ADVANTAGES OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY

It has become pretty easy to get access to relevant information at any time and anywhere. This has been possible because of modern technologies like broadband internet. Lots of data is being published and indexed online, sites like Wikipedia and Youtube have great original content that is regularly used for research or entertainment. With smart gadgets like the iPad, iPhone, Galaxy tablets, etc., users can easily have access to a vast amount of information wherever they are through the use of the internet on these devices. So a user on a train can easily read breaking news while traveling, they can also buy and sell stocks while in the bedroom or access their smart home temperature on the go. These smart gadgets make it easy to access the internet anywhere, and this simplifies the way we get information.

Encourages Innovation and Creativity

Since technology seems infinite, it sparks the brain to work to its full potential. In the past, it used to be very difficult to start a business, one had to have lots of capital, and they even had limited access to business information. Today, it is simple to start a business while at home. Let’s look at companies like Shop for handmade, vintage, custom, and unique gifts for everyone which enable creative people to sell their works online; this encourages creativity. Another good example is Kickstarter which helps creative people get funds for their projects through crowdfunding. On this platform, creative developers post projects to seek funding from the community; this helps them generate capital for their ideas which later leads to the creation of new jobs and further innovation of technology. The other creative works which have been facilitated by modern technology include Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon, etc

Improved Communication

Communication is like water to life; it is essential to growth, We can not progress without communication. Modern technology has blessed us with advanced communication technology tools. These include e-fax, electronic mail, mobile phones, video conferencing, instant text messaging applications, social networking, etc.. All these modern communication technology tools have simplified the way humans and businesses communicate. I can quickly talk to my relative overseas using a mobile phone or video chatting services like Skype.

The Convenience of Traveling/ Ease of Mobility

Modern transportation technology makes it very easy to travel long distances. Transport is a very important both in our lives and in the business world. Transportation technology has evolved with years. In the past, it used to be slow and expensive to move long distances. Nowadays, we can cover a 10 miles distance within a few minutes using electric trains, airplanes or cars.

Improved Housing and Lifestyle

Another excellent way how modern technology has simplified our lives. If you compare the type of housing we used in 1900 and the architecture of houses today, the difference is enormous. New architectural technology has improved the kinds of home we build. People with money can afford floating homes, and glass homes or people with smaller means can make tiny houses or mobile homes. Most of the items in our houses are now automated, for example, doors use fingerprints, key cards, or Bluetooth on our mobile. Security has also increased at home with the evolution of more robust Integrated system.

Improved Entertainment

Modern technology has played a significant role in changing the entertainment industry. Home entertainment has improved with the invention of video games, advance music systems and visual systems like smart televisions, which can connect live to the internet so that a user can share what they’re watching with friends. Easy access and storage of music are ever present, services like iTunes allow users to purchase and download music on their players at a small cost, this is a win-win situation for both musicians and the users. Additionally, bars, clubs, and amusement parks have all benefited from advancements in technology. We can see things in 3D, ride the highest roller coaster or be served by a robot at the bar, all possible through modern technology.

Efficiency and Productivity

Modern technology has helped businesses increase production. Humans are slow, and sometimes they fail to deliver on time and quality. Many companies have integrated modern technology in their production line, increasing output and allowing for more consistent quality.

Convenience in Education

Learning is a process, and it is part of our daily lives. Modern technology has made it simple for students to learn from anywhere through online education and mobile education. Also, students now use modern technology in classrooms to learn more effectively. For example, students use tablets to share visual lessons and examples with peers in the classroom; this has made learning more convenient and fun. Also, new modern educational technologies support individual learning which gives students a chance to learn on their own with no need for tutors.

Social Networking

Modern technology has made it simple to discover our old friends and also discover new people to network with; this is a benefit to both individuals and businesses. Many businesses have embraced social networking technology to interact with their customers. Users of social networks can share information with friends, live chat with them and interact in all sorts of ways.

Benefits to the Health Industry

Today most hospitals have implemented modern technology in surgical rooms, and this has reduced mistakes made by doctors. Humans can easily make mistakes because of work overload and stress factors. Additionally, the development community has developed health apps that enable us to monitor our health, weight or fitness. These applications are used on mobile phones, so users have access anytime.

 

Advantages of modern technology

 

 

Technology refers to the realistic use of science by humankind for various purposes which help make life more convenient. Today, when the rate of development and research is so incredible, it is unproblematic to think about the advantages of modern technology. Though, a few people debate that science can demolish mankind. Advanced technology plays a crucial role in both Philip K.Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and Alex Proyas’ movie I, Robot. In both novel and the film, robots are used as servants by human beings. Technology is used to manipulate human emotions in the novel and to replace human work in the movie. While androids i.e. artificial beings that look and act exactly like humans are used by humans for personal service in the novel, robots in the movie hold the same purpose. Introducing organic and logically humanoid robots in the novel enables the author to interrogate what virtues characterize what is human and makes readers think about their own humanity. I, Robot just like the novel is an eminent foretaste of the progression of robotic science in all its splendour. Modern technology in the form of robotics is shown to challenge humanity by questioning the real meaning and value of human life in the novel, film and the article which portrays an unpleasant dystopic image of the technologically advanced human future.

