Human beings are subjected to change by the occurrence of different technological changes. The repetitive nature makes human beings adapt to the changes and make it a habit of living. Embracing technology has not only brought advantages but also has its disadvantages. Karl Marx intrigues that technology has triggered mental conceptions and brought about a change in social interactions (Wedel, 2020). Most technological changes have been discovered in material environments; the changes force people to modify social customs, resulting in limiting social institutions.
One of the main advantages of technology is that it has helped human beings solve complex solutions in the places of work. The process is done by using developed software installed in the computers to simplify the work. The use of technology has helped improve efficiency in most workplaces, hence companies realizing the estimated profits. Despite the lasting benefits, technology has proved to minimize human conversations. Technology has encouraged human-to-machine exchanges as people are glued on their electronic devices such as phones, tablets, laptops, computers, and many others (Wedel, 2020). The interactions have primarily affected the change in human behaviors and their relations.
The development of smartphone devices has enabled loved ones to stay in close contact and instant communications with their loved ones even though they are physically apart. Other forms of communication like Skype, Facebook, and Twitter have provided a platform for people to maintain global communication. Even though technology has filled the gap and enabled international communication via smart devices, we can firmly conclude that it has affected people. People who are physically together are having less conversion as they are glued to their devices most of the time. Continuous use of electronics results in exposure to EMFs and blue light, which might cause radiation effects (Sablonnière, 2017). Children born in modern society are often isolated as their parents are glued to their devices instead of spending time with them.
Technology has transformed the agricultural sector into the industrial sector. Machines have been developed to replace human labor in the agriculture fields. The division has resulted in conflicting classes due to opposite mutual interests. The transformation of the agricultural sector into an industry has resulted in the loss of employment. The work that was to be done by human beings has been replaced with machines that are faster and efficient.
The use of advanced machinery in agriculture production has resulted in improved productivity. Prices for many agricultural products have remained low due to using less water and fertilizer during production. In terms of war, technology has helped improve security by acquiring better weapons (Sablonnière, 2017). Examples of the weapons acquired are atomic bombs that are capable of destroying the world in a short period.
Globally, technology has enabled the expansion of both national and international trade on a more large-scale operation. The transportation of raw materials is easy due to the improvement in the infrastructure. The communication sector has developed with radio, television, telegraph, and newspapers as the information travels faster than traditional ways. The disadvantages of technology in the information sector include the spread of false information on several online platforms. Publishers and radio presenters have been paid on several occasions to publish fake news and write stories that will spread propaganda (Sablonnière, 2017). The effects have resulted in an ethnic war, which destroys property
Technology has altered social institutions, which include marriage, family, religion, state, and morality. Many marriages are on the verge of coming to an end because of technology. Couples are spending most of their time interacting on social platforms hence having less meaningful interactions with their partners. The less interactions create a difficult environment of understanding one another hence experiencing difficulty in solving marital problems (Hilbert, 2020).
Despite elevating the status of women, technology has led to constraints in many human relations. Religion has been affected as well because many people are transforming to the secular world. Many, because of the use of technology, are becoming more rational and scientific, making them less involved in religious matters. Religion has been dramatically affected by the discoveries and inventions happening in the science field facilitated by technology. The institution of state has benefited as it has provided services like healthcare and education with ease (Hilbert, 2020). At the same time, it has been greatly affected by the innovations in the transport and communication sector as some of the functions of the state have been transferred to the local government.
In my day-to-day life, I use technology to communicate with others across the globe. Social media and messaging apps have helped communicate by replacing the traditional audio call as a primary mode of communication. Video calling was not a standard mode of communication until the time of the pandemic. Many people have embraced video calls either through zoom or video conferencing meetings.
Technology has influenced my shopping activities; instead of walking long distances to look for an item, I only open my smartphone, browse through the things that I need, and pay online. The process is convenient as the items are delivered to the doorstep, saving time to do other activities. Technology has helped provide flexible working conditions as I can work at the comfort of my couch (Hilbert, 2020). Through technology, I can access helpful information online by using my laptop or smartphone.
In the future, technology will lead to more investment in electric self-driven cars. Flying cars will be invented as the roads will be full (Antonucci et al., 2017). Advancement in the technology of robots will lead to more robots taking the places of human beings in risk and dull related jobs. I can foresee a situation where other planets will be colonized to make space for human beings and other living creatures.
In the United States, one of the activities aided by technology was the civil rights movement. Media helped change public opinions during the civil rights as it helped spread information to as many people as possible and helped change people’s views. During the civil war, journalists played an essential role in influencing people’s opinions. They were responsible for capturing pictures during the civil rights movement violence (Antonucci et al., 2017). Social media helped publicize police brutality, which increased public support.
The Black Lives Matter movement that was grass-rooted and decentralized helped improve local leadership compared to national leadership. The events helped people see a reality that brought meaningful change as several injustices were exposed to the public. Technology has resulted in the erosion of human rights principles. Social media and modern technology have helped many civil rights movements. It has provided people with absolute power, and change is happening in front of their eyes (Antonucci et al., 2017). Sinyangwe, one of the civil rights activists, helped create a program named campaign zero to identify the causes and end of police brutality in America.
In conclusion, technology has had a significant impact on social change. It has impacted the growth of industries that employ human beings to operate machines. Despite providing employment opportunities, many people who relied on traditional knowledge have lost their jobs due to the new technology. The growth of industries has resulted in the movement of people from rural areas to urban areas. As a result, there is congestion in major cities which has resulted in pollution of the environment. Human relations have been affected as many people focus on interacting with their electronic gadgets compared to having personal and meaningful relations with others.
References
Wedel, M. (2020). Social change and innovation for times of crises. Innovation (Abingdon, England), 33(3), 277–279.
Hilbert, M. (2020). Digital technology and social change: the digital transformation of society from a historical perspective. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 22(2), 189–194.
Sablonnière, de la. R. (2017). Toward a psychology of social change: A typology of social change. Frontiers in Psychology, 8(3), 397.
Antonucci, T. C., Ajrouch, K. J., & Manalel, J. A. (2017). Social relations and technology: Continuity, context, and change. Innovation in Aging, 1(3), 029.