In today's fast-paced world, technology has become an inseparable part of human life. It is part of almost every aspect of our daily existence from how we communicate with one another to how we entertain and educate ourselves. The question of whether technology makes life easier or more complicated can be a complex one but one worth discussing, nonetheless.
Although technology undeniably makes many tasks easier and even opens doors to opportunities that seemed impossible a century ago, it also has its downside, one of which is dependency. It's no news that many people spend hours unproductively scrolling through social media or in some other cases, they depend solely on certain technology to carry out tasks and in the absence of these tools, there's a problem.
One of the strongest arguments for technology is its power to simplify and accelerate countless processes. Consider something as regular as house chores. Before now, doing house chores could take hours even when the individual was fast and accurate. Now, an array of chores can be done in under an hour with the right technology. Just this morning, I was able to do the laundry, the dishes and cook using an electric cooker just by turning a few buttons here and there and the amazing part? I did this all in under an hour.
Communication has also been greatly made easier thanks to smartphones, emails, messaging apps and even video conferencing. Staying in touch with loved ones and colleagues is now instantaneous and effortless in comparison to previous generations.
Another part technology has made a revolutionary impact is in healthcare. Talk about easy and accurate diagnosis to certain illnesses, advanced imaging, robotics surgery, telemedicine and even wearable health monitors. These tools have improved survival rate and patient comfort. If you're one of those people who don't like the hospital environment, then your general practitioner can be just one call away.
Despite these benefits, technology isn't a panacea. The complexity and pace of technological change can overwhelm some users. Learning to navigate new devices, apps and platforms may be stressful to some people, especially for older adults or less tech savvy people. I sometimes struggle with navigating certain applications even when I'm moderately knowledgeable about technology. Certain encounters like this make me want to learn more about such stumbling blocks but for some other people, it may not be worth the stress nor their time.
Another troubling aspect of technology is privacy and security. I recently watched a documentary where a man and a lady were narrating how no mobile device is safe. They mentioned how easy it is to collect user's passwords and information using certain technology. In summary, they said that assessing a random user's files and documents, as long as it's on a mobile device, is basically a walk in the park due to certain technology.
Irrespective of the downside, I'm not of the opinion that technology is an absolute threat to human existence. The key to harnessing technology's full potential while minimizing complications lies in balance and mindful use. This can begin from proper sensitization and education in order to help users navigate technology more confidently. I'd like to end by saying that technology isn't meant to be feared but harnessed.
This post is written in response to the #iucontest for this week which can be found here.
Images belong to me, except stayed otherwise.