the future. If you're finding it difficult to spot fake news and misinformation , an online platform like Credder is a great tool to use.

Credder will help you avoid fake news and misinformation because it only follows news and information provided by trustworthy sources.

Technology Is a Boon and Bane to Society

Overall, tech is amazing, and it has changed the world for the better, from improving our daily lives to building better businesses. The majority of the adverse effects of technology stem from its misuse.

The way we choose to utilize tech can help or harm ourselves and others. Instead of blaming the tool, we need to use technology in a healthy, more disciplined way. By doing this, technology can continue to benefit our lives.

Argumentative Essay

Argumentative Essay About Technology

Last updated on: Mar 25, 2024

Make Your Argumentative Essay About Technology Unbeatable: Examples and Tips

By: Barbara P.

15 min read

Reviewed By: Melisa C.

Published on: Mar 9, 2023

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the task of writing an argumentative essay about technology? Don't worry – you're not alone.

Technology is a vast and rapidly evolving field, making it a challenging topic to tackle. But fear not! With the right structure, examples, and tips, you'll be equipped to create a persuasive and captivating essay that will impress your readers.

In this blog, we're here to guide you through the process, providing you with engaging examples and essential guidelines. With our help, you'll be able to create an argument that is both persuasive and well-supported by evidence.

So read on and make sure your argumentative essay about technology is unbeatable!

On this Page

How to Write an Argumentative Essay About Technology?

Now you know what argumentative essays about technology are and why they're important?

Let's look at how to write a compelling argument.

Pick a Title

The title of your essay should capture the attention of your reader and summarize the main points of your argument.

Think carefully about how you want to frame your argument in order to create an effective title. It should be short and catchy, but also accurately reflect the main arguments or ideas in your essay.

Form an Outline

After deciding on a title for your essay, it’s important to form an outline of the key points and arguments you will make in each paragraph. This will help keep you organized during the writing process and ensure that all of your ideas are connected.

Make sure there is good flow between each section so that readers can follow along easily.

Here is an outline template for argumentative essay about technology:

Write an Introduction

Your introduction is where you set up the context for your essay and explain what it is that you will be arguing throughout the rest of the text.

Include relevant background information, as well as any interesting facts or anecdotes that could help engage readers from the beginning.

Be sure to end with a thesis statement that clearly lays out which side you are taking in this debate and what evidence will be used to support it.

Write Body Paragraphs

Your body paragraphs are where most of your research comes into play!

Ensure these paragraphs contain detailed evidence from reliable sources that supports each point being made in each paragraph.

Additionally, be sure to use transition words throughout these sections so that readers can follow along easily from one point to another.

Write a Conclusion

Your conclusion should briefly outline the key points and evidence used throughout your paper. While reiterating why this particular topic is so important and relevant today.

Your conclusion should leave readers with something thought-provoking!

Perhaps something they hadn’t considered before rather than just summarizing everything they have already read in previous paragraphs.

Looking for guidance on crafting powerful arguments? Look no further than our argumentative essay guide!

Check out this informative video to learn how to construct a persuasive argumentative essay!

Examples of Argumentative Essay About Technology

Now that you know how to write an argumentative essay about technology, let's look at some examples.

These examples will help you get a better understanding of the argumentative essay structure and what types of arguments you can make.

Argumentative Essay About Advantages and Disadvantages of Technology

Let’s take a look:

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job!

Argumentative Essay On Technology And Society

Here is a short argumentative essay on technology and society:

Example of a Research-Based Argumentative Essay About Technology

Argumentative essay examples are a great way to gain a better understanding of how technology is affecting our lives - both positively and negatively.

To help illustrate this argument, this essay will look at the evidence for an argumentative essay about technology.

Here are some additional examples for you to get inspired!

Argumentative Essay About Technology And Social Media

Argumentative Essay About Technology In Education

Argumentative Essay About Technology A Friend Or A Foe

Argumentative Essay About Technology Make Us Alone

Is Technology Good Or Bad Argumentative Essay

5 Paragraph Argumentative Essay About Technology

If you're searching for the determination to create a persuasive essay, our blog of argumentative essay examples is just what you need!

Good Argumentative Essay About Technology Topics

When writing argumentative essays about technology, it's important to identify a topic that is relevant and argumentative.

Argumentative Essay About Technology Topics - MyPerfectPaper.net

The following are some good argumentative essay topics related to technology:

Will AI bring more benefits or risks to society?
Is social media a positive or negative influence on society?
How can individuals and organizations better protect themselves from cyber threats?
Should individuals have more control over their personal data online?
Will automation lead to mass unemployment or create new job opportunities?
Is VR technology more beneficial for entertainment or educational purposes?
Should governments have the authority to regulate and censor online content?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of widespread 5G implementation?
Is the use of biometric data for identification and security purposes ethical?
How can technology be effectively integrated into classrooms to enhance learning outcomes?

Want to write an essay that will grab your readers' attention? Explore our blog for more thrilling argumentative essay topics !

Summarizing it all, argumentative essay examples about technology can help to illustrate the argument for or against its use in our lives. By exploring various argumentative essay topics related to technology, you can gain a better understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of its use.

So, take a look at the argumentative essay topics provided above and create your argumentative essay today!

And if you are still seeking help with your argumentative essay, contact our essay writer today!

Our argumentative essay writer has the knowledge and experience to write the best argumentative essay for you.

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Literature, Marketing

Dr. Barbara is a highly experienced writer and author who holds a Ph.D. degree in public health from an Ivy League school. She has worked in the medical field for many years, conducting extensive research on various health topics. Her writing has been featured in several top-tier publications.

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Is technology good or bad for learning?

Subscribe to the brown center on education policy newsletter, saro mohammed, ph.d. smp saro mohammed, ph.d. partner - the learning accelerator @edresearchworks.

May 8, 2019

I’ll bet you’ve read something about technology and learning recently. You may have read that device use enhances learning outcomes . Or perhaps you’ve read that screen time is not good for kids . Maybe you’ve read that there’s no link between adolescents’ screen time and their well-being . Or that college students’ learning declines the more devices are present in their classrooms .

If ever there were a case to be made that more research can cloud rather than clarify an issue, technology use and learning seems to fit the bill. This piece covers what the research actually says, some outstanding questions, and how to approach the use of technology in learning environments to maximize opportunities for learning and minimize the risk of doing harm to students.

In my recent posts , I have frequently cited the mixed evidence about blended learning, which strategically integrates in-person learning with technology to enable real-time data use, personalized instruction, and mastery-based progression. One thing that this nascent evidence base does show is that technology can be linked to improved learning . When technology is integrated into lessons in ways that are aligned with good in-person teaching pedagogy, learning can be better than without technology.

A 2018 meta-analysis of dozens of rigorous studies of ed tech , along with the executive summary of a forthcoming update (126 rigorous experiments), indicated that when education technology is used to individualize students’ pace of learning, the results overall show “ enormous promise .” In other words, ed tech can improve learning when used to personalize instruction to each student’s pace.

