Aims
This essay is
about technology and how it is affecting our lives. I’m going to focus on some
major types of communication technology such as Mobile phones, Banking,
Shopping, Education, and Medical technology. I will discuss the advantages and
the disadvantages of each aspect and reflect on the influence on the society.
Introduction
Technology “is the making, modification, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems, and
methods of organization, in order to solve a problem, improve a pre-existing
solution to a problem, achieve a goal, handle an applied input/output relation
or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such
tools, including machinery, modifications, arrangements and procedures.
Technologies significantly affect human as well as other animal species'
ability to control and adapt to their natural environments. The term can either
be applied generally or to specific areas: examples include construction technology, medical technology, and information technology.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology)
Technology has changed the way people communicate in so
many ways. If we just consider the concept of Communication
Technology and its effects on our society, we can see it has changed the
way we conduct business and has dramatically changed the way we conduct our
social and personal lives.
Examples of Communication Technology
are
§ Banking: Telephone banking, using
the Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) and Banking online.
§ Mobile Phones: Making calls and
texting.
§ Shopping: Internet shopping, Self
service at most shops.
§ Education: The use of Tablets
instead of books, white boards, Encyclopedias and online learning (E-Learning)
§ Entertainment: Buying cinema
tickets and reserving VIP seat online.
§ Security: Alarm systems, CCTV and
alarm codes.
§ Travel & Transport: Online
check-in, Buying tickets online
§ Business world: Internet and
E-mails
§ Media: Gaming, Cable TVs,
Saorview and Sky TVs
§ Government: Downloading forms
online, paying bills online.
§ Medicals: Pregnancy Scan now in
blue 3D colours.
Today’s
world is depending on technology and it is hard to imagine living without
mobile phones or computer data where all our personal details are stored. World
Wide Web is out of control and government can’t control everything that people
are sending on Internet. Technology has good aspects because it helps people to
communicate, manage their businesses across the globe, keeping people informed
about current situation on the world etc.
Education
Today we have access to a wider range of
educational sources that are available on the Internet. Online Encyclopedia,
Wikipedia, e-training and other educational websites are helping people to
achieve better knowledge and to profit in the future. In the near future
tablets could replace the books in the schools.
Communication Technology has made the teaching/learning
process a lot easier and more interesting. One can undertake a degree; Master
and PHD programs online via distance learning framework and books can be read
online via E-book reader such as Amazon Kindles.
Disadvantage
For some people it may mean disadvantage
because lack of accessibility could leave them isolated from advanced society
because nowadays young people spend too much time with the internet they and
they losing control over the world around them (social aspect), damaging eyes
or back by sitting in wrong position (health issue).
Mobile Phones
Mobile phones are very useful and helping
us to communicate everywhere across the world. As we all know the knowledge has
increased and today mobile phones duties are not only making phone calls and
receiving messages. Today we have iPhones, Smartphones, iPads etc. Modern
mobile phones are connected to internet so anyone can receive or send messages,
e-mails; check the news around the world and check the weather; games are also
available on the mobile phone; uploading any iTunes music or communicate by
Facebook or Tweeter.
Today’s newest invention allows us to shop
online through the mobile phone and it could save our trouble to travel far
distance for shopping. In the busy world it saves our time and it makes the
world more organized. In case of an accident a mobile phone allows us to ring
for help to the nearest hospital.
Disadvantage
§ Mobile phones can be very disturbing such
as talking on the phone while driving is illegal and lots of people are still
breaking the law, they do not pay attention to the road, surrounding traffic
and the pedestrians causing many accidents.
§ Young people walking to school are also
under the risk of accidents because they are addicted and distracted by mobile
phones uploading, looking at Facebook, Tweeter, Instagram by typing messages
and making phone calls at the same time.
§ By using this device bullying has become
very common and recent statistics proves that the number of suicide teenagers
has increased.
§ Another disadvantage issue is health damage
because mobile phones are causing radiation, disposing off our old mobiles is causing
environmental damage.
§ People get addicted to social networking e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, and
Tango so much that it interferes with other aspects of daily life.
Online shopping
Shopping online can be very useful. We
don’t have to travel and waste our petrol; it saves our time that we can share
with our family.
Disadvantage
§ However shopping online can be challenging
and because we cannot examine the product we are buying we could end up
disappointed or purchasing the wrong item.
§ Some people who didn’t grow up with the
knowledge of today’s technology can feel socially isolated or excluded. Using
the Internet or shopping online can lead into addiction causing our society to
become more and more dysfunctional and isolated.
§ From a health perspective using the
computer for too long can cause damage to our eyes.
Banking
Every bank stores have details about our
accounts and we don’t need to worry about our money being stolen. Today we can
use ATM machines, use the telephone banking or take an opportunity to control
accounts online. Most of the currency in reality exists in numbers appearing on
the banking system. From the environmental point of view it is beneficial.
Using online shopping can promote health helping us to avoid touching dirty
money.
Disadvantage
§ Unfortunately we don’t know how steady
banks are today and we hear in the news about the global banks crisis.
§ Currency has value only because of the agreement
of the government but in the times of crisis consequences can be damaging on
the mass scale.
§ Identity Theft by using someone’s
identity to commit fraudulent crimes is very high.
Medical technology
Across the world medical systems are using
technology to monitor the medical history of every patient. It allows doctors
to give proper diagnosis or consultations. Lately the Medical facility uses a
wide ranges of technology to attend to so many patients, genetics, hematology, immunohematology (blood bank) immunology, microbiology, serology urinalysis and miscellaneous body
fluid analysis. Medical technology is design to save lives and it has save lots
of lives.
Disadvantage
§ One of the
disadvantages is that technological devices can stop working properly during
the treatment and can cause health damage or sudden death due to malfunction of
a machine.
§ Disposal of
medical waste could be an environmental issue.
§ Loss of the
computer data of our details can be very problematic.
Data Protection
Act
Data protection
act is about protecting personal details of individuals by automatic processing
data in the purpose of regulation. The aims are to collect, keep, use, and
process and disclose the information of people processed automatically.
Health, Safety
and Welfare at Work Act
This legislation
applies to employers, employees and self-employed people in their work place in
order to set out the rights and obligations. It includes the duties of
employers and employees providing holistic protection based on health and
safety issues.
Freedom of
Information in Ireland
Freedom of
information act is based on rights of every citizen to access governmental and
public information. The legislation gives us opportunity to report or make
changes related to the mistakes of our official information and a legal right
to access reasons for decisions about us.
Conclusion
As technology has advanced, it has opened
up new ways of communication. In today's world, almost anywhere we are, we have
the ability to communicate and almost everyone has a mobile phone, and they can
make calls, stay in touch, and even check social media sites from virtually
anywhere, at any time.
With all the facts that caused so many advantages and
disadvantages above, we should be careful using communication technology, we
should always follow the terms and conditions that the social network provided.
Technology can
be useful and harmful at the same time. We need to be aware that not everyone
has that ability to get educated and feel socially accepted. We should talk
about the disadvantages of the technology and educate future generation to know
the limits. Our world is heading towards more advanced technology and we need
to be aware of the changes and carefully make our choices about the future.
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology
Immunohematology (blood
bank)
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immunohaematology)
Urinalysis
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urinalysis)
This is a Video explaining what Communication Technology is all about.
