What is Technology?

Technology refers to the practical application of scientific knowledge for a purpose. It also includes the capability and skills required to apply the knowledge.

Technology enhances the usefulness of goods and services in a safe manner. It aims at creating value. Technology can be both material and non-material (virtual). Technology includes instruments, tools, machines, and other devices that benefit human life.

Technology may include simple items such as clothing, zip, housing, and complex items such as airplanes, robots, etc. Even the discovery of fire during stone age, and the process of producing light, heat, and cooking food are the examples of technology.

The non-material (virtual) tools and machines such as computer software, internet, etc. are also considered technology.

What are the advantages of Technology?

The advantages of technology are discussed below:

1. Increased food output: We depend on food for our living. With the introduction of methods and techniques of cultivation, human-beings are able to increase food output. The modern irrigation technologies has helped to cultivate lands that were otherwise considered barren. The agriculture equipment such as tractor helps the farmer in his farming.
2. Increased industrial output: As a result of introduction of technology in the process of producing goods, there has been tremendous increase in the industrial output. The automation of industries processes has resulted in processing tasks effectively and efficiently. Large industries make good use of engineering technology for large scale production of goods.
3. Business growth: Technology has positively impacted business activities involving manufacturing, selling, marketing, distribution, recording, etc. Technology has touched almost every sphere of business activities. Businesses need to make wide variety of mathematical calculations for various purposes such as counting, estimation cost and profit, etc. Prior to the introduction of calculators, all these mathematical calculations were done manually. With the introduction of computers, large business data are effectively processed and stored in computers. The growth of eCommerce business is an excellent example of how Information Technology can benefit our life.
4. Comfort: Technology had made human life comfortable. Everything that we see and use in our daily life is the gift of technology. The clothes we wear, the house we live, the car we travel, the bridge and flyovers, the mobile phone we carry, the fan, etc. are all examples of successful implementation of technology.
5. Better utilization of resources: Modern tools and equipment has helped us to utilize the natural resources at optimum level. For example, the irrigation technologies has enabled us to make better utilization of water resource in the field of agriculture. Hydel power plants, thermal power plants, nuclear power plants, etc. uses natural resources to generate power.
6. Ease in travelling: The invention of wheel is perhaps the most important technological discovery in human history. Automobiles, trains, etc. are powered by engine and run on wheels.
7. Improved communication: Printing press, internet, telephone, email, and other communication technologies has helped us to communicate on global scale.
8. Education: Virtual classes are a delivered at many schools. E-learning is a relatively new concept. Students make use of internet technology to download important study materials in the form of text, audio and videos.
9. Healthcare: Technology has revolutionized the healthcare industry. The various diagnostic tools such as x-ray machines, blood pressure monitoring machine, glucose level measuring machine, etc. has made possible accurate diagnosis of health related problems. Accurate diagnosis of disease results in faster and effective treatment of the patient.
10. Emerging technologies: Emerging technologies such as Information Technology, bio-technology, artificial intelligence, etc. are among the most important technologies of modern times. The introduction of computers, internet, smartphones, etc. have deep impact on common people. Much research are being conducted in the field of artificial intelligence intelligence.

What are the disadvantages of Technology?

The disadvantages of Technology are discussed below:

1. Pollution: Too much use of technology has resulted in an increase in waste products into the environment. This has caused pollution. The discharge of industrial wastes into the environment diminishes the quality of soil, water, air , etc. The vehicle emission is among major causes of air pollution. Excessive use of pesticides in farming has caused soil erosion.
2. Faster depletion of natural resource reserves: Modern equipment are very powerful. They can quickly extract huge quantity of natural resources. However, the total reserves of natural resources are depleting as a result of quicker extraction of natural resources.
3. Production of unwanted products: Technology has also opened doors for the production and demand of unwanted products or unnecessary products.
4. Wastage of time in non-productive activities: Some people waste immense time and energy in doing non-productive activities. For example, internet technology has enabled people to browse the internet for information. However, some people get addicted to internet activities such as browsing, gaming, etc., and waste time and energy.
5. Excessive dependency: We are dependent on technology for all of our task. People are excessively dependent of modern gifts of technologies such as cars, computers, smartphones, etc. They feel helpless if any of these technological equipment, machinery or tool fail to perform. We have adopted technology in our life to an extent that it is impossible to think of performing our day-to-day tasks without the help of technology.

Conclusion

Technology has, beyond doubt, eased the life of human-beings. It has proved to b a great boon in the development process of culture and society. However, too much of anything is bad. Technology should be used with due care and caution only for the purposed that are of benefit for humanity.

Also read: Paragraph on Advantages and Disadvantages of Science