Further, this same meta-analysis, along with other large but correlational studies (e.g., OECD 2015 ), also found that increased access to technology in school was associated with improved proficiency with, and increased use of, technology overall. This is important in light of the fact that access to technology outside of learning environments is still very unevenly distributed across ethnic, socio-economic, and geographic lines. Technology for learning, when deployed to all students, ensures that no student experiences a “21st-century skills and opportunity” gap.

More practically, technology has been shown to scale and sustain instructional practices that would be too resource-intensive to work in exclusively in-person learning environments, especially those with the highest needs. In multiple , large-scale studies where technology has been incorporated into the learning experiences of hundreds of students across multiple schools and school systems, they have been associated with better academic outcomes than comparable classrooms that did not include technology. Added to these larger bodies of research are dozens, if not hundreds, of smaller , more localized examples of technology being used successfully to improve students’ learning experiences. Further, meta-analyses and syntheses of the research show that blended learning can produce greater learning than exclusively in-person learning.

All of the above suggest that technology, used well, can drive equity in learning opportunities. We are seeing that students and families from privileged backgrounds are able to make choices about technology use that maximize its benefits and minimize its risks , while students and families from marginalized backgrounds do not have opportunities to make the same informed choices. Intentional, thoughtful inclusion of technology in public learning environments can ensure that all students, regardless of their ethnicity, socioeconomic status, language status, special education status, or other characteristics, have the opportunity to experience learning and develop skills that allow them to fully realize their potential.

On the other hand, the evidence is decidedly mixed on the neurological impact of technology use. In November 2016, the American Association of Pediatrics updated their screen time guidelines for parents, generally relaxing restrictions and increasing the recommended maximum amount of time that children in different age groups spend interacting with screens. These guidelines were revised not because of any new research, but for two far more practical reasons. First, the nuance of the existing evidence–especially the ways in which recommendations change as children get older–was not adequately captured in the previous guidelines. Second, the proliferation of technology in our lives had made the previous guidelines almost impossible to follow.

The truth is that infants, in particular, learn by interacting with our physical world and with other humans, and it is likely that very early (passive) interactions with devices–rather than humans–can disrupt or misinform neural development . As we grow older, time spent on devices often replaces time spent engaging in physical activity or socially with other people, and it can even become a substitute for emotional regulation, which is detrimental to physical, social, and emotional development.

In adolescence and young adulthood, the presence of technology in learning environments has also been associated with (but has not been shown to be the cause of) negative variables such as attention deficits or hyperactivity , feeling lonely , and lower grades . Multitasking is not something our brains can do while learning , and technology often represents not just one more “task” to have to attend to in a learning environment, but multiple additional tasks due to the variety of apps and programs installed on and producing notifications through a single device.

The pragmatic

The current takeaway from the research is that there are potential benefits and risks to deploying technology in learning environments. While we can’t wrap this topic up with a bow just yet–there are still more questions than answers–there is evidence that technology can amplify effective teaching and learning when in the hands of good teachers. The best we can do today is understand how technology can be a valuable tool for educators to do the complex, human work that is teaching by capitalizing on the benefits while remaining fully mindful of the risks as we currently understand them.

We must continue to build our understanding of both the risks and benefits as we proceed. With that in mind, here are some “Dos” and “Don’ts” for using technology in learning environments:

The Good and Bad Effects of Technology

Updated 18 October 2023

Subject Corporations , Learning , Technology

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Category Business , Education , Science

Impact of Technology on Everyday Lives

Over the past three decades, technology has become part of the daily lives of individuals to the point that it has taken over the lives of populations of people around the world. If anyone took a moment at any time during the day, all they could see is the computers, video monitoring and gadgets. It is no doubt that tech and gadgets surround the world today. There are many examples of how technology has transformed every aspect of life in the current world. Some of the effects are good while others are negative. Some of the harmful effects of the use of technology are that it has made people lazy for instance in the use of smartphones. With smartphones, the whole world is at fingertips, and people do not have to work or even move around as they did previously to get things done. Other negative effects of technology are; increased unemployment, lack of social bond among individuals and is a threat to human health. However, there is no doubt that technology has had vast positive effects on various aspects of life among which are communication, transport, trade and industry, education, and medicine. Tech has over time made all these aspects simpler and less complicated when compared to the old days when everything was manual. There is a long list of the good side of technology on the current face of the world. Technology will, therefore, have no harm on the future of the world.

Impact of Technology on Healthcare

Technology has had vast impacts on healthcare and accounts for the decline in the rate of preventable deaths with a general improvement in patient well-being. An article by the American Institute Of Medical Sciences And Education “, The Befits of Technology in Healthcare: Patient Care and Economic Boom,” states that “wearable gadgets could result in a significant drop in the number of people hospitalized annually”. More and more useful gadgets enter the everyday lives of people around the world today. There are advancements in smartphones, tablets and various similar devices that already provide the world access to numerous apps that help in monitoring their health. With medical information easily available from a wide range of sources, patients in the modern world and the future are keen on the changes in medical technology. There is a higher demand for dedicated and more accurate health tracking devices that has over time opened up a specialized niche in wearables. This technology comes in the form of accessories or clothing while incorporating various practical features and functions. For instance, there are affordable advanced wearables in the market that monitor the vital signs or any other complications like those related to heart failure, diabetes, UTI and breathing problems. With such advancements, the world is more likely to develop solutions to the most threatening conditions like cancer through earlier detection in the future. Technology, therefore, poses a much brighter future for the healthcare sector. However, in an article written by Amanda Razani, “Are wearables exposing us to unwanted health risks?” Dr Pandey cites that the Electro-Magnetic Radiation (EMR) as well as radio signals released continuously by these gadgets are one of the most toxic forms of pollution and therefore poses a significant health concern. The increased and constant use of these electronic devices that offer connectivity produces hazardous toxins that continue to wreak havoc on the human body slowly but surely. Some countries today have already categorized EMR as a slow poison. Even though wearables and other technologies significantly improve health monitoring and the general health wellbeing of people around the world, individuals need to exercise ultimate care and caution when using these gadgets to minimize on their health risks.

Impact of Technology on Education

Technology has had a profound impact on the improved education around the world. An article by OurICT, “How Has Technology Improved Education” confirms that “technology and other new trends have a significant impact on how students and teachers perceive learning”. Technology happens to be one of the most influential forces today changing the role of both teachers and students. There is a shift from the traditional instructional model based on scarceness of information. Teachers and textbooks were the only sources of information, and there were insufficient ways of delivering information to students. Technology reinvents the role of teachers both within and outside classrooms with an impact on improving the schools, curriculums and even better-educated students. With continued improvements and support for these changes learning in the future will deliver better learning experiences that meet the needs and expectations of the coming new generations of students. However, some studies show that there are no appreciable improvements in the achievements of students in mathematics, reading or sciences in those countries with massive investments in information and communication technology in the education sector (Schleicher). It is also disappointing to find out that technology does very little in bridging the division in skills between disadvantaged and advantaged students. With these facts, there is a need for school systems to get digital agendas right to offer educators with a better learning environment to support twenty-first-century pedagogies while providing children with twenty-first-century skills to help them succeed in the future years.

