How has technology impacted society? This is a question asked of nearly everyone who has access to the Internet. What you may not be aware of is that this question is not always rhetorical, nor should it be. Rather, it should be examined carefully and critically in order to draw important and relevant conclusions about what technology has done to society and how it can continue to impact society in the future.
Using your words, describe how technology has affected society by responding to criticisms or requests with social media posts. Provide at least one actual-life example to support your argument. For instance, when I logged on to my Twitter account to post about an article I’d written, I was prompted to enter my login information before I could post a comment. I didn’t see my name initially, which made me feel a bit “off,” but I soon realized I was logging in to an online social networking site where I could seek out help, receive feedback, or simply send messages of support to other users.
On another technological platform, another group of people viewed my post and commented on it. I’m sure there were several responses, but none stuck out to be critical or substantive in any way. I’m certain that there were a few individuals who criticized my use of a technological platform to connect with others, but I don’t know how anyone could take offense at comments like those because it’s all been public record anyway. Asking how has technology impacted society still leaves me wondering how society has changed since my first reply.
How has technology impacted the personal realm? Social media provides an exceptional opportunity to engage others in meaningful conversation. As technology improves the ways people communicate with each other and provides tools for greater self-expression, we can expect increased interaction online. In fact, this is what led to Twitter and Facebook – two highly social media platforms designed to provide a forum for people to air out their grievances and discuss everyday items such as their day. The question is how has technology impacted this positive atmosphere of communication?
When we look at how has technology impacted the work realm as well, there are some disturbing changes. Companies are outsourcing to other countries where the labor cost is lower, but the ability to connect and collaborate at the workplace is not there. Collaboration and sharing of ideas and experiences is important in every workplace, yet many companies are cutting down on the amount of travel their employees are taking off the job grounds to go to meetings or conferences abroad. Why?
Workplaces are no longer places where people come and go, but rather they are now places where people stay and do work. As business operations have become more automated, the need for human interaction is no longer important. What is the solution? Humans are becoming obsolete, and that impact is just now being felt in corporate America. Social media is being used as a tool to help humans connect to each other online, which creates a more interactive workforce. This interaction creates a social space within the work place, allowing for more meaningful interactions that yield better results and better business outcomes.
So how has technology impacted society in general? Consider how much easier it would be to find local businesses when we are searching through social media. You don’t have to drive or travel long distances to find great deals on restaurants, art galleries or even dry cleaning establishments. People can connect right away on sites like Twitter, Facebook and Yelp to find businesses in their immediate area. Businesses may even expand into towns and cities to take advantage of these social media outlets.
Consider how has technology impacted education, too? Online courses and learning modules are so streamlined that learning is now done in a matter of minutes rather than hours. Connections can be made to people who live thousands of miles apart. Teachers can use e-books and webcams to show online lessons to actual students in other classrooms, all while preserving face-to-face communication. In the classroom, the impact of how has technology impacted society has been seen through increased educational opportunities for those in other countries, as well as more opportunities for lower and middle-class citizens to pursue an education that will further their careers and raise their families’ living standards.