By Queen Obayemi
The future of humanity hangs in the balance as we struggle to reconcile the benefits of technology with its devastating consequences. The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines technology as ‘the science of the application of knowledge to practical purposes.’ The tern technology originates from a Greek word ‘techne’ meaning art and craft. Technology included the methods, techniques, tools and machines used to solve real world problems and improve human life.
Before the widespread adoption of technology in today’s world, we humans communicated and operated things in a system quite different from how they are now. The pre-technologu world was characterized by; slower pace of life, limited access to information and resources, more manual labour and traditional skills and limited global connectivity.
We cannot rule out the fact that that era had its own positive impact which was ‘stronger community bonds and face-to-face interactions’ which have overtime been affected negatively by the rapid growth of technology. We see the world changing daily at a rapid pace due to the advancement and development of new technologies which have become the order of the day. Technology has revolutionised our society and the way we live, work and interact with each other.
I would like to focus on specific products of technology, one of which is the internet. The internet is one of the greatest inventions of mankind. It is a global network of interconnected computerd and servers that enables the sharing and exchange of information, ideas and resources. Research shows that as at April 2024, about 5.44 billion people, approximately 67.1% of the world population have access to the internet of which children and teenagers are not left out.
Another major product that we can all see and is literally available to most is the Social Media which has turned around the way people interact and communicate. It connects users across the globe and brings people together under the same space allowing us to create and share content, join online communities, follow news and trends, amongst others. Social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Snapchat, Instagram, and LinkedIn have become an integral part of the modern life with billions of users worldwide. Research shows that 5.07 billion, approximately 62.6% of the global population have access to social media platforms and they are mostly people in the urban areas. Most of our people in the rural areas rarely have access to the internet, talk less of social media platforms. I feel Inclusiveness of people living in rural areas access to these facilities would make life a bit easier and better, and communication faster.
Our forefathers used to journey on foot or make use of animals like camels and donkeys when going long distance. But, technology has brought about the invention of automobiles which has made our transportation means way easier and better. People can now journey using cars of different brands, ships to travel on water or aircrafts when travelling long distance.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning cannot be left out when listing out the achievements of advanced technological growth as they allow for faster, better and easier access to a wide variety of information to an heterogeneous number of people. AI has helped in the development of virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa which most of us have access to on our smartphones, predictive analytics tools, chatbots and fraud detection systems.
Other noteworthy Inventions resulting from technology revolution include hardware comprising computers, smartphones, tablets, laptops, servers, etc, Internet of Things (IoT) Devices like smart home appliances, wearable devices like smart watches, industrial sensors amongst others, Gaming and Entertainment tools like consoles for playstation, videogames and mobile games, virtual reality headsets that are mostly in vogue nowadays are not left out. The above listed are positive impacts technology has had including making communication, creating of contents faster and better. But, inspire of all these numerous benefits, technology has its challenges and drawbacks which is gradually overshadowing its positive impacts.
A significant challenge that can be noticed is Addiction and Social Isolation. Overtime, I have observed that most users of technology become too reliant and this could lead to addiction, and in turn result in decreased himan interaction which would sooner than later become detrimental to society. Cyber bullying and Online Harassment are not left out either as sometimes, users take on anonymous positions and use it to bully, arrest or spread hate speech. Nowadays, people don’t even go faceless when they bully others, this can be noticed in the comments sections of some social media platforms like Tiktok and Twitter where “dragging people” has now become a trend.
The collection and storage of personal data by companies and government raise concerns about privacy and security. There is also health risks involved as prolonged screen time and exposure to harmful radiation from devices can have negative effects on physical and mental health. Also, the internet which is supposed to allow for easy access to information can be challenging when there’s information overload and misinformation which could lead to confusion and difficulty discerning truth from fiction.
Most times,, when we search for particular information on the internet, a wide variety of options and presented and it’s most times difficulty to distinguish what is true from what isn’t. Other negative impacts technology has that have been observed include; limited access, settlers and communities in rural areas are mostly disadvantaged as they’re unable to access and enjoy the benefits of technologival advancement, security threats and cyber attacks, job displacement and economic disruption in whuch AI mat displace humab workdrs especially in industries where tasks are repetitive, development of autonomous weapons of warfare whuch have raised ethical concerns.
In an attempt to solve most of these challenges, I prefer some highly achievable solutions; it is essential to promote responsible technology development and use, encourage digital literacy and critical thinking, develop ethical guidelines for Artificial Intelligence and data collection, foster inclusive access to technology, develop robust security measures and data protection laws. By addressing the solutions proffered, we can work towards achieving a more sustainable, healthier and responsible technological future. And this would involve both individuals and government efforts.