Impact of Technology on Transport

The transport field is now much safer with efficiency as a result of the advanced technological advancements. An article by Janice King, “How Transportation Technologies Will Change Everything” emphasizes that “connected and autonomous vehicles will help optimize roadway utilization while potentially saving billions in future infrastructure expansion”. Today, there are intelligent transportation systems that make driving and trafficking safer and much better for everyone. ITS will probably transform transportation into a more dynamic, and connected component of cities as systems. There is greater ease of movement, and this has a positive impact on the quality of life as well as commerce for residents and local businesses of different places around the world. Even though the current transport systems can get anyone anywhere they want at any time; the advancements come with numerous flaws. For instance, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that approximately, 1.3 million people die annually on roads around the world. It makes road accidents the ninth leading cause of death in the world and the leading killer of people between the ages of 15 and 29 years (Gordon). Even though transport exhibits some flaws, significant changes in the sector have helped save millions of lives while reducing the cost of movement. Broader incorporation of the human body into planning and designing of transport systems could save more people in the future.

Impact of Technology on Military

The world is at a stage where science and industry play a determinant role in the destructive power of military forces. Apart from technology being a fundamental agent in social change, it offers new opportunities for producing storing and spreading knowledge, particularly in the military realm. An article by Kristin Houser published by Futurism, “What A High Tech Military Means To Our Future” states that “technology is transforming the military as well as the nature of modern warfare”. It cites better transportation, communication and warfare as the primary benefits of technology on the military. Availability of technology determines the nature of war and armies around the world today by taking advantage of the many tools at their disposal to update everything from weaponry to Intel systems as well as soldiers themselves. These militaries have bigger plans for the future. The United States for instance in its fleet has an inexpensive autonomous warship that is capable of patrolling the ocean for about two to three months sans crew. The warship has tanks equipped with specialized cameras linked to soldiers’ combat helmets that give 360-degree visibility for both thermal and optical systems without exposure to risks. In the area of military communication, drones play a significant role in combat missions as well as in the monitoring of enemy activity and as a result act as both an ear and eye of the military. Soldiers working with these technologies are far much better today (Houser). For instance, the Army Expeditionary Warrior experiments (AEWE) program together with the tech company AimLock Inc. aims at transforming every soldier within the military into a sharpshooter. All these advancements mean better warfares that will save more lives in the future. The improved armor for the soldiers also translates to fewer causalities in battlefields while the use of autonomous weaponry will reduce the number of soldiers needed in the battlefield. However, a report released in 2015 by artificial intelligence (AI) researcher including Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk and others urged the governments of the world to ban artificially intelligent soldiers as well as autonomous weapons. They argued that once these weapons reach significant military powers, it would just be a matter of time before they hit black markets and reach the hands of terrorists or individuals who can buy them (Houser). It will make it difficult to stop the attacks for example assassinations, government takeovers or ethnic cleanings. There is much controversy and greater challenges with these new technologies while reality is that such progress could significantly eliminate suffering for millions of both soldiers and veterans. However, it is worth noting that developments in technology will not slow down any time soon, the world should, therefore, look forward to a future with a safer high-tech military.

Impact of Technology on Business

Technological advancements have immensely impacted the business world. Despite the size of an enterprise, technology happens to have both tangible and intangible benefits that would help any business make more money while meeting consumer demand. Technological infrastructure also impacts the efficiency, culture and relationships of business. An article by MyComputerCareer states that “technology is central to the success of most businesses today”. It emphasizes that technology is critical to the survival of businesses in the current and future world. With better technology, processes are now more effective, quicker and easier to document for any future references. It is central to the success of any business from marketing to security as most business operations start in the digital world. IT is essential for effective internal and external communications in enterprises. Most companies do their marketing digitally. It requires technology support teams that support and troubleshoot various forms of soft wares. A capable IT team ensures the success of digital marketing plans. Digital marketing concepts such as blogging, search engine optimization (SEO), website development and social media targeting require expertise knowledge for the provision of consultations in the case of something going awry (MyComputerCareer). Business can also track success and opportunities simplified by soft wares designed for storage of marketing metrics over more extended periods of time. With such advancements, enterprises can efficiently plan, adapt and grow their operations. Technology also streamlines the decision-making process within firms. It offers different ways through which companies can keep track of their financial resources, customer satisfaction and market conditions. A good IT plan enables companies to see these data quickly while at the same time they can decide on what steps to take to improve and reach their objectives. However, internet technology such as Skype, chat rooms and other technologies decrease the personal aspect of business relationships. It reduces the physical proximity thereby minimizing on brainstorming and other communications that mainly depend on personal touch (Hanly). The popularity of e-commerce has negative impacts on the many brick-and-mortar retail stores in the world. Smaller stores will find it harder and challenging to compete fairly with larger retail stores and internet businesses. For instance, small community stores in the United States have to compete with large stores like Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com that both sell online and in person. Such cases increase the chances of small businesses going out of business. Additionally, according to research by New York University under Professor Howard Basser, the installation of monitoring soft wares at the workplaces reduces employees’ morale as it sends a message that the company does not trust them. In spite of the few downsides of technology in business, it is evident that the use of technology is critical to the success and competitiveness of any company both in the current world and the future. There is a shift from the traditional shopping habits and all such activities today happen solely on the internet.

Future Impact of Technology

There is no doubt that new technology will have more advantages on the future of humankind. It will significantly affect every aspect of life. Tech will have positive effects on education, transport, healthcare, military and business. With emerging technologies like 3D printing and cloud computing, technology will open more opportunities for exploitation in the field of education. In the medical sector, robots of the future will perform more complicated and accurate surgeries since they are more precise than people. At times of war, autonomous weapons and machines will take over the role previously played by soldiers and thus put fewer people at risk while saving more lives. Businesses will also see an increase in profits for their operations due to the reduced costs and increased efficiency of decision-making processes. Relating to the transport sector, people will travel faster and more safely at lower costs. With the rapid changes in technology, the world should possibly be able to solve the many social, environmental, economic and other problems facing it today. All these changes will create improvements in the lives of people around the world.

Works Cited

AIMS EDUCATION. "What Are the Real Benefits of Technology in Healthcare?" AIMS EDUCATION, 31 May 2017, www.aimseducation.edu/blog/benefits-of-technology-in-healthcare/. Accessed 14 May 2018.

Gordon, Cameron. "Is Modern Transport Making War on the Human Body?" The Conversation, 20 Dec. 2012, theconversation.com/is-modern-transport-making-war-on-the-human-body-10335. Accessed 14 May 2018.

Hanly, Samantha. "Technology's Negative Impact on Business." Small Business - Chron.com, 18 Aug. 2011, smallbusiness.chron.com/technologys-negative-impact-business-19118.html. Accessed 14 May 2018.

Houser, Kristin. "What A High-Tech Military Means for Our Future." Futurism, 31 Jan. 2017, futurism.com/what-a-high-tech-military-means-for-our-future/. Accessed 14 May 2018.

"The Importance of Technology for Modern Business Survival." MyComputerCareer, 9 Sept. 2016, www.mycomputercareer.edu/news/the-importance-of-technology-for-modern-business-survival/. Accessed 14 May 2018.

