We’re always hearing about the bad stuff when it comes to the influence of technology, what about the positive impact of technology on society?
From virtual reality to cryptocurrency to artificial intelligence and everything-in-between, technology has revolutionised the way we live. It’s become an integral part of our lives in so many ways, despite having its fair share of cons. It’s hard to not get caught up in the cynicism of technology and wish for simpler times when people didn’t live through their phones and put so much value on having the next best thing as quick as they can.
However, technology also provides solutions, opportunities and possibilities that otherwise wouldn’t exist. It’s made life easier, more convenient and boosted our productivity – we can now achieve so much in a small amount of time. From being able to make a phone call to a loved one to having access to so many resources to being able to transfer money and commute far distances without walking, our society has been able to become much more efficient.
There are plenty of ways that technology has been used for good.
#1 Connection
It’s quite funny and ironic how we seem to always complain about how disconnected we’ve become when in a lot of ways, technology has allowed connection. Social media apps especially have copped a lot of criticism over the years with issues such as bullying, time wasting and not being as authentic as face to face interaction. Yet without a phone and social media, how could you have an instant conversation with your friend from overseas? How would you video call with your parents? What about all the love stories that happened from dating apps? (Yes, they exist). A lot of us have said at one point in our lives that we would love to just go off the grid and whilst temporary detoxes can be great for your mental health, most of us would not be able to do it permanently. There’s just too many people you’d miss.
#2 Health
There’s a reason why we’re living longer, and that is because our health services are better than ever. Where do we even begin? From the fitness trackers on Apple Watches to regenerative medicine and organ transplants, the possibilities of healthcare today would be nowhere without technology. We have improved health care facilities and systems, patient safety, better medicines and solutions as well as less mistakes. There have been so many developments in medical areas like biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and equipment. It’s an exciting time, where scientists and doctors are even experimenting with the 3D printing of body parts!
#3 Money
Can you imagine life without internet banking? Wait, what about life without a debit or credit card? No Pay-pass, just cash only and whenever you wanted to make a withdrawal you had to wait in line at the bank every time. This is an aspect of your life that you probably don’t always notice, but that you use almost every day if not multiple times a day. And what about online shopping? It can be deadly for our bank accounts at times but the simplicity of having thousands of clothes, shoes, food, amenities – anything you want at your fingertips from anywhere in the world does make life easier. You’re able to find the best deals, make safer transfers and sell your own stuff all at the click of a button, or most of the time, the scan of your fingerprint.
#4 The Internet
What would we do without search engines like Baidu or Google? What about all the entrepreneurs, jobs and companies that wouldn’t exist today if it weren’t for the possibilities that the internet offers? It’s a book shop, a news channel, a place to socialise, a shopping centre, an arcade and a haven for resources. You can advertise, track sales, sell products – all in one place. Not to mention, it’s improved our education systems tremendously. Students have access to so much more information and can learn things more quickly and efficiently. You can do courses online, collaborate remotely with classmates and explore research and archival material that you wouldn’t have access to otherwise.
#5 Travel
The world literally is your oyster when it comes to travel and technology. You can go anywhere you want, if your financial situation allows it. Ever wondered what life was like in Thailand? Had dreams of sipping Aperol Spritz and devouring gnocchi in Italy? What about Island beach getaways like the Maldives or big city living vibes in New York? All of this is made possible because of technology, honestly where would we be without planes? Don’t even get us started on GPS devices and Google Maps, can you imagine just using a street directory to go everywhere? Or how about being able to make flight bookings and accommodation reservations online? With Uber exploring flying taxi services and advancements happening in driverless vehicles, who knows what the future will hold for travel.
#6 Data Storage
Back in the day everything was done by manually filing data away in cabinets. Every piece of paper was important and if you lost it, well too bad. Because there’s no way you would have been able to make a copy of it. You could spend ages flicking through trying to find the specific thing you needed. Now, it’s just a few clicks away on a computer, easily searchable and can be backed up on external hard-drives or on the cloud. It’s enabled our productivity levels to be so much higher as well as be able to work remotely and collaboratively in the workplace and at university.
#7 Safety
Though there are threats to our cyber security, technology has provided opportunities for us to live safer lives. Your local grocery shop can install security cameras to discourage robbery. There are smart locks you can install and there’s even apps that seek to improve the safety of women and domestic abuse victims. How would you be able to contact emergency services without it? There’s even search and rescue robots that can be deployed during disasters! Technology allows us to reach out and find those who are in danger.
#8 Entertainment
You can now have endless sources of entertainment, goodbye boredom!
There’s TV streaming services such as Netflix and Stan which provides you with hundreds of options at an affordable monthly price. Music’s another one. Whether that be through earphones or speakers, you can stream music or podcasts on platforms like Spotify and Apple wherever you are. Love books but don’t want to carry them everywhere? Trying to incorporate paperless living in your lifestyle? Well a Kindle, Nook or Audible are convenient solutions that allow you to read books on the go through your chosen device. Love to game? Make it social and play Nintendo Switch with your friends around the world.
#9 Everyday Appliances
What would you do without a fridge? A dishwasher or washing machine? Or a vacuum cleaner like those fancy robotic ones that literally require you to do nothing? And what about air conditioners and heaters during our winters and insanely hot summers? Technology’s made our daily living way more convenient and comfortable. So we have the time to do the things we really want to be doing.
