Advantages and disadvantages of technology

The technology is the set of scientific knowledge that are designed to meet human needs in relation to economic and social progress. In addition, through technology, various aspects of daily life can be improved.

Technology has brought great benefits with respect to social development, but it also has certain disadvantages. Next we will know what are the advantages and disadvantages of technology.

What is technology?

Technology is defined as all development, knowledge or the solution that facilitates and improves life in society. They are a set of scientific knowledge that has the objective of satisfying the needs of human beings. Technological advances throughout history have modified the way of living, communicating and relating.

Technology plays a fundamental role in relation to the development of humanity. It covers all the basic aspects of society and helps to improve well-being. It is for this reason that it is said that technology has a decisive influence on health, food, work, the economy, business, among others.

When we talk about the advantages and disadvantages of technology, we are referring to the consequences, whether positive or negative, that are generated by the use of technological devices, since technology encompasses the tools that require knowledge or know-how scientists for their development.

Advantages of technology

In this new digital era that we are going through, we are alternating old customs and replacing traditional practices with new ones. Among the main advantages associated with technology we can find:

1. Access to information and knowledge

One of the main advantages of technology is that thanks to its advancement it has allowed individuals to quickly access information, thanks to the intervention of the Internet.

In this way, it is possible to obtain the necessary information through technology and thus achieve better decision-making thanks to the amount of data that can be accessed.

2. Facilitates communication

Thanks to technology it is possible to maintain fluid contact with people or entities from anywhere in the world. This is a great advantage, especially for entrepreneurs and companies, who can stay connected with their customers in an effective way.

Thanks to the great advancement of technology, it is no longer necessary for people to mobilize to buy a producer or to communicate with someone. It is also of great benefit for marketing or advertising disciplines that have managed to increase their development thanks to virtual platforms, such as social networks, web pages, among others.

3. Increase productivity and efficiency

Thanks to technology, it has been possible to increase the productivity of industries and greater efficiency in the use of resources.

4. Help with people’s health

Technological advances contribute to people’s health thanks to new technologies such as genetic engineering by means of which diseases that until now had been incurable can be detected or cured, in addition to monitoring vital signs and preventing diseases. .

5. Create new jobs or new professions

Every time new technologies emerge, new jobs are created, so much so that we can verify that there are currently certain professions or occupations that did not exist before. For example: web copywriters, digital marketers, web designers, etc.

6. Helps the survival of the human being

Technology is considered necessary to solve serious problems such as water scarcity, global warming or pollution. In addition, it is considered that in the future it will be very necessary for the creation of new technologies that solve current problems and those that arise.

7. They save time

Thanks to technology it is possible that individuals have more time and that they can use it in other tasks.

8. Facilitates communication and transportation

Technology has facilitated and simplified transport and the times that they required. At present it is possible to cross continents in a matter of hours, this in turn is related to better communication possibilities between different nations.

The same goes for cars that are getting faster and faster thanks to technology.

9. Simplify tasks

Through technology we can simplify day-to-day or household tasks. For example, we can preserve food for longer with the use of a refrigerator, simplify tasks through household appliances such as vacuum cleaners, washing machines, electric ovens, among others, which facilitate people’s routine, saving more time on household chores.

10. Improve costs

Thanks to technology, processes can be improved and new ways of performing tasks can be created. In this way machines can produce the same or even better results than humans. This generates savings in companies since it allows them to invest resources in the progress of other areas of the business.

11. Stimulates innovation

The advancement of technology has contributed to the generation of new objectives for society, and innovation allows the creation of new solutions. A clear example of this is distance education or robotics applied to health.

12. They keep company

Although technology is seen as alien to the social, for many human beings it is a company.

14. Increase globalization

Through technologies the world is more connected than new. The digital age has allowed us to meet new people, nations, cultures that otherwise would not have been possible.

15. Promote equality

Thanks to new technology, great progress has been made in the inclusion and development of new techniques such as teleworking that promote equality between individuals.

It has also been of great help for certain people in relation to the commercialization of a service or product anywhere in the world, generating an increase in opportunities.

16. Development of technical skills at an early age

Today it is very common for young children to have access to electronic devices. This causes them to develop certain technological skills and awakens their interest in computing, programming, video game development, among others.

17. Increase entertainment

Technology has been growing more and more in relation to entertainment. Nowadays, streaming services, live broadcasts and video games are very common. In addition, each person can create their own content and communication medium.

18. Facilitates educational processes

Thanks to technology, educational processes have been improving and they have reached places that were previously considered inaccessible. This facilitates the arrival of education to many people and allows them to join an interconnected world.

Disadvantages of technology

While there are many advantages related to technology, there are also certain disadvantages :

19. Pollutes the environment

This is one of the main disadvantages of using technology. Its excessive use helps to destroy the environment and this affects humans and biodiversity. Clear examples are plastic packaging waste, electronic device parts, clothing, and so on.

20. Its use in excess can be harmful to health

Although, as we detailed, the technology has been a great advance for the greeting, it can also cause damage if it is used in excess. For example, the excessive use of mobile devices can damage vision.

21. Social isolation increases

Certain researchers establish that the excessive use of technology can generate social isolation. These behaviors generate concern for professionals since they ensure that technology is modifying the relationship between people.

22. Increasing digital divide

Although technology and the internet have promoted many people to have access to information, it can also create a digital divide between those who have access to the internet and those who do not. A generation gap can also be generated, that is, between those who were born with an advanced technology and those who have had to adapt to changes.

23. It can increase unemployment

In the same way that technology can create new jobs, it can also increase unemployment. This is caused by machines and robots that have replaced human labor.

24. Generates sedentary lifestyle and leisure

Another disadvantage of technology is that the time it takes to use it can promote sedentary lifestyle and leisure. It is common for people to spend a lot of time sitting in front of a computer and this makes them more sedentary, which has muscular consequences.

Also digital platforms such as social networks encourage leisure, spending many hours a day with them.

25. Generates addiction

A negative effect of technology is that it generates addiction. This occurs a lot in the use of television, in video games, in social networks, in digital gambling.

26. It distorts reality

The use of technologies can generate a distancing from nature, therefore from real life in several aspects.

27. Privacy and security issues

The use of technology also leads to the exchange of personal data, and this has generated negative consequences such as digital scams, extortion, identity theft, among other problems.

28. Complex ethical dilemmas

The advancement of artificial intelligence has created dilemmas that were previously considered science fiction. For example, technology applied to the generation and development of massive weapons or medicine, can generate problems in the future with negative consequences for society.

29. It can negatively influence productivity

An inappropriate use of technology can cause problems in different areas, since it encourages distraction. A clear example of them are social networks and online games that generate great distractions in classes or work environments.

30. Shortens memory and mental exercise

This disadvantage can even cause problems in people’s ability to recognize facial expressions in other individuals.