King, Janice. "How Transportation Technologies Will Change Everything." Government Technology: State " Local Government News Articles, 4 Nov. 2014, www.govtech.com/transportation/How-Transportation-Technologies-Will-Change-Everything-.html. Accessed 14 May 2018.

Our ICT. "How Has Technology Has Improved Education?" IT Support for Schools " ICT Services for Education: Our ICT, 19 Mar. 2014, www.ourict.co.uk/technology-improved-education/. Accessed 14 May 2018.

Razani, Amanda. "Are Wearables Exposing Us to Unwanted Health Risks?" ReadWrite, 13 Apr. 2016, readwrite.com/2016/04/13/wearables-health-risks-radiation-dl4/. Accessed 14 May 2018.

Schleicher, Andreas. "School Technology Struggles to Make an Impact." BBC News, 15 Sept. 2015, www.bbc.com/news/business-34174795. Accessed 14 May 2018.

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Technology might be making education worse

Listen to the essay, as read by Antero Garcia, associate professor in the Graduate School of Education.

As a professor of education and a former public school teacher, I’ve seen digital tools change lives in schools.

I’ve documented the ways mobile technology like phones can transform student engagement in my own classroom.

I’ve explored how digital tools might network powerful civic learning and dialogue for classrooms across the country – elements of education that are crucial for sustaining our democracy today.

And, like everyone, I’ve witnessed digital technologies make schooling safer in the midst of a global pandemic. Zoom and Google Classroom, for instance, allowed many students to attend classrooms virtually during a period when it was not feasible to meet in person.

So I want to tell you that I think technologies are changing education for the better and that we need to invest more in them – but I just can’t.

Given the substantial amount of scholarly time I’ve invested in documenting the life-changing possibilities of digital technologies, it gives me no pleasure to suggest that these tools might be slowly poisoning us. Despite their purported and transformational value, I’ve been wondering if our investment in educational technology might in fact be making our schools worse.

Let me explain.

When I was a classroom teacher, I loved relying on the latest tools to create impressive and immersive experiences for my students. We would utilize technology to create class films, produce social media profiles for the Janie Crawfords, the Holden Caulfields, and other literary characters we studied, and find playful ways to digitally share our understanding of the ideas we studied in our classrooms.

As a teacher, technology was a way to build on students’ interests in pop culture and the world around them. This was exciting to me.

But I’ve continued to understand that the aspects of technology I loved weren’t actually about technology at all – they were about creating authentic learning experiences with young people. At the heart of these digital explorations were my relationships with students and the trust we built together.

“Part of why I’ve grown so skeptical about this current digital revolution is because of how these tools reshape students’ bodies and their relation to the world around them.”

I do see promise in the suite of digital tools that are available in classrooms today. But my research focus on platforms – digital spaces like Amazon, Netflix, and Google that reshape how users interact in online environments – suggests that when we focus on the trees of individual tools, we ignore the larger forest of social and cognitive challenges.

Most people encounter platforms every day in their online social lives. From the few online retail stores where we buy groceries to the small handful of sites that stream our favorite shows and media content, platforms have narrowed how we use the internet today to a small collection of Silicon Valley behemoths. Our social media activities, too, are limited to one or two sites where we check on the updates, photos, and looped videos of friends and loved ones.

These platforms restrict our online and offline lives to a relatively small number of companies and spaces – we communicate with a finite set of tools and consume a set of media that is often algorithmically suggested. This centralization of internet – a trend decades in the making – makes me very uneasy.

From willfully hiding the negative effects of social media use for vulnerable populations to creating tools that reinforce racial bias, today’s platforms are causing harm and sowing disinformation for young people and adults alike. The deluge of difficult ethical and pedagogical questions around these tools are not being broached in any meaningful way in schools – even adults aren’t sure how to manage their online lives.

You might ask, “What does this have to do with education?” Platforms are also a large part of how modern schools operate. From classroom management software to attendance tracking to the online tools that allowed students to meet safely during the pandemic, platforms guide nearly every student interaction in schools today. But districts are utilizing these tools without considering the wider spectrum of changes that they have incurred alongside them.

Antero Garcia, associate professor of education (Image credit: Courtesy Antero Garcia)

For example, it might seem helpful for a school to use a management tool like Classroom Dojo (a digital platform that can offer parents ways to interact with and receive updates from their family’s teacher) or software that tracks student reading and development like Accelerated Reader for day-to-day needs. However, these tools limit what assessment looks like and penalize students based on flawed interpretations of learning.

Another problem with platforms is that they, by necessity, amass large swaths of data. Myriad forms of educational technology exist – from virtual reality headsets to e-readers to the small sensors on student ID cards that can track when students enter schools. And all of this student data is being funneled out of schools and into the virtual black boxes of company databases.

Part of why I’ve grown so skeptical about this current digital revolution is because of how these tools reshape students’ bodies and their relation to the world around them. Young people are not viewed as complete human beings but as boxes checked for attendance, for meeting academic progress metrics, or for confirming their location within a school building. Nearly every action that students perform in schools – whether it’s logging onto devices, accessing buildings, or sharing content through their private online lives – is noticed and recorded. Children in schools have become disembodied from their minds and their hearts. Thus, one of the greatest and implicit lessons that kids learn in schools today is that they must sacrifice their privacy in order to participate in conventional, civic society.

The pandemic has only made the situation worse. At its beginnings, some schools relied on software to track students’ eye movements, ostensibly ensuring that kids were paying attention to the tasks at hand. Similarly, many schools required students to keep their cameras on during class time for similar purposes. These might be seen as in the best interests of students and their academic growth, but such practices are part of a larger (and usually more invisible) process of normalizing surveillance in the lives of youth today.

I am not suggesting that we completely reject all of the tools at our disposal – but I am urging for more caution. Even the seemingly benign resources we might use in our classrooms today come with tradeoffs. Every Wi-Fi-connected, “smart” device utilized in schools is an investment in time, money, and expertise in technology over teachers and the teaching profession.

Our focus on fixing or saving schools via digital tools assumes that the benefits and convenience that these invisible platforms offer are worth it.

But my ongoing exploration of how platforms reduce students to quantifiable data suggests that we are removing the innovation and imagination of students and teachers in the process.

Antero Garcia is associate professor of education in the Graduate School of Education .

In Their Own Words is a collaboration between the Stanford Public Humanities Initiative and Stanford University Communications.

If you’re a Stanford faculty member (in any discipline or school) who is interested in writing an essay for this series, please reach out to Natalie Jabbar at [email protected] .

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Good and Bad Effects of Technology

Good and Bad Effects of Technology - Essay Example

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Extract of sample "Good and Bad Effects of Technology"

People can connect for a few seconds and transform the information to any distance. For the modern society that is always busy and in need of a quick and easy way of exchanging information, it is a huge advantage. Shopping, banking, game playing, and messaging is considered to be highly popular service today, that are used to make people’s life easier and more interesting.

On the other hand, all these services may isolate a person from real life. The matter is that technologies may become an enormous part of people’s lives and lead to unpleasant implications (SlideShares, 2012). There are a lot of examples when a person spends hours in front of his/her computer and occurred to be isolated from society and his/her close people. That may cause some psychological problems and evoke depression.

