Technology and Human Welfare

Technology and Human Welfare

Technology has widely changed the way human beings relate to each other in terms of doing business as well as living. This is achieved by using tools, equipment, systems and various techniques in order to solve problems or perform some duties (Popper 4-21). Scientific ethos is central to the innovations that have led to the technology that we all enjoy. Many have argued that despite technology’s immense advantages on human life it also has its shortcomings. In this paper, the major areas in which technology has had a positive effect are brought to the fore.

Business

Due to improved computer technology, the world has been turned into a global village. Orders for business supplies are made with so much ease from the office at the cost of a click of a mouse. Business meetings are done through video-conferencing therefore eliminating the need to be physically present thereby reducing on time wastage since the need to for travelling is minimal. The same also helps in reducing travelling expenses. This has a huge multiplier effect on the income of an organization in terms of minimizing costs. Sales are also done online. This affords a large clientele, meanings more sales are done and hence increasing the income levels to the organization. With the organizations performing well economically, the economic growth of a country would be catapulted to favorable levels. Some technological advancement has greatly reduced the costs of production (Gere 23-43).

Computer aided manufacture and design have speeded up the production process with less human supervision. Money transfer services by use of the electronic media has helped in instances where the money was required thereby saving lives and improving the welfare of the people. Computer designs have made drawings from banks and other financial organizations due to the fast and easy manipulation that becomes possible due to technological developments. Architectural plans are easily turned into three dimensions for easy analysis and interpretation. Use of computers has greatly reduced on the costs of having to store information in hard copies. Huge files that consume space, are subject to wear, can easily be destroyed are no longer required in the business offices. Instead, a secure, fast and efficient system in the use of computers has replaced the old system. Therefore, these technologies have had a major positive impact on the business affairs.

Communication

The transfer of information or data from one place to another has been reduced to a simple exercise. By use of a gadget that is connected to the internet, one is able to communicate by use of e-mail and others like Skype. Use of e-mails is not only fast, but it is also less costly. Replies to such communication can therefore be instant (Kelly 89-90). The discovery of cell phones has also had a huge influence in promoting communication. These are reasonably small gadgets that connect one individual to the other. Their small size implies that they are easily carried around. Their acquisition costs are low therefore affordable to a majority of people. These cell phones have reduced the ancient barriers that existed to communication. The spread of information is therefore fast and in case of urgency, information is relayed to the intended person. It is with pathos on the ancient ways of life when technology was at its knees.

Security

Security is an integral part of every human being. Life being holy, no one is permitted to unwarrantedly take away or cause for the passing on of anyone’s life. To guarantee that, technology has had a major influence on the security systems all around the world. Security camera, use of CCTV, the use of Global Positioning Systems has all helped to prevent security breaches. Cameras implanted in specific locations have been used to allow the study of events. GPS has been used to monitor the movement in the transport of Airlines, Motor vehicles, trains and pipelines (Kelly 78-91). It has also helped to locate the positions of security targets. These advancements have therefore had a huge impact on enhancing the way in which human security systems are run, thereby reducing incidents that would threaten peace. When carrying out investigations on crime, fingerprints, DNA, fibers recovered from the crime scene and other materials have been studied using technology in trying to identify the identities of the wrong doers. Where victims’ bodies are beyond physical recognition, technology has been used to reconstruct their physical body features for a possible identification.

After appreciating the role of technology in the security department, it is necessary to cite the security threats that emerge based on the developments. Criminals who have training in information technology are able to cause unprecedented damage to other people. For instance, hackers have the ability to deface sites of organizations. As such, the idea of mitigating these effects should be promoted.

Agriculture

Use of improved methods to carry out agriculture has led to increased food production and alleviation of poverty. Adoption of scientific methods to manipulate the genes of some plants to those of others has promoted the manufacture of genetically modified foods (Kelly 23-34). These plants take relatively shorter periods to mature than the usual ones. The products are of higher quality. This has thereby improved the activities of farmers through boosting of their produce. Technological innovations that are used to study the weather and climatic changes have been of great help to the farmers. Farmers can now predict the weather changes and therefore modify their activities to suit the weather prevailing. This has saved farmers losses that may result from unfavorable or harsh weather conditions. Soil studies through geology have enhanced the farmers’ understanding on what the optimal use of such lands would be. This has ensured that the resource in land is used in a manner that is sustainable to the farmers’ activities. This practice has an effect of alleviating poverty, increasing income levels to a country and maintaining a sustainable environment. These events would promote welfare of the citizens of such a country.

Despite the advantages associated with technological developments, agriculture has also suffered from the pathological effects attributable to such progress. For instance, use of technology has the potential of denying a majority of the poor people in the developing countries an opportunity to work as manual laborers. Use of technology in agriculture such as the Genetically Modifying Food may present health hazards hence this underlies the logos of the opponents of food modification.

Medical field

This has been the most important aspect of the new technologies on the human life. In many hospitals, technology is used to study patients. Use of microscopes has been used to study microelements or cells for the better understanding of the status of the ailing patients. Use of x-rays has also had the same effect in the examination of the components of a patient. Computer technology has also helped in the study of patients. Information about a condition can easily be obtained through a study of the online literature concerning the condition from the reliable sources. Databases concerning patients can also be created so that the medical history of the patients is easily retrieved for analysis. These systems have arguably saved many lives and hence the need to further fund science for more improved technology (Kelly 34).

It appears that every aspect that has a positive side also has a negative one. To illustrate, the use of technology has raised moral issues. For example using vitro-fertilisation may raise moral questions since it entails interfering with human nature. However, the fact that such technologies have more advantages, their use is supported.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that technology has had a great influence in improving the living conditions of man. This is based on the logos that without it, many would be struggling with various aspects in life. Moreover, some people would have simply in the absence of life-saving technologies. Technology is believed to hold the key to human prosperity and therefore the need to fund and study on how to promote it is indispensable. Critics would point to the shortcomings of the system, but the good aspects of it far outweigh the negative ones. Technology has therefore improved human life and there is need to adopt it in all the areas where it practically applies. It is however necessary to adopt appropriate measures to reduce the negative influences that technological developments have brought.