Introduction
It is undeniable that technology has become very influential in society today. It is very easy to see that people have become very dependent on technologies to become productive and have comfortable lives. While technologies are supposed to help in improving the quality of life of the people, it is unfortunate that there are also those who make use of technologies for all the wrong reasons which causes harm to others. Nonetheless, despite these unfortunate cases of misuse of technologies, it can be said that technologies have an overall beneficial effect on the individual, society, and culture simply because they make the people productive, they expose the beautiful cultures of the world, and they make the society progressive.
Discussion
Technologies have helped the people tremendously when it comes to improving their productivity. The mere presence of computers alone has already played an important role in making sure that the people can finish their tasks regardless if they are in the office or at home (Morley and Parker, 2016). Aside from computers, the impact of the mobile phones also cannot be disregarded because they have certainly helped the communication process among people become faster and more convenient (Prado, 2019). People can just contact each other using their mobile phones especially during emergency situations. The good thing about mobile phones is that they are not only just being used to make calls or send text messages nowadays. They have also become smarter already and can be used to capture stunning images, play music, play games, watch videos, check emails, and even browse the Web. Thus, it should not be surprising anymore that most people put a premium on smartphones nowadays even if they are usually very expensive because they know that they need these technologies to be productive. The people want their smartphones and computers with them wherever they go.
The Internet is another technology that cannot be disregarded because it has also played a crucial role in the improved productivity of the people. What the Internet has done is that it has allowed the people to have access to the Web where all the information about anything under the sun can be found (Graham and Dutton, 2019). Thus, it is not a problem anymore to search for information about any topic that people want to know more about because all they need to do is to make sure that they have a stable Internet connection, go to the Web, and search for the information that they need there. This impressive convenience in finding information has helped towards the improved productivity of the people because they are not wasting time anymore going anywhere else as they look for information. They know that the Web will provide the answers to the questions that they have.
The detrimental effects of the computers, mobile phones, and the Internet cannot be disregarded. There are people who use these technologies the wrong way, and this causes harm to themselves and to others. For example, there are people who use computers and the Internet to hack systems and networks of companies so they can steal confidential information and use it for blackmailing purposes. The Internet has also allowed the Web to become an area where cybercrimes frequently happen. It is possible to become bullied online nowadays through social media channels. Since the people know that they have computers that will help them in their tasks, they have become too relaxed and complacent already which is unacceptable. Since the mobile phones have become very smart nowadays, there are people who just cannot seem to stop using these technologies all day. They do not want to do anything else but to just look at their smartphones and do whatever pleases them. This behavior is very counterproductive and will not lead to anything positive at all to the people who have become addicted to using their smartphones.
However, it is also important to point out that the people who use computers, mobile phones, and the Internet the right way significantly outnumber those people who use computers, mobile phones, and the Internet the wrong way. The computers, mobile phones, and the Internet were developed to bring convenience to the people and not harm. The people have the choice in terms of how they are going to use these technologies, and majority of the people in this world choose to use the computers, mobile phones, and the Internet properly. Thus, it would be unfair to say that computers, mobile phones, and the Internet bring more detrimental effects to the people just because of the poor decisions of others.
Another benefit of technologies is that they help to expose the beautiful cultures of the world. The Internet once again plays an important role in this because the people can just go to the Web and know more about the wonderful cultures of the world aside from their own culture. Social media channels and websites have become effective tools to promote the cultures of every country so that people all over the world will become more familiar and get interested to become tourists (Bolin, 2012). The local people of a country would be very proud to introduce their culture to the world, and they are able to do this using social media channels and websites designed to highlight what is great about their culture. Thus, when foreigners want to visit a country and they want to know more about its culture, all they need to do nowadays is to go to the relevant websites and social media channels which will give them the information that they are looking for. There is no doubt that the tourism industry of the world has progressed tremendously because people are more excited to become tourists today through the aid of technologies. The modes of transportation have also gotten better through technological innovations and this has led towards giving more convenience on the part of the tourists to travel anywhere in the world whenever they want to.
When the people expose their culture for others to see, there will be those who will not be appreciative of this which is unfortunate. The undeniable reality is that there is still racism and discrimination that exist in the world today. There are people too proud of their own culture that they will not appreciate and respect the culture of others out of their arrogance. This is very unfair and disrespectful, but the good thing is that the people who are appreciative and respectful of the culture of others significantly outnumber those people who are unappreciative and disrespectful of the culture of others. Thus, it can still be said that technologies have done an excellent job in exposing the beautiful cultures of the world and most people have appreciated this.
Finally, the last benefit of technologies is that they make the society progressive. When the people are very productive consistently because they use computers, mobile phones, and the Internet properly, this contributes tremendously towards the progressiveness of society. This is because the productivity of the people means that they are also helping the organizations where they work to become successful (Tressaud, 2017). The hard work and commitment of the people combined with the support being given to them by technologies like computers, mobile phones, and the Internet is what enables them to deliver excellent performances consistently. Thus, in this situation, it becomes inevitable for organizations to become successful in the long run. When most organizations are successful, this only means that society is going to be progressive. There will be more jobs that will be created for the people, and there will be lesser people who will be jobless. As people work hard in various organizations, they give themselves a chance to improve their quality of life. Therefore, it is evident that technology when used the right way will certainly help societies to become progressive. A progressive society is the most ideal situation for the people.
Obviously, when society gets overwhelmed by people who use technologies the wrong way, this will prevent progress from happening. The people in this society will always feel afraid and worried about their safety and security because they know that they are vulnerable. They are scared that something terrible might happen to them anytime. Fortunately, most societies today have people who know how to use technologies to improve themselves instead of trying to hurt others. There is reason to have faith and continue to depend on technologies that they will keep on finding ways to help societies to become more progressive than ever. The bottom line here is that if people will use technologies the right way, it should be expected that societies are going to be progressive in the years to come.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that technology will always be like a double-edged sword. If it is used the right way, it is going to produce tremendous benefits to people and make the society better overall. However, if technology is used the wrong way, it is going to cause harm to people and make the society worse than ever. Thus, it is up to the people to decide as to how they are going to use the technologies that are available for them in society. One thing that is for sure is that people have already seen and experienced the huge benefits of technologies if they use these tools properly. They become productive at work, they become prouder to share their culture to the rest of the world, and society inevitably becomes progressive. There is no point for people to still walk away and deviate from this especially as they have also seen the worst things that technologies can do when these tools are used the wrong way. People must simply be more disciplined and committed to use technologies appropriately so that they will be able to fully take advantage of the benefits that these tools will provide while watching their society become progressive over the long-term.
References
Bolin, G. (2012). Cultural Technologies: The Shaping of Culture in Media and Society. London: Routledge
Graham, M., and Dutton, W. (2019). Society and the Internet. London: Oxford University Press
Morley, D., and Parker, C. (2016). Understanding Computers: Today and Tomorrow. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning
Prado, C. G. (2019). How Technology is Changing Human Behavior: Issues and Benefits. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO
Tressaud, A. (2017). Progress in Science, Progress in Society. London: Springer