One more important point is people’s communication. Modern society uses messaging, phone calls, and e-mails for the sake of quick and comfortable social interactions (SlideShares, 2012). That is considered to be rather a convenient way of communication that allows one to be connected with family, friends, and colleagues whenever and wherever a person wants.

However, mobile and internet communication leads to a lack of face-to-face interactions. That is remained to be a serious problem in modern society as it may cause problems with family and friends. Communication through technology may evoke misunderstandings and reduce people’s desire for face-to-face communication.

In addition, it is important to mention the question of getting information from technological devices. Television and the internet are regarded as huge services for presenting information to the entire world. People may find any data they need and update the latest news with the help of technology. That helps people to be informed and familiar with any fact they like.

Nevertheless, such wide access to information may lead to overloading or embroilment of a person. Moreover, sources of information are prone to obtrusion and imposition of someone’s opinion and a person can make decisions due to alien will.

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This is part 2 of a two-part MIT News feature examining new job creation in the U.S. since 1940, based on new research from Ford Professor of Economics David Autor. Part 1 is available here .

Ever since the Luddites were destroying machine looms, it has been obvious that new technologies can wipe out jobs. But technical innovations also create new jobs: Consider a computer programmer, or someone installing solar panels on a roof.

Overall, does technology replace more jobs than it creates? What is the net balance between these two things? Until now, that has not been measured. But a new research project led by MIT economist David Autor has developed an answer, at least for U.S. history since 1940.

The study uses new methods to examine how many jobs have been lost to machine automation, and how many have been generated through “augmentation,” in which technology creates new tasks. On net, the study finds, and particularly since 1980, technology has replaced more U.S. jobs than it has generated.

“There does appear to be a faster rate of automation, and a slower rate of augmentation, in the last four decades, from 1980 to the present, than in the four decades prior,” says Autor, co-author of a newly published paper detailing the results.

However, that finding is only one of the study’s advances. The researchers have also developed an entirely new method for studying the issue, based on an analysis of tens of thousands of U.S. census job categories in relation to a comprehensive look at the text of U.S. patents over the last century. That has allowed them, for the first time, to quantify the effects of technology over both job loss and job creation.

Previously, scholars had largely just been able to quantify job losses produced by new technologies, not job gains.

“I feel like a paleontologist who was looking for dinosaur bones that we thought must have existed, but had not been able to find until now,” Autor says. “I think this research breaks ground on things that we suspected were true, but we did not have direct proof of them before this study.”

The paper, “ New Frontiers: The Origins and Content of New Work, 1940-2018 ,” appears in the Quarterly Journal of Economics . The co-authors are Autor, the Ford Professor of Economics; Caroline Chin, a PhD student in economics at MIT; Anna Salomons, a professor in the School of Economics at Utrecht University; and Bryan Seegmiller SM ’20, PhD ’22, an assistant professor at the Kellogg School of Northwestern University.

Automation versus augmentation

The study finds that overall, about 60 percent of jobs in the U.S. represent new types of work, which have been created since 1940. A century ago, that computer programmer may have been working on a farm.

To determine this, Autor and his colleagues combed through about 35,000 job categories listed in the U.S. Census Bureau reports, tracking how they emerge over time. They also used natural language processing tools to analyze the text of every U.S. patent filed since 1920. The research examined how words were “embedded” in the census and patent documents to unearth related passages of text. That allowed them to determine links between new technologies and their effects on employment.

“You can think of automation as a machine that takes a job’s inputs and does it for the worker,” Autor explains. “We think of augmentation as a technology that increases the variety of things that people can do, the quality of things people can do, or their productivity.”

From about 1940 through 1980, for instance, jobs like elevator operator and typesetter tended to get automated. But at the same time, more workers filled roles such as shipping and receiving clerks, buyers and department heads, and civil and aeronautical engineers, where technology created a need for more employees.

From 1980 through 2018, the ranks of cabinetmakers and machinists, among others, have been thinned by automation, while, for instance, industrial engineers, and operations and systems researchers and analysts, have enjoyed growth.

Ultimately, the research suggests that the negative effects of automation on employment were more than twice as great in the 1980-2018 period as in the 1940-1980 period. There was a more modest, and positive, change in the effect of augmentation on employment in 1980-2018, as compared to 1940-1980.

“There’s no law these things have to be one-for-one balanced, although there’s been no period where we haven’t also created new work,” Autor observes.

What will AI do?

The research also uncovers many nuances in this process, though, since automation and augmentation often occur within the same industries. It is not just that technology decimates the ranks of farmers while creating air traffic controllers. Within the same large manufacturing firm, for example, there may be fewer machinists but more systems analysts.

Relatedly, over the last 40 years, technological trends have exacerbated a gap in wages in the U.S., with highly educated professionals being more likely to work in new fields, which themselves are split between high-paying and lower-income jobs.

“The new work is bifurcated,” Autor says. “As old work has been erased in the middle, new work has grown on either side.”

As the research also shows, technology is not the only thing driving new work. Demographic shifts also lie behind growth in numerous sectors of the service industries. Intriguingly, the new research also suggests that large-scale consumer demand also drives technological innovation. Inventions are not just supplied by bright people thinking outside the box, but in response to clear societal needs.

The 80 years of data also suggest that future pathways for innovation, and the employment implications, are hard to forecast. Consider the possible uses of AI in workplaces.

“AI is really different,” Autor says. “It may substitute some high-skill expertise but may complement decision-making tasks. I think we’re in an era where we have this new tool and we don’t know what’s good for. New technologies have strengths and weaknesses and it takes a while to figure them out. GPS was invented for military purposes, and it took decades for it to be in smartphones.”

He adds: “We’re hoping our research approach gives us the ability to say more about that going forward.”

As Autor recognizes, there is room for the research team’s methods to be further refined. For now, he believes the research open up new ground for study.

“The missing link was documenting and quantifying how much technology augments people’s jobs,” Autor says. “All the prior measures just showed automation and its effects on displacing workers. We were amazed we could identify, classify, and quantify augmentation. So that itself, to me, is pretty foundational.”

Support for the research was provided, in part, by The Carnegie Corporation; Google; Instituut Gak; the MIT Work of the Future Task Force; Schmidt Futures; the Smith Richardson Foundation; and the Washington Center for Equitable Growth.

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Press mentions, fast company.

Fast Company reporter Shalene Gupta spotlights new research by Prof. David Autor that finds “about 60% of jobs in 2018 did not exist 1940. Since 1940, the bulk of new jobs has shifted from middle-class production and clerical jobs to high-paid professional jobs and low-paid service jobs.” Additionally, the researchers uncovered evidence that “automation eroded twice as many jobs from 1980 to 2018 as it had from 1940 to 1980. While augmentation did add some jobs to the economy, it was not as many as the ones lost by automation.”

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Impact of Technology on Communication Essay

Introduction, advancement of technology in communication, media technology and online communication, the impacts of mobile phone on communication, reference list.

The realm of technology is ever-changing. New advances in applied science have forever transformed the way people interact. Exploring the impact of technology on communication and debating whether people connect with others differently seems to be the topic of the day.

