Over Use of Technology (Essay Sample)

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Over Use of Modern Technology
Outline
Thesis: the effects of over use of modern technology are an issue of grave concern. It is important to regulate modern applications especially among school age children.
* Studies reveal that over use of modern technology deprives school age children of their social skills
* In the educational sector, over use of modern technology demeans the students’ tendency to carry out an in-depth study
Controlled use of modern technology is necessary to reduce the negative effects to the society
Over Use of Technology
Introduction
Modern technology has become the darling of many users especially the youth. Modern applications have made life easier and simpler. Similarly, there are some online workers who depend solely on technology to earn a living. It has eased the education systems especially in higher learning institutions such as universities and middle-level colleges. Research has never been easier as it is currently due to the advancement in technology. Kosakowski adds "the application of educational technologies to instruction has progressed beyond the use of basic drill and practice software, and now includes the use of complex multimedia products and advanced networking technologies" (2).
The internet is one of the tools that have eased almost all aspects of life in the intellectual arena. It helps disseminate literacy even to people in marginalized areas who cannot access sources of information such as libraries with ease. People who own internet enabled phones can surf through the internet for whichever information they wish to acquire (Ball and Kaye 8). Currently, some of the duties that people performed manually are more efficient owing to the emergence of machines to serve the same purpose. Hence, industrial production is more effective, uniform and higher.
The Future of Modern Technology
The future of the society owing to the popularity modern technology is likely to take a completely new face. People may not have to meet to share information or conduct discussions because all the activities are currently possible with modern communication. Firms may not have to hire people to perform duties as they do. Instead, there will be few to run machines. Institutions such as hospitals and companies may result to the use of technology to carry out many of its operations. The trend has already gained ground in first world countries such as the United States. In addition, third world countries have also followed the suit. In many institutions such as banks, closed circuit televisions (CCTV’s) monitor the movement of people in and out of the enterprise. Security officials use electronic devices to scan and detect illegal firearms.
Machines such as automated teller machines (ATMs) serve people in banks as opposed to ancient times where people were the servants. Shroff (2) adds "the strategic objectives of the financial and banking sector reforms highlights giving functional autonomy and operational flexibility to banks, organizational and structural reforms of banks by infusion of banking based information technology." Microfinance institutions have a computer-based system of managing its operations. Similarly, registration of clients is purely digital. Therefore, the use of papers is minimal (Galı, David and Javier 732). At home, electronic gadgets have eased lives. Kitchen equipments such as potato peelers, blenders, microwaves and fridges help people live more manageable lives. Cookers have made cooking a simple task as opposed to ancient times when the exercise was a lengthy activity.
Over Use of Technology
Over use of technology refers to too much of application of modern development at the expense of other methods. Although technology is part of people’s daily lives, they have embraced massive use of various manifestations in different cases. Many over use it at the expense of human resources. Many people use too much technological applications instead of face to face social interactions. The recent decades have experienced a rapid growth in technology. Therefore, people have many resources to help them find solutions to their problems. Companies and learning institutions have embraced the use of modern technology. Business enterprises and firms over use computer networks to communicate with their employees’ and manage their operations without taking into account its effects on employees’ social skills.
Higher learning institutions such as universities and middle-level colleges have embraced the use of technology in teaching and learning. Learning methods such as correspondence and distance learning have become common among older working citizens who cannot attend school on a full-time basis due to distance, time and space constraints. Similarly, it has eased interaction between instructors and students regardless of the geographical locations. Others have introduced digital schools where students can register and study remotely. Over use of technology especially in learning institutions have bred a number of negative consequences.
Effects of Over Use of Technology
Over use of modern technology is the precursor to some of the woes that afflict mankind. Joblessness is on the rise because modern machines perform duties previously performed by people. Many manufacturers prefer machines over human labor because it demands little in terms of wages and allowances as human beings do. Although they are initially expensive to purchase, they have low maintenance costs as opposed to human beings who have a chain of demands. Over use of technology has led to regular outdates of previous machines. Inventors are always on the run to introduce more applications that will interest consumers. Therefore, people have to keep on purchasing new ones to suit the trends in the production sector.
Currently, school age children spend most of their leisure time on video games, watching television programs and chatting through the internet. The emergence of iPods and iPads has made many children dependent on these gadgets at the expense of their academic achievement and social life. Over use of technology among young children is very dangerous to their future relationship in the society. Many of them spend time watching soap operas and violent movies. Therefore, they may develop a violent nature later in life. It is unfortunate that some video games that they ape are graphic images of violence. Young children tend to imitate many of the behaviors that they find on such games because their cognitive capacity is too low for them to realize that such is fantasy and not reality.
The rise of affordable internet enabled mobile phones mean that people are always connected remotely. Therefore, they can post statuses on social media such as face book or twitter with ease. Habitual use of the internet occupies one’s time and in many instances, they have little or no time for physical interaction. Therefore, their social interaction skills are highly limited by technology. Cyber culture has become common in many parts of the world today. People spend most of their time on social media and surfing through the internet (Lin and David). Hence, they have lost indigenous interactional skills and traditional culture is under a serious threat of extinction. It is sad that cases of cyber crime have become more popular because some social media platforms allow some form of anonymity, a situation that attracts addicts towards crime.
One of the most serious concerns that people raise over the use of social media is its additive capacity. Psychologists believe that internet addiction has become a serious problem of late just like conditions such as depression. Overuse of technology especially among school age children is harmful because they develop a carefree attitude and their innovative capacity in some situations becomes limited. Addicted users of smart phones and other gadgets complain of tension headaches due to long exposure to the devices. Lifestyle health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity have become a twenty-first-century crisis in many countries. Addicted technology users have little or no time for physical exercise. They spend their leisure time on media.
In the educational sector, instructors often complain of lack of concentration from their students. Many surf through the internet while in class. Therefore, they fail to follow up the lesson as it progresses. Moreover, others do not use important sources of information such as the libraries. They simply surf through the internet for answers instead of carrying out an in-depth research on the topic. Some copy and paste the information from the internet while working on assignments. There are some who engage in fishy ways of acquiring information during an examination. Some carry their mobile phones in an examination room and surf through the internet for answers. Similarly, they use them to share answers with their friends during an examination.
In the modern era, people have no time for physical communication and interaction with their friends and peers. Devices such as smartphones and other internet enabled devices have become a basic need for many people. Therefore, technology is not a convenience but a necessity. Reliance on modern forms of technology has made face to face communication unpopular. People prefer modern means of communication such as emails and short messages. The reliance has made interpersonal relationships at home difficult. Couples complain of their partners’ over-reliance on technology.
Addiction to technology affects one’s mental capacity to respond to immediate situations. Overuse of technology especially in public is a very rude gesture. Some of the socially unacceptable behaviors fuelled by the overuse of tech...