Technology and Change

Broad Topic: Technology and Change
Narrowed Topic: How technology and change manipulates everyday life.

Technology can be defined as the application of information in the design, production and utilization of goods and services, and in the organisation of human activities. It has become the beacon for everyday life as everywhere we turn and every time we blink it’s some type of technology or the other we are facing. It surrounds us each and every day whether we like it or not. When we go to work we use computers, when we are at home we use microwaves, when we go to school we use projectors and so on. The use of technology is inevitable whether we like it or not. Each and every day there is something new and exciting happening in that field and this essay will highlight some of these changes. Technology has now become essential in our everyday lives and as such, certain changes has to be made to adjust to it as it will prove to be beneficial to us in both the short and long run.

Technology has changed the field of education in that we no longer have to go into a physical classroom in order to get a higher education. A greater dependence on new communication and computing technologies will support new levels of student creativity and research (Cerf1984). In the work place today, it is becoming more and more important to have a higher education. The thought of going to school and getting this higher level of education is very stressful as some persons have the constraints of family life and their careers to think about. With new technological advancements it is now easier to get this higher level of education by something called “self – directed and online learning”. Basically, this is a type of courseware that universities and colleges are using to assist these types of persons by bring the classroom to them in the comfort of their own homes, with the flexibility of going to classes on their own time by the use of computers and the internet. There are some hiccups with this type of schooling though, such as, the accessibility of computers and an internet connection to some persons that may be interested in using such a method of study, and more so the time to go online to check what is happening with your classes and so on. With the time some persons finish work and get home and then take care of their family they may not be able to go online to check on their classes. It is indeed a great advancement in the field of education but as seen, it can also have a downside to it.

Facebook, the ever popular social networking website has become an essential aspect to many businesses. As stated by Schroeder (2007) the most obvious impact of science and technology is via economic growth, but to gauge the significance of science and technology for everyday life, it is not enough to look at purely quantitative economic effects. Their advance must also be translated into the use of technologies in everyday life. Mass production and mass consumption have vastly extended the reach and volume of goods and services. If you log on to Facebook, a number of advertisements can be seen from businesses everywhere. This is as a result of persons using this social networking website, along with others, to advertise their products and service to the entire world. This proves to be a more efficient method of advertising since it is cheaper and attracts a wider base of persons globally. More than 75% of the world’s population has access to a computer, internet and more so, Facebook. Thus, many businesses do not only attract customers in their home country but also countries worldwide thus expanding their customer base and by extension their business base. These social networking websites have a downside though and it lies in the fact that since a lot of people use them, there is the possibility of illegal trading, pornography and prostitution happening, as well as the possibility of stalkers and identity theft. These social networking websites has become a playfield for hackers, crackers and prostitutes and as such we need to be careful as to who we interact with and what we share there in this medium.

Technology is taking place regionally as well as globally and at a very vast rate. This is evident by taking a snapshot at an excerpt written by Bethel (2010) which states that we have more access and are more connected that ever before, a massive jump from ten years ago. According to the document, internet subscribers now have access to both fixed and mobile service features. Research done last year found that an estimated 224,000 persons subscribed for internet service, a 28 per cent increase from 2007, which means that one in ten persons have internet access. These rates at which advancements are happening could be synonymous to that of the blink of an eye. Every second something new and exciting is happening in the technological field and it’s up to us to keep up with these changes. Globally, technology is being used for a number of reasons, whether it is for home and personal purposes, business purposes or whatever the case may be, we are surrounded by it and cannot avoid it. Its downfall is that it is changing ever so quickly that not everyone will be able to adjust to it at the same time. Some older persons may take longer to get accustomed to the technology currently being used and by next week another piece of technology that is more advanced and more efficient comes along and they still have not adjusted to the current piece of technology they are using. Thus, it has to be made more user friendly so that these persons can more readily accept it.

From the printers to the copiers and fax machines to the computer systems in the office, we are liberated by technology. It makes the work load so much easier for us day in day out. Everything we do, we require to some extent the use of these tools. It has ensured a more paper – free work environment. The use of these tools in the work place has made it easier and less stressful to get our jobs done. The problem lies where the computer is not functional. When our “system” is down, and I use the word system because it has become a part of us at work, we cannot do work because everything we need is on that little computer on our desk and we become stressed because we cannot access it. Same goes for the printers, fax machines and copying machines that are not functional. We have become so dependent on these items that we cannot function without one part or the other when at work.

In conclusion I would like to say that technology is the best thing that has happened to us but at the same time it is the worst because of the constraints it causes. With technological advancements we are able to function faster than ever and get what we have to done in the minimal amount of time. At the same time with technology we have to be looking over our shoulders every second, since we do not know what to expect next with it.

REFERENCES

Bethel, C (2010) Trinis becoming more technologically advanced. The Express Newspaper Co Ltd.

Cerf, C. and Navasky, V. (1984) Technology and Change. Retrieved on July 1st, 2011, from http://www.nsba.org/sbot/toolkit/tnc.html

Layne Markus, M. Robey, D. (1986). Information Technology and Organizational Change: Casual Structure in Theory and Research Copyright 1988, The Institute of Management Sciences

Schroeder, R (2007) Rethinking Science, Technology, and Social Change

References: Bethel, C (2010) Trinis becoming more technologically advanced. The Express Newspaper Co Ltd. Cerf, C. and Navasky, V. (1984) Technology and Change. Retrieved on July 1st, 2011, from http://www.nsba.org/sbot/toolkit/tnc.html Layne Markus, M. Robey, D. (1986). Information Technology and Organizational Change: Casual Structure in Theory and Research Copyright 1988, The Institute of Management Sciences Schroeder, R (2007) Rethinking Science, Technology, and Social Change