Technology has allowed people to keep in touch no matter the distance. One is able to communicate 24 hours around the clock, seven days a week, 365 days on an interpersonal level.

What are the real impacts of technology on communication? How do electronics mediate and change the ways in which humans interact? How has the emergence of the Internet, mobile phones, and social networks affected society and businesses?

In order to reveal the importance of technology in communication, the essay tries to find answers to these questions. It explores how everything has changed over the years and discusses the connection between technology and communication.

To begin this examination and find answers to these questions, we begin by defining media and communication and outlining the stages of technological advancement from old age to the present day in the field of communication. The paper will highlight the use of the Internet, newspapers, radio, and other media, but it mostly dwells on the use of mobile telephony.

Communication is “the imparting or exchange of information by speaking, writing or using some other medium” (Daniel & Rod, 2011). On the other hand, media is defined as “the main means of mass communication (television, radio, and newspapers) regarded collectively.”

Technology has changed everything in the modern society. The way we communicate has been revolutionized by the advancement of new innovations in the telecommunication sector. Connecting with other people with ease is more feasible in today’s world, and this is due to speed.

Several centuries ago, books and newspapers reigned as the only choice of communication. Then later, innovators brought the radio and television before innovation was taken a notch higher with the coming of the personal computer (Johnson, 1997, p.3).

With every new innovation, the reliance on books and newspapers as the mass medium of communication continued to reduce. With time, human culture has come to understand the power and the mechanisms involved in technology and invention. In today’s world, information has permeated the cycles of change and development.

The world today, past and present, can be studied at ease with the growing information technology. Technology has advanced with sheer velocity allowing different media to shape our thinking and habits. The people who were born during the television era thought that it was the climax of innovation, but they suddenly found themselves acclimating to a new medium, the World Wide Web.

Every time a new medium rolls out, the perceptions towards the previous media you were used to change (Johnson, 1997 p5). Technology proved to be powerful in the sense that no human being can predict what will change and what won’t with certainty.

The irony of it all is the fact that the influence of technology extends beyond generations to come. It is with no doubt that technology has changed the lives of human beings; information and entertainment are being received in a more convenient way.

The innovation of having a conversation using a device called the telephone changed everything in communication. This became magical, and one couldn’t believe such innovation would exist (Tofts, 1997, p.40).

With the emergence of new media technologies, consumers have been empowered to ‘filter’ the information they want to receive. This allows them to have a choice of which news to watch or what information to listen to (Palmer, 2003, p.161).

Media consumption has been made an engaging experience with marketers studying the preferences of the consumers in order to reflect broader social changes in society. In today’s world, the computer is seen as a multi-purpose machine with work and leisure functions, therefore, creating more value.

The rise of the Internet has also made it possible to have virtual offices where the user can work from home or any convenient location. The flow of information from different media has greatly changed the social structures of society at different levels (Barry, 1999).

Digital media has enabled news and event to be channeled in real-time. The combination of the Internet and commerce has given birth to e-commerce sites providing huge potential for marketers to reach out to virtual communities.

In the world today, there are numerous media screens within our surroundings. This ranges from the television sets in our houses, computer monitors at the office, mobile phones and MP3 players in our pockets and handbag.

Even when shopping or waiting to board a plane, you’re most probably staring at screens with entertainment media (Soukup, 2008, p.5). Heavy marketing has been adopted by producers of mobile technologies targeting consumers who possess mobile phones with picture and video capacity (Goggin, 2006, p.170).

Media texts producers have termed mobile media as a “third screen,” a device that consumers carry around with much ease. Unlike television screens, broader communication networks have been integrated into personal computers and mobile phones (Goggin, 2006, p.9).

Train, buses, and airplanes have been dominated by mobile screens providing passengers with entertainment as well as other media content, especially advertisements (Caron & Carona, 2007, p.17). With a lot of commercial media content, the preferences of people change in their everyday lives.

The world of popular media has become chaotic, with hundreds of television channels to choose from, thousands of songs ready for download, and not forgetting millions of web pages to surf.

The emergence of social media like Facebook and Twitter has enabled people to manage interactions and relationships with many friends. Technologies have impacted interpersonal communication enabling people to interact more often than before.

In addition to reducing the distance between people, online communication with tools like Facebook and Twitter enables people to keep track of their contacts with friends and are more aware of the last time they interacted with them. Online communication now incorporates more than one mode of contact, including text, voice, and body language.

A mobile phone is a device that has always been seen as connecting people who are far apart, thus overcoming the geographical distance between them. The number of mobile phone users has continued to increase substantially. The mobile phone has been integrated as part of people’s lives in the sense that it’s available and easy to use, keeping us connected to our families, friends, and business people (Ling, 2004, p.21-24).

The how and when the way we use our mobile phones impacts our communication not only with those we’re communicating with but also with the people within our proximity. At this point, it is paramount to note the changes that have taken place and that have allowed the adoption of mobile phones. The tremendous proliferation of this device has drastically changed the traditional communication model.

Who are the users of mobile phones, and for what purposes do they use them? Has there been any change in the way mobile phone facilitates communication? How has the face to face interaction been affected by mobile calls? Has mobile communication enhanced relationships?

These are some of the questions that arise when we try to fathom the way communication has affected our personal and professional lives. There are sentiments that mobile phones have reduced humans to emotionless beings.

There is no doubt that the revolution brought about the use of mobile phones in the way we communicate. There have been different perceptions among individuals and social levels in society in regard to mobile usage.

When we had fixed telephone lines that were put in a booth, telephones were seen as business tools only and were placed in a fixed, quiet environment. There was restriction when it came to teenagers using these phones (Agar, 2003). The ‘birth’ of mobile phones brought changes, and phone calls became a habit to many irrespective of age or location.

Today, people can use mobile phones wherever they are in private or in public. People have been addicted to their mobile phones more than any other gadget known to man, with the device remaining on throughout. Its portability enables people to carry it wherever they go (Castells, 1996).

A personal virtual network has been created whereby users can be available at all times to communicate with friends, family, and colleagues. The geographical barrier has been destroyed, making people feel close to one another, and the face to face communication has been rendered rather less important with this mediated communication (Richard, 2004, p.22).

Meetings and briefings have become obsolete, with communication being mediated by a computer or a phone. Mobile SMS (short messaging service) service and the Internet has become the preferable communication channels for most teenagers and young people all over the world (Plant, 2000, p.23).

There are places where mobile phones have become taboo devices, places like churches and crucial corporate meetings. At such places, the mobile ring is seen as a nuisance. In other scenarios, it is seen as a destructive device by acting as a third party and especially for dating couples who want to have a private conversation.

Any phone ring is seen as an ‘intruder,’ and this harms the relationship between the partners (Plant, 2000, p.29). In his research, Plant observes that there are those people who use mobile as ’a means of managing privacy where calls are carefully selected’. He categorizes this group of people as ‘hedgehogs.’

The other category is those people who use mobile phones as the key central part of their life. They become so attached to the device and cannot do without it. Plant referred to this group as ‘fox.’ They are regular users who need to feel connected with their families and friend. Their life will be dreadful if they lack the device (2000, p.32).

