Is Technology Making our Lives Better or Worse?

Nowadays, practically everything has a technological angle. Whether it’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Augmented Reality (AR) & Virtual Reality (VR), these newly built technologies are transforming everyone’s lives. It’s amazing how quickly new technologies expand across all industries. 

Technology has had such a profound impact on our daily lives that we can no longer see our lives without it. Whether it is making a payment through our phone, using remote work tools to do our daily job, or reverse sensors to park our car, we use technology not just daily but virtually in every moment of the day.

Yes technology is widespread, but is it all good news? Is technology making our lives better than before or is it actually setting us back? 

In this article, we’ll look at how technology has improved the quality of people’s lives and we’ll also aim to highlight the risks and pitfalls that come with these new technologies. 

Improving the Quality of Life

Technology has made our lives easier in a range of ways. Artificial Intelligence (AR), Augmented Reality (AR) & Virtual Reality (VR), Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), are widespread in business and in our personal lives. 

AI, in particular, has a wide range of applications. Amazon and Siri are examples of the convenience and efficiency people get from having their own digital assistants. Additionally, AI has a wide range of applications in financial and banking systems and these sectors now heavily depend on AI. AI technologies are used to manage, organise, and predict enormous amounts of data. 

It would not be illogical to assume that technology has not only lowered the workload for individual workers, but it has also significantly reduced errors.  It’s now much quicker and easier to check out of hotels, check in at airports, pay at the supermarket, or use a smartphone, and the outcome is that everything is more productive, rapid, and efficient.

Aside from making our lives easier, technology is also helping people to manage many different kinds of risks. The benefits will continue to grow as technology continues to take over tasks that are difficult or dangerous for human users to complete. 

In healthcare, for example, technology is literally saving lives. Advanced healthcare technology, such as radiosurgery and bioprinting, have had an incredible impact in recent years. Another example is cancer diagnosis, which is now much faster and more accurate thanks to developments in technology.

One of the areas where technology plays the most crucial role in our daily lives is communication. Texting, emailing, and sharing photographs and videos across the world is now happening in a blink of an eye. Thanks to social media, staying in touch with family, friends, and brands has never been easier. On the other hand, businesses are making good use of this to promote their products and services.

Technology has also made inroads into the education sector. Students now use technology to make learning easier and more fun, and teachers use it to achieve better learning outcomes. 

The Implications of Using Technology

Cost is one of the major pitfalls when it comes to modern technology. The use of technology means ongoing repair and maintenance, and the expense of such complex technology is not the same as repairing an electric appliance. It can also involve constant upgrades in response to changing requirements.

Digital technologies and devices do not come with any moral or emotional value. They perform as they are programmed to, which is why they lack the ability to make sound decisions. Furthermore, while machines can organise and manage enormous amounts of data, they don’t have the capacity to improve with practice. On the other hand, humans make mistakes, but they also have the ability to learn from them and improve in the future.

Storing and processing large amounts of data digitally also means it is vulnerable and could fall into the wrong hands. For the past years or even decades, developments in technology have been matched by rising cybersecurity risks.

While technology can take the burden of manual labour, this can also mean that people lose their jobs. It’s estimated that around 30 million Americans will lose their jobs thanks to AI. The fact is that we are already seeing the effects of this, as companies are increasingly focusing on bringing more advanced technologies to the market that generate more revenue.

Without a doubt, technological advancements bring significant benefits, however, advantages come with disadvantages. Although technology has its advantages, it could equally be argued that it makes our lives more complicated, rather than easier. With this complexity comes a range of advantages from better diagnoses in medicine to better learning outcomes in education.

Technology is evolving at a breakneck pace, and as humans, we have little choice but to seize the opportunity and be cognizant when it may pose potential harm.

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Feature Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash