The Impacts And Signs Of Dependence On Technology

You will need to utilize at least three outside sources as research material. Make sure that the material is from reliable sources (authorities) on the issue. At least one source must be from an academic journal. Be wary of groups or organizational material that ignore opposing arguments as a means of supporting their shortsighted agendas. Do not use encyclopedias, dictionaries, or any other source that would be classified as a reference work; this applies to what is found online, as well. Avoid those sources, particularly websites that produce nothing but short packets of common knowledge. You are engaging the argument. The only way to do so is to find sources that are argumentative and authoritative.

Remember, you are presenting and supporting what begins as an opinion, but do not let yourself get bogged down in your emotional point of view. Your initial opinion will mean nothing if it is not supported by rational thought and well organized and clearly supported proof, which allows your opinion to transcend into the concept of argument. Your paper should represent that you have considered the issue in as thorough a manner as possible. This means that you have also studied and considered the opposing viewpoint. You should, where it fits, include some level of engagement in ideas that do not directly agree with your own. Rational dismissals of the opposing viewpoint as part of your proof is fine, but there is more to including counter-arguments than this.

History of Technology Evolution

In the current scenario, individuals cannot imagine their life without technology. Surrounding with different kind of technologies are helping people to live their lives in luxury. Technology has developed many products and services and as time is passing, it is improving at a faster pace (Dawes, S86). The term technology has evolved significantly over the last few centuries. It became more prominent in 20^th century when we had seen second Industrial Revolution. Technology has improved the standard of living of the individuals; it has made life of humans easier and more convenient (Lo 387).  Yes, this statement is correct but not some extent as humans have evolved technologies over past few centuries which help them to raise their standard of living by doing the same task in more efficient manner and effectively. Technology is the application of information to create equipment’s and devices that can be utilized in various different ways. Technology has become a part of everyday life. For Instance –refrigerator, bike, laptop, phone, Internet connection etc. All of these and many more things are powered by technology (Mitchell and Brynjolfsson 290). While it has made individuals life easier, there are certain negative impacts which cannot be overlooked. It would be discussed in detail about technology, its effects and signs that Individuals are too dependent on technology.   

With the evolution of technology, society has changed dramatically. Before the technology was introduced life was burdensome and consumed a lot of time in doing the small task as well. Huge opportunities are being produced by the evolution of technologies which play an important role in human evolution. It is present in each and every aspect of life such as education, medicine, industrial, transportation, Automobile and so on (Colbert 731).   As per World Internet stats report of 2015 states that 313 million Africans are internet users out of 1.16 billion of population of the continent. To see this in different aspect; it is about 27 percent of total population (Pick and Sarkar 83).

Education is the base of learning anything and we have ample amount of schooling that runs the old traditions of using chalks and blackboards as a medium to teach children and where exams are written by pen. None of the children is taught to be dependent on technology or internet; it all depends on the surrounding in which children have been rising. The common term for dependency or in layman understanding is being controlled by others or someone else. Most of the people use internet for surfing, chatting and researching a bit. If any individual is doing so or using this doesn’t make him dependent on technology.

Positive Effects of Technology

At times, people try to get solutions over internet and actually get disappointed. Everybody loves to spend their time on internet but that doesn’t state that they are dependent on internet and technology. Everyone has to understand that time is moving forward and so do we, we need to adopt the changes which are happening around us and act accordingly.  The people should not be stopping the usage of technology instead they should be channelizing that in more good use. Technology brought us machines, computers, cars, Boat, Rockets and airplanes.

Technology is not the problem. It is the way that we use it. Over usage of anything over can create a trouble and problems. Everyone knows and has seen that life without technology was difficult and time-consuming. Technology has made life lot easier. Below are the few effects which technologies have (Winner 48): -

Entertainment – There are different ways in which one can be entertained and most of the times individuals have to seek something outside their homes but after technology has come they don’t have to step out of their house there are various activities which an individual can do in their home only for instance – Video games, PC, laptop, TV and much more.

Social – The term social was earlier used when few individuals/friends were meeting up and having some chat physically. Only friend s or relatives who reside in the same region can only meet up but now with the help of technology, individuals can meet their friends virtually and they need not worry for the distance as they can connect on different platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram etc. With the help of social network, one can increase their business opportunities at a wider scale as the cost at minimum and connectivity with customers became easier.

Travel – With the help of technology Travelling has become easier, earlier individuals need maps and use sunlight and compass to see the directions but now they can use the GPS system which helps them to freely roam around the world easily.

Queries – Previously individuals have to read a lot of books to solve any particular query but now a day with the help of technology and search engines or sources such as Google, YouTube and so on which helps individuals to solve the quires at a faster pace.

 Health Issue – Overusing the technology creates health issues for the employees as they have to log in for a high number of hours who at times became unbearable for certain employees. Employees are getting Headache, Back pain, Eyes irritation and so on.  