Telephones have promoted the use of text messaging and modernization since it’s allowing people to communicate more both verbally and by texting in a more convenient and efficient way. SMS has made communication to be more immediate, and users can customize the message at ease with the various applications installed on their mobiles (Richard, 2004, p. 100).

The advanced phones have email support as well as multimedia messages making chatting become a lifestyle for many who conduct business and those initiating intimate communication. It has emerged that SMS has made people become more united.

Users have developed abbreviated messages, which are now universally accepted as an appropriate language. The initial purpose of the phone to make calls has even lost taste with many people, especially the young generation.

According to Reid &Reid, more than 85% of teenagers prefer texting to talking on their mobile usage (Reid & Reid, 2004, p.1). There is ease of communication when it comes to texting in the sense that some formalities are eliminated, making communication more personal.

Texting has helped introverts who may lack the skills to have phone conversations allowing them to express their true self to other people leading to greater understanding and stronger relationships (Reid & Reid, 2004, p.8).

The use of mobile technology has affected the personalities of people to a great extent. Today, more people are hiding their feelings and whereabouts behind mobile phones, and this has raised suspicions among families, friends, and couples.

People go through text messages of others just to find out more about the individual who might even have no clue about what is happening. Contrary to this, most people believe that mobile is so crucial in enhancing the relationship between people no matter the distance and that it bonds us together more than it separates us (Plant, 2000, p.58).

The usage of mobile phones by children and teenagers has changed the way parents bring up their kids. Parenting has really changed as parents try to increase their surveillance and monitor their children’s mobile usage.

Their concern is to know who communicates with their kind and the kind of conversations they normally have. They are worried about the kind of social network the children create in their contact lists.

With the emergence of virtual communities, the influence of mobile phones has spilled over and affects parenting in general. Nonetheless, the primary purpose of mobile phones to facilitate communication has not changed.

There is no doubt that technology has changed the way humans communicate. Great impacts can be seen in the way communication has changed the social structures of our society at all levels. Even in years to come, technology remains the driving force of the way people interact.

The advancement of technology ensures that communication is quicker and that more people remain connected. There has been an evolution in interpersonal skills with the advancement of technology, and users should always be keen on adapting to new ways of communication.

Technology has continually brought new methods of communication leading to the expansion of mediated communication. The reality of having one message shared across a huge audience (mass communication) is now with us. A situation where neither time nor geography can limit the accessibility of information.

We have seen the merging together of newspapers and books with computer technology so that the frequency and ease of reporting information and advertisements can be increased. The exposure of both individuals and society to mediated communication has therefore affected our daily lives, particularly in our culture and the way we communicate.

Agar, J., 2003. Constant Touch: A Global History of the Mobile Phone . Cambridge: Icon Books.

Barry, W., 1999. Networks in the Global Village . Boulder Colo: Westview Press.

Caron, A, & Caronia, L., 2007. Moving cultures: mobile communication in everyday life. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.

Castells, M., 1996. The Information Age: Economy, Society and Culture, Volume 1. The Rise of the Network Society . Oxford: Blackwell.

Daniel, C., & Rod, M., 2011.The Dictionary of Media and Communications . Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Goggin, G., 2006. Cell phone culture mobile technology in everyday life. New York: Routledge.

Palmer, D., 2003. The Paradox of User Control’. 5 th Annual Digital Arts and Culture Conference (Proceedings), pp.160-164.

Plant, S., 2000. On the Mobile: the effects of mobile telephones on social and individual life . Web.

Postman, N., 1992. Technopoly: The surrender of culture to technology . New York: Vintage Books.

Reid, D. J. & Reid F. J. M., 2004. Insights into the Social and Psychological Effects of SMS Text Messaging . Web.

Richard, L., 2004. The Mobile Connection: The Cell Phone’s Impact on Society . San Francisco Morgan: Kaufmann.

Soukup, C., 2008. ‘Magic Screens: Everyday Life in an Era of Ubiquitous and Mobile Media Screens’, presented at 94 th annual Convention . San Diego .

Stephen, J., 1997. Interface Culture: How New Technology Transforms the Way We Create and Communicate . San Francisco: Basic Books.

Tofts, D., 1997. ‘ The technology within’ in memory trade: A Prehistory of Cyberculture, North Ryde: 21C Books.

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The Good, the Bad and the Outrageous: A Gen Z Reflection on SXSW 2024
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Like clockwork, thousands of tech aficionados, artists, politicians, celebrities descended upon Austin, Texas for the annual return of South by Southwest (SXSW)—one of the buzziest tech and interactive media festivals in the world—from March 8-16.

Beyond the glam-and-glitz of film premieres and celebrity sightings, this year’s SXSW provided a unique window into the current state of the world. From discussions about the promises and perils of AI to buzzy appearances from influential global brands, the conference presented an opportunity for attendees to be immersed in some of the most prominent trends at the intersection of technology, creativity, and culture.

Edelman’s Gen Z Lab was out and about all week long, and here we’ll break down everything that caught our attention—from the good, to the bad, to the simply outrageous.

The Good: The Amplification of Gen Z Voices

Despite being a generation that wields so much cultural influence in today’s world, Gen Z has often been left out of the conversation in recent conference programs. Instead of being treated merely as subjects of conversation for marketers, SXSW actually went a step further this year to ensure Gen Z had active voices across all facets of its program.

From Remi Bader to Nick Viall to Eli Rallo to Alex Cooper, it was refreshing to see so many Gen Z and millennial speakers in SXSW’s program.

The best events created welcoming atmospheres for connection and conversation. The beauty of SXSW is that everyone is in one place on a seemingly level playing field; truly anything can happen. Whether you're a startup founder, a seasoned industry veteran, an aspiring artist, or simply an enthusiast, SXSW offers a rare opportunity for meaningful engagement with others who share your passions and interests, even if you’re just waiting in line together.

The Opening Day Keynote Panel, "Breaking Barriers, Shaping Narratives: How Women Lead On and Off the Screen" featuring Meghan Markle, Katie Couric, Brooke Shields, and Nancy Wang Yuen didn't just tout that representation of women in media is flawed, the speakers went deeper on how they each action against these issues; where each of their own experiences play into their work, how they're discussing these issues at home with their children, and what the future of a safer online space for women can look like.

Key Learning: SXSW successfully captured the attention of Gen Z attendees and kept it by giving the younger generations the mic (literally). Gen Z isn’t just listening to these conversations; they’re driving them.

However, it has to feel authentic. While the conference brought the topic of Gen Z as an audience to center stage, it felt like the first time Gen Z voices were the ones doing the talking. This meant that Gen Z values—such as social impact, diversity & inclusion, and civic engagement—were front and center across the conference’s wide-reaching program.

The Bad: An Audience Clearly Divided by AI

This year, the star of the show was not a person, company, movie, or musical group. Surprise, surprise! It was AI, an unavoidable topic of conversation that filtered through every aspect of the conference whether attendees liked it or not.

From the get-go, AI was always going to be a natural point of contention. It was inherently clear that there was bound to be a course collision, particularly by virtue of the audiences that SXSW has historically been known for convening: Cotopaxi-cladded techno-optimists and New Balance-donning creative wunderkinds.

