The Impact of Technologies on Society: A Review

Technology plays an important role in our society. It has strongly influenced the course of
history and continues to do so. It drastically changed many different aspects of life including education,
communication, transport, warfare, medicine, agriculture, manufacturing, information processing and
even fashion. We’re in the era of machines replacing muscle power as the routine and autonomous
tasks which taken over by it, self-service technologies which allow customers convenience and fast
transactions. We can’t denied that technological advances have provided immense improvements in our
lives. It opens a lot of doors of many opportunities that looked unlikely to be achievable before and it
also enabled people to gain an understanding of other civilizations, meet with different people on a
global scale, preserve or reinforce familial relationships, be in touch with the rest of the society, and
help individuals to become socially adroit (Mukhtar, 2013). However, with these arising and progressing
era of modern technologies, it has a hidden cost. Humans are on the verge of isolation from society. As
Albert Einstein says, “I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will
have a generation of idiots.” While it’s true that technology made life be better, it also brings a danger
to our society if we will not be aware of it. Should we be more worried what is all this doing to our
habits and our cultural sense?

The growth of technology touched the way we interact. With the use of smartphones and
computer we can have an access in the online world which we can stay connected with anyone
anywhere thru social media platforms. Consequently, technology created an opportunity leading to
cybercrimes. It is a serious threat to our privacy. Social media like facebook, twitter and Instagram with
lack of inexperience and self-control, it can expose everything about you. According to MNSBC report in
2011, more than 50% of facebook users do not understand the social network’s privacy settings and only
few people feel safe on it. In the Philippines, cybercrimes trend is rapidly increasing. It rises from 149
cases in 2013 to 4,103 in 2018 and most of the perpetrators are from other country (PNP-ACG Data,
2018). Cases included online fraud, cybersex, cyberbullying and abductions and these will continue to
escalate if we will not be aware. Everyone in the online world regardless of the social status are at risk
for these cyber-attacks (Seay, 2018). Smartphones ownership has also become ubiquitous element in
teen life that almost every child owns or have access to one. Meaning, the online world is a threat for
the next generation, most don’t know they’ve been compromised. While these platforms help us to
reach anyone in an instant click, it changed and reduces the personal interaction for we have an innate
longing to share our lives with others through relationship and face-to-face contact (Geladi, 2018).
Oftentimes, instead of spending time in person with friends, we just call, text or send them an instant
message online, children tend to watch youtube than to play outside with other children, we desire to
have more friends in virtual world than socializing in person with new people, and in some extreme
cases some people has chosen to get married online through virtual world. It is common nowadays to be
involved in relationships via technology, but at times, the quantity of such associations leaves individuals
involved feeling somehow empty. Technology kills the traditional way of communication. We are using it
in our own way and yet it infringes on others. The respect and value with one another has been
destroyed which leads to an isolation.

One click and it’s done! Many would think thank how technology has changed our lives in a
myriad ways. From getting the job done in our house, educational advances in our school and
computerized equipment and tools in our job which undeniably, technology saves a lot of time and
work. However, the use of this comes at a cost. Sedentary lifestyle has become a mainstream leading to
different physical health problems such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, hearing loss, vision
problems, neck strain and insomnia. Besides from these, being overly connected can also cause
psychological issues such as distraction, narcissism, expectation of instant gratification and even
depression (“Taking Control of Your Digital Life”, n. d.). Internet can be a source of anxiety and
depression among children and youth. The fear of missing out or FOMO can make us think that others
are having a great time while we aren’t which can be damaging to our emotional health. The
Independent from UK stated that it is more addictive than drugs and alcohol, yet it’s more dangerous
because it’s normalized and there are no restrictions to it. The increased number of suicide risk lies in
the rise of social media (“Fact Check: How does social media affect your mental health?” 2019). Even
infants today know how to operate smartphones and smartTVs accessing them to countless of
information and entertainment and if not be guided properly, this can be a threat for them absorbing
corrupt and unscrupulous things online.

Without looking at the bigger picture, we cannot see the danger and potential risk of technology
in our lives. It is advancing to the point that it’s becoming dangerous. We keep looking for ways to make
our life easier even if may cost us our lives. It’s either we control it or it control us. We can enumerate
and give thousands of reason why technology is a good thing but too much of a good thing is a bad
thing. The endangerment of knowledge advancement is hidden by a positive aspects of new science
creating a danger of sudden and total collapse in our society. The future generation cannot see what it
really means to communicate and interact with one another, life expectancy might declined due to
unhealthy lifestyle, no more personal privacy, exponential growth in cybercrimes, and a threat to human
extinction. Our dependency on technology made us less humans. This is to raise awareness of our
vulnerability to the dangers that exist to which must start at home, to schools and then to community.
Use technology, don’t let it use you.
Bibliography

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The Impact of Technologies on Society: A Review

Mohammad Bani Younes , Samer Al-Zoubi2

Abstract: This research deals with the impacts of misusing modern technologies on members of the
society and their negative influences on economic, religious and social aspect, as well as their impact on
people's behavior and the responsibility of the society in monitoring the children who are in need of
attention by everyone through the guidance of appropriate educational ways. Moreover, this research
shows the need of joining all efforts collectively in order to protect the entire society from the dangers
of modern technologies and work together to take advantage of its resources properly. This usually
starts from the family and schools and ends with the universities, mass media and the various
institutions that guarantee the rights of children from all different areas. However, this research
emphasizes the fact that everyone should take his/her responsibilities towards using these methods
properly whether at home or outside.

Keywords - modern technologies, negative effects, impact of technology