The creation and use of artificial intelligence, originally for a better and more convenient future, with the use of technology is leading towards human destruction due to loss of power and control and is taking over human identity. In the novel, although the androids are identical to humans, they are considered tangible private possessions. An evolution in the thinking of the robots is brought into attention in both the novel and the movie. The androids begin to go against the laws by harming humans for their personal freedom which further causes social, ethical and economic problems. For example, the androids are only to be used in the Martian colonies i.e. by people who have emigrated to Mars after the World War Terminus which caused massive destruction on Earth. However, many of them escape to Earth and fight against the bounty hunters, trying to get away from the mental segregation and individual slavery. The androids learn to stand up for their rights physically and mentally which is not suggestive of their expected behaviour. Being indistinguishable from humans proves to be highly advantageous for the androids and makes it very difficult for the bounty hunters to catch them. Humans have no control on the actions of the robots and the robots are therefore free to make any decisions that they find suitable for themselves without worrying about its disadvantages to humans as their designers and owners. Similarly, in the movie, the latest, self-governing, tentative and more human-like robots start on to cause trouble in the industry. For example, the main actor in the movie, Detective Del Spooner suspects one of the new NS-5 unit robots named Sonny to have killed the founder of the U.S. Robotics, Dr Alfred Lanning. Hence, during his enquiry, numerous attempts on his life are made by USR robots and equipment. Spooner realizes that the NS-5’s are annihilating the older robots, are autonomous of their predominant control and therefore cannot be conquered. Also, that they are incarcerating humans in their homes and compelling those outside to go home. This establishes a loss of control from the human side and an impression of overtaking of power from the robots’ side. This also results in the disruption of the Three Laws of Robotics and supports other hazardous robots to kill humans which results in a disaster for the USR Corporation. Regardless of the Three Laws programming, the robots’ artificial intelligence evolves and their understanding of the laws does too. Furthermore, the article “1 of 6 Canadians hit by identity theft” implies the evolution of modern technology in a negative direction as opposed to a positive one. The article stresses on the fact that the Canadian government has no control over these frauds and suggests Canada to establish an anti-spam law. According to the article,“ The poll, conducted in 2006 by the Strategic Counsel for theCompetition Bureau of Canada, suggests that 17 per cent of Canadians aged 18 or older have either been victimized themselves or had an incident affect someone in their homes” (CBC News 2007). This demonstrates how technology is being used in a negative manner and has a destructive impact on the development of the society. The article also states that most Canadians do not criticize against the system when they are trapped in marketing swindles which shows how technology is threatening human power and is taking control over it.

Humans are publicized as automated beings in both the novel and the movie which makes it extremely challenging to distinguish between humans and machines. There is an increasing concern on what does it mean to be a human in an integrated, computerized world and where can one draw a line between the significance of actual and simulated life in both of the sources. In the novel, the ability to feel emotions is what differentiates humans from androids. But, in the future situation, technology has enabled humans to modify their emotions putting forth a sense of severance. The readers are introduced to the ‘mood organ’ in the beginning of the novel, demonstrated in the following lines: “When I had the TV sound off, I was in a 382 mood; I had just dialed it. So, although I heard the emptiness intellectually, I didn’t feel it” (Dick 3). This machine discovered in every household allows individuals to “dial” an emotion. People use the device to set up emotions of their preference. The main method of setting apart humans from androids is that they do not have the human capability to feel empathically about others. If the individuals ‘dial’ their emotions, the incidents that encircle them are not relevant as their emotion is previously ‘set.’ Therefore, people are more machine-like and no longer receptive. This is confirmed on quite a few occasions during the novel, but specifically when the main protagonist of the novel, Rick Deckard searches for Luba Luft, an android, to retire i.e. kill her. The novel supports the idea that the android conduct is similar to that of humans, where humans who do not show compassion are more like machines. For instance, when Deckard questions Luft, aiming to verify she is an android because she is carefree of what happens to other androids, she strikes back and blames him of being an android, since as a bounty hunter, he kills androids as if he has no emotions. This suggests that he is not exhibiting any form of empathy or culpability towards killing these machines as Luft indicates and hence, in a sense, can be classified as a machine himself. Androids are “technical structures” that are not made to respond sensitively; however, some androids do show signs of compassion, although they are not supposed to, which goes against the standard principles. Therefore, the defining feature of androids that they are emotionless is diverged. Dick is intentionally highlighting that androids embody human traits and hence are able to feel some kind of consideration towards others. I, Robot as well emphasizes that robots are not designed to show any form of emotion. For example, when Sonny, the chief robot, shows a sense of anger yelling out, “I did not murder him!” (Proyas 2004) during the investigation, it astonishes and alerts detective Spooner who is aware of the fact that robots do not have a sense of emotion. Spooner also discovers that Sonny has the capability to maintain secrets through dreams which is not reminiscent of the normal robotic behaviour instead resembles that of humans’. Also, in the movie, the robots learn to justify their actions by themselves regardless of how they have been programmed. At one point, Sonny asks Spooner about the significance of a wink. Detective Spooner is distinctively made known for hating robots and dislikes their involvement in every day human life. He shows no sign of empathy towards them. Therefore, the robots demonstrating a sense of curiosity and emotion by showing compassion and humans doing the opposite makes one question what reality is and provides an exceptional pause for a thought on the importance and value of human life.

The novel, movie as well the article reveal that technology, which is generally perceptible as succeeding towards moral good, can also assist the most forbidding misdeed. Human life is shown to be devalued and the significance of what it means to be human is questioned in all the mediums. Technology portrays a threat on reality by challenging humans and their humanity. Therefore, the question is: Is technology alleviating humankind, its creators, or destroying it?