On one side of the aisle, technologists like AMD CEO Lisa Su and OpenAI product VP Peter Deng expectedly delivered an arsenal of talking points touting AI’s potential to address all of humanity’s challenges, from workplace productivity to climate change. One of the most controversial remarks came from Deng himself, who opined that “AI fundamentally makes us more human.” Other folks in the technosphere continued to rattle an already-skeptical audience with a call-to-action to “stop resisting and start learning AI.”

On the other side, Oscar-acclaimed filmmaking duo The Daniels drew support for expressing their concerns about how AI could devalue the work of creatives and further remove people from all the things that make us essentially human. What especially resonated—particularly for Gen Z, who, according to HP’s Work Relationship Index , are more likely to view AI as a potential threat to their job security—was their reminder to the audience to be critical about how and why they’re applying the technology: “Are you trying to use it to create the world you want to live in? Are you trying to use it to increase value in your life and focus on the things that you really care about? Or are you just trying to… make some money for the billionaires, you know?”

Key Learning: Despite all this, SXSW—and Austin, a city heralded for its dual culture of creativity and entrepreneurship—did prove to be a potent battleground for much-needed debates about the future of society in the new era of AI.

And for Gen Zers, seeing these dialogues play out in real time, it was a healthy reminder that thought leaders have an opportunity to leverage mass events like SXSW to engage and educate younger stakeholders about how to critically think about technology within their own lives, particularly in a world saddled by rapid change and uncertainty.

The Outrageous: Political Influence and the Banality of Brand Activations

One of the most radical aspects of SXSW was how the political energy of Texas’ state capital was leveraged to shed light on the fight for political movements, notably women’s rights in a post-Roe world. For example, the She Media Co-Lab lounge was focused on women's whole life health. Attendees walked out with learnings from panels featuring Brooke Shields and Sophia Bush on the latest innovations in health and wellness. The festival also included featured screenings of documentaries like “Preconceived” and “Plan C,” dissected the state of reproductive justice in states (including Texas) that have implemented some of most restrictive laws following the overturn of Roe v. Wade.

Additionally (and unsurprisingly), we continued to see brands working to dazzle consumers with live activations. Unfortunately, however, the conclusion we reached was that many have become stale – dare we say banal – in their quests to compete for the attention of audiences. To say the least, activations can often quickly devolve if they’re not truly “experiential” – and SXSW was no exception.

However, there were some that did indeed deliver. Despite it being the brand’s first time at SXSW, Delta Air Lines* showed up in a big way and got people talking the whole week, for all the right reasons. From a dedicated badge pickup area to an entrepreneur and artist market, The Delta Lounge at Estelle’s and VIP experiences at public, conference-affiliated concerts – if you were there, so was Delta.

All activations were staffed by uniformed Delta employees from around the globe, adding to the authenticity of the moment. This 360-degree approach earned Delta the majority of attendees’ attention, and conversation. The Delta Lounge capitalized on the intrigue of what awaited inside, encouraging attendees to wait in line and join them inside for the hour and a half long experience (topped off with a free sweatshirt and tote bag of course.)

Key Learning: As brands determine what their presence will look like in 2025, it’s critical that they ground themselves in building a truly worthwhile experience for their target audiences. In other words, don’t have an activation just for the sake of having one because today’s consumers –particularly Gen Z –are much more adept at seeing through the smoke and mirrors of blatantly poor marketing schemes. And they’re much more willing to call them out when they see one.

So, just think: What is the brand bringing to the table that’s new or different? What is the brand trying to build visibility around, a product, an initiative, a thought leadership perspective? What message is the brand trying to distill to its audience? What levers are needed to establish or strengthen brand credibility?

To build an effective engagement plan and break through the noise of SXSW, marketers must have an answer to all of these questions before they’re on the ground.

* Delta Air Lines is an Edelman client.

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The paper "Good and Bad Effects of Technology" states that present-day society cannot imagine the world without computers, mobile phones, or other technological ... The essay "Is technology Bad or Good for Us" begins with the statement that people often discuss how the world was residing in a state of sloth before the industrial revolution came ...
Does technology help or hurt employment?
Relatedly, over the last 40 years, technological trends have exacerbated a gap in wages in the U.S., with highly educated professionals being more likely to work in new fields, which themselves are split between high-paying and lower-income jobs. "The new work is bifurcated," Autor says.
Fahrenheit 451, By Ray Bradbury
Fahrenheit 451, By Ray Bradbury. 512 Words3 Pages. Technology has advanced in many ways over the years. Sometimes the advancements in technology are good, but other times the advancements in technology can be bad. Although present-day technology is mostly used in good ways and provides safety and resources to us, it can also be used in bad ways.
Teens are spending nearly 5 hours daily on social media. Here are the
41%. Percentage of teens with the highest social media use who rate their overall mental health as poor or very poor, compared with 23% of those with the lowest use. For example, 10% of the highest use group expressed suicidal intent or self-harm in the past 12 months compared with 5% of the lowest use group, and 17% of the highest users expressed poor body image compared with 6% of the lowest ...
Impact of Technology on Communication Essay
The advancement of technology ensures that communication is quicker and that more people remain connected. There has been an evolution in interpersonal skills with the advancement of technology, and users should always be keen on adapting to new ways of communication. Technology has continually brought new methods of communication leading to ...
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Insights. The Good, the Bad and the Outrageous: A Gen Z Reflection on SXSW 2024. Like clockwork, thousands of tech aficionados, artists, politicians, celebrities descended upon Austin, Texas for the annual return of South by Southwest (SXSW)—one of the buzziest tech and interactive media festivals in the world—from March 8-16.
Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde Research Paper
In the novel "Jekyll and Hyde," there is a scene where Dr. Jekyll transforms into Mr. Hyde for the first time. This pivotal moment in the story sets the stage for the exploration of duality and the struggle between good and evil. In this chapter, Dr. Jekyll experiments with a potion he has created, hoping to separate his good and evil sides.

Essay on Technology – A Boon or Bane for Students

Essay on Technology – A Boon or Bane?

Familiarity between Technology and Science

Vital Part of our Life

Negative Aspect of Technology

Exhaustion of Natural Resources

Unemployment

Types of Technology

Industrial Technology

Creative Technology

Information Technology

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Essay about technology advantages and disadvantages – Analytical Essay

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The Positive and Negative Effects of Technology on Your Life

Positives of Technology in Our Lives

1. Technology Boosts Business

2. Technology Makes Shopping Online Possible

3. Technology Has Advanced Education

4. Technology Makes Everyday Life Better

Negatives of Technology in Our Lives

1. Technology Causes Health Problems

2. Technology Creates Job Insecurity

3. Tech Products Lack Longevity

4. Technology Spawns Misinformation and Fake News

Technology Is a Boon and Bane to Society

Make Your Argumentative Essay About Technology Unbeatable: Examples and Tips

How to Write an Argumentative Essay About Technology?

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Examples of Argumentative Essay About Technology

Argumentative Essay About Advantages and Disadvantages of Technology

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Is technology good or bad for learning?

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