Negative Consequences of Over-dependency on Technology

Technology is one of the best things and we are currently living in the age of technological advancements. It should not be surprised that most of the life aspects are associated with the technology and by using the same in regular interval makes it a dependent one (Alfaki, 600). Below are a few points which have been highlighted: -  

 No Internet, No Work – Most of the business is reliant on the internet services today and if internet service provider is down for the day individuals cannot work for the day as they are doing a virtual work which cannot be done physically or manually. To survive this situation business need to take two or more network providers so that if one line is down they may utilize other. But for small businesses, it is not possible only a big business does this.

Usage of calculators – Employees do have the habit of using the calculators frequently as they have become lazy and monotonous in their work. Everyone wants to try to finish their task as early as possible which makes them dependent on this technology.  This is one of the basic technologies which every individual is using on daily basis. While using it on regular basis it has been observed that simple calculations are also done in calculators for instance 80*20. By doing this chances of getting mathematical errors are high.

Online shopping – It is one of the technologies which every employee used for business as well as for personal purpose. With help of technology one can purchase the clothes online and at the time it has been observed that quality of products is not so good as It looks due to which individuals are resending the products to buyers which can become a complex process with will involve Time and money.

E-books – E-books is one by which individuals can read the books virtually or digitally. Now a day’s individuals are not getting time due to a hectic schedule. If an employee wants to do some research, then they can find a number of books present in front of him at a nominal cost and it would be accessible easily.

Not enjoying the present – Since technology is getting advance employees are engaged in different gadgets or devices that colleagues are not interacting that much as they should to which they are not able to know their colleagues very well. Continuous working or engaged in some activities at times has been observed that employees forget to enjoy the living they can have with their family and friends.

Signs of Dependence on Technology

Mobile Phone enslavement – Usage of the mobile phone in today’s world have increased drastically, everyone is using smartphones which have internet connectivity which makes the employees engaged more in their phones as compared to what they should be done. Earlier phones were used for calling and messaging purpose but now a day, employees are doing internet surfing, socializing via multiple apps, such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc.

Forgot Phone numbers- Earlier Employees use to remember the number and these days people are just saving the numbers in their phones and just looking for the names which have made dependency of the names. 

Many Simulations – Simulation games are the one which we play virtually. Simulation games are fun to play, for instance - racing Simulation, Plane Simulation, Tank Simulation, Biking Simulation etc. These games create a loop wherein employees engage themselves in such a manner that at times we have seen that this has become the addiction. 

Reduced Creativity – By using the technology employees become dependent for that and due to which employees are not able to think new ideas or methods which they should increase the productivity. Creativity is one of the most unique tasks which an employee does which can enhance his skill set for different opportunists which business will about to carry in the future. By using technology employees become dependent on them which make them lazy which at times kill the creativity factor.

Employees have become more reliant on emails as this is the only and foremost tool for any business to interact within the department and across departments. Every day employees got to their work and check and work on emails which are already on their to-do list (Chesley 591). Due to technology advancement emails are the primary source of communication in the business. Emails over the past time have evolved so much that they are easy to use and everyone can track of their work, meetings, and schedules over it and we can set reminders.   There are other methods also in which employees do interact or communicate: -

as the business is driven by its customers, Customer relation Management use Text and voice apps  

when files are big and cannot be shared on emails employees, use Dropbox, Google docs, and sheets by using such tools employees can share the data in a more convenient manner.

There are numerous things which are going on in terms of technology improvements some of the features which can be viewed in our near future are as follows (Alkhatib 68):

Holographic Images – This is one of the technologies which is under test for a couple of years and can be out soon wherein employees have to wear helmets in conference calls and people sitting at other offices or locations can be felt sitting next to us. Business can save the cost of traveling to other locations. This technology will not be for everyone as it will be expensive in the first stage and big firms will purchase the same. People might see this technology in the next 10-12 years.

Li-Fi? - It is one of the new technology on which researches are working upon. Currently, everyone is using WIFI technology which is unchanged for a couple of years. There are a couple of issues associated with WIFI so to overcome LIFI is introduced. Light Fidelity uses light waves to transmit the information or data and can be installed in any location that uses lighting. The only limitation to this technology is that light doesn’t travel through walls but the speed is a hundred times faster. People might see this technology in the next 8-10 years.   

Technology has become an integral part of employees or individuals who have made them be dependent on the technology that individuals are using. As all the employees want to live life in an easier and comfortable manner, therefore, they can utilize their efforts somewhere else. Using Technology is not harm everyone is doing it but having an addiction creates the dependency. There are numerous effects of the technology in various fields of life such as social, entertainment, Travel, Query etc. By overusing the technology health of the employees are also compromised as they have to use the computers or mobile for a high number of hours. In above discussion, it explored the many facts of technological development which are firmly embedded in most aspects of modern life, and some analysts have strived to analyze how the effects of these developments are detrimental on society. It maintains that the ramifications of our reliance on new medicine, social media, and technology in education, commerce and communication are a disservice to society. While other individuals think that these bindings are detrimental, the discussion does not support a complete disconnection from them. It concludes with the fact that while there are indeed benefits to be had from these advancements, but as a society should learn to harness the useful ones, instead of allowing them all to run individuals lives.

References:

 Alfaki, Ibrahim M. Abdalla. "Assessment and dynamic modeling of the size of technology transfer." Journal of the Knowledge Economy 7.2 (2016): 600-612.

  Alkhatib, Hasan, et al. "What will 2022 look like? The IEEE CS 2022 report." Computer 48.3 (2015): 68-76.

 Chesley, Noelle. "Information and communication technology use, work intensification and employee strain and distress." Work, employment and society 28.4 (2014): 589-610.

 Colbert, Amy, Nick Yee, and Gerard George. "The digital workforce and the workplace of the future." (2016): 731-739.

 Dawes, Sharon S. "The evolution and continuing challenges of e?governance." Public Administration Review 68 (2008): S86-S102.

 Goldin, Claudia, and Lawrence F. Katz. "The race between education and technology." Inequality in the 21st Century. Routledge, 2018. 49-54.

 Lo, Janice. "The information technology workforce: A review and assessment of voluntary turnover research." Information Systems Frontiers 17.2 (2015): 387-411.

 Mitchell, Tom, and Erik Brynjolfsson. "Track how technology is transforming work." Nature News 544.7650 (2017): 290.

 Pick, James B., and Avijit Sarkar. "The Global Digital Divide." The Global Digital Divides. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2015. 83-111.

 Winner, Langdon. "Technologies as forms of life." Ethics and emerging technologies. Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2014. 48-60.

1. Dawes, Sharon S. "The evolution and continuing challenges of e?governance." Public Administration Review68 (2008): S86-S102.

The use of information and communication technologies promotes E-governance. The technology support democratic process, government administration, and public services. It plays a prominent role in developing a relationship among citizen, the private sector and civil society. The innovation in technology enhances cost-effective and high-quality effective government operation.

2. Lo, Janice. "The information technology workforce: A review and assessment of voluntary turnover research." Information Systems Frontiers17.2 (2015): 387-411.

The author has focused on the importance of technology in the organization. The technology guides the organization on how to retain the employee. Various researches have been conducted by the author by using the same construct that helps them to explore the impact of the technology on the employee of the organization.

3. Mitchell, Tom, and Erik Brynjolfsson. "Track how technology is transforming work." Nature News544.7650 (2017): 290.

In this article, the authors have discussed the prominent role of technology in the life of every individual. The technology creates a great impact on the life of every individual. It affects almost every occupation of the individuals. It is the basic need which is required in the regular life of the people such as mobile phones, internet connection, and vehicle and so on.

4. Colbert, Amy, Nick Yee, and Gerard George. "The digital workforce and the workplace of the future." (2016): 731-739.

In the article, the author has focused on the present and past scenario of the technology. In earlier, there has been made lots of efforts in examining the assumption and effects of changing workforce. The work was burdensome for every individual in the organization or in regular life. In recent, technology helps the management and individual to work more efficiently and effectively.

5. Pick, James B., and Avijit Sarkar. "The Global Digital Divide." The Global Digital Divides. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2015. 83-111.

The utilization of technology in the worldwide is the main focus of the author in the article. It is based on data from 110 nations. It examined and determined the utilization of technology in the world. Africa has a maximum use of the internet in their country.

6. Winner, Langdon. "Technologies as forms of life." Ethics and emerging technologies. Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2014. 48-60.

In the article, the Winner has critically focused on the positive and negative aspect or effects of a technology. Technologies certainly have an impact, but they also can restructure the physical and social world of the individuals. Winner argues that the understanding of technologies as “form of life” needs to inform the evaluation and choices regarding technological innovation and adoption.

7. Alfaki, Ibrahim M. Abdalla. "Assessment and dynamic modeling of the size of technology transfer." Journal of the Knowledge Economy7.2 (2016): 600-612.

The author has discussed dependency on technology by the individuals. In the recent years, individuals depend on the technology in many ways such as usage of the calculator, work through the internet, usage of mobile phones, shopping through online, usage of the e-book and so on. These are the factors that increase dependency on the technology in the workforce.

8. Chesley, Noelle. "Information and communication technology use, work intensification and employee strain and distress." Work, employment and society28.4 (2014): 589-610.

In this article, it has been analyzed by the author that the technology of information and communication use may be significantly altering job conditions in ways that are indicative of work intensification, which, in turn, contribute to employee strain and distress. The employees in the organization are more reliant on the emails.

9. Goldin, Claudia, and Lawrence F. Katz. "The race between education and technology." Inequality in the 21st Century. Routledge, 2018. 49-54.

in the article, the author is considering the importance of technology in the learning phase of children living in today’s world. The use of modern ways of teaching has been evolved where the use of computer screens instead of blackboards and chalks. It increases the high rate of dependency on technology in the field of education.  

10. Alkhatib, Hasan, et al. "What will 2022 look like? The IEEE CS 2022 report." Computer48.3 (2015): 68-76.

In the article, the author has focused on the future scenario of the technology. The dependency on the technology has increased and will be more increase in the near future. The society has experienced a revolution in the processing, communication of information and acquisition. It has transformed the aspect of society through increased automation and human networking pervasive.