Free Essay Example - the Place of Technology in the 21st Century

Technology has been the main driver of modern civilization. Over the years, human life and technology have become virtually co-dependent and inseparable. Over the years, human beings have come to depend on technology more and more. Moreover, the demand is projected to rise in the future (Sheng, Amankwah-Amoah, & Wang, 2019). Elements of technology can be seen in all human civilizations and revolutions. The agricultural revolution, which reduced the cost of agricultural production and addressed food insecurity, was anchored mainly on technology. The industrial revolution also is driven by a technological wave. Today, technology has improved communication and transportation, a factor that has contributed significantly to globalization. Technology has also been in learning and education, as well as healthcare and business. These are some of the examples that demonstrate the place that technology holds in the 21st century. However, despite the numerous benefits that technology offers to businesses and individuals, it also has various disadvantages. Other than requiring massive capital investment, technology has the power to disrupt firms and industries. Such technologies are known as disruptive technologies. At times, the disruption caused is so huge that the existing technologies become obsolete. Therefore, organizations must sufficiently manage disruptive technology to harness the full benefits of technology in the modern business environment. This paper seeks to highlight the application of technology in daily life, discuss disruptive technology as well as the other disadvantages of technology, and propose ways to address them.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Use of technology in Education

Over the years, technology has transformed the face of education. Though technology is, at times, seen as a distraction to learners, it can also serve as a potent educational tool. Moreover, modern students have grown up with technology and will require various technological skills even in their future careers. Thus, it is only logical that technology should be incorporated into their learning. Various digital learning tools such as handheld devices and computers have become a common feature in classrooms. These technologies enhance both learning and teaching in several ways. By supporting virtual learning, technology helps breakdown the educational boundaries that existed in the past. Students in different geographical locations can attend the same class and contribute to the topics being discussed. With the advancement of virtual technology, face-to-face communication between the teacher and the student in the virtual world has been enabled. Technology has also enhanced collaboration between students and teachers, a factor that leads to the achievement of educational goals. Various tools and features offered by technology also help achieve full participation. For instance, through the use of online polling, even the shy students who would not contribute in normal classrooms get an opportunity to participate. Access to the various educational materials has also been made easier by technology (Bulman & Fairlie, 2016).

Moreover, technology makes learning more enjoyable and spurs creativity among students. Technology also allows the teachers to experiment more in pedagogy, engage the students better, and democratize the classrooms more. The teachers can also get instant feedback through the use of technology in classrooms. However, as intimated earlier, the use of technology in classrooms has been debated by teachers, parents, students, and policymakers for years. The debate has become fiercer in the recent past with the greater incorporation of technology in the curricula. The main argument made by those opposed to the use of technology in classrooms is that it causes distractions and hurts social interactions among the students. While these arguments cannot be denied, various measures can be taken to minimize the adverse effects of technology in the classroom. The benefits of using technology in education and learning outweigh the disadvantages, and hence more ways to effectively incorporate technology in education should be developed (Himmelsbach, 2019).

Application of Technology in Healthcare

It can easily be argued that advancements in medicine are the most important of all technological advancements. The various inventions in the last century, such as the X-ray, completely changed the landscape of medical practice. They improved diagnosis, surgery, and treatment. The technological advancements in the new century are further enhancing the quality of healthcare given to the patients. The adoption of these technologies is, without a doubt improving the quality aspects of health institutions (Gao, Li, & Luo, 2015).

Data is of great importance in medical practice. Health informatics is, therefore, proving to be a priceless advancement. Through the adoption of Electronic Health Records (EHRs), which is greatly integrated with technology, faster transfer and sharing of patient information is facilitated. This, in turn, leads to an improvement in diagnostics and treatment. In light of this, more and more health institutions are embracing EHRs. Different legislation, such as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also requires health institutions to make use of EHR (Coughlin, Long, Peters, Rudowitz, & Garfield, 2015). Technology also enables teleconferencing and telemedicine. This helps in the sharing of knowledge between health practitioners and hence, improves the quality of care given to the patients, especially in rural areas. Various remote monitoring tools can be used to help improve the health of patients without necessarily having to visit the doctor's office. For instance, patients with heart diseases fitted with pacemakers can virtually have their data sent health centers, which could be miles away. Healthcare providers can also reach their patients through social media. Health organizations can also use online databases as a tool for predicting medical trends. For instance, by analyzing health information that is searched by users online, trends can be predicted, and the organizations can respond to the needs of the patients more efficiently.

Away from the advantages of medical data and social media in health, the most significant way in which technology can improve healthcare is through the use of advanced machines, treatments, and medicines. Sophisticated medical practices can play a big role in helping patients heal quickly as well as save millions of lives. Technology has also helped come up with more non-invasive procedures. Wearable technology is another sector of the health and wellness industry that is on the rise. The wearable devices collect data that help both the patients and doctors access and monitor the health (Gao, Li, & Luo, 2015). This, in turn, improves the quality of care given to the patient. Through technology, more research can be done, which can lead to further improvement in the quality of healthcare. For instance, with the advancement in technology, a new field known as medical technology has emerged. This field seeks to use innovation to sustain health. 3D printing, which is increasingly being employed in medicine, is an example of such innovations. Through the use of this technology, researchers can replicate areas inside the patient, and surgeons can simulate operations before the actual surgery. Besides, 3D printing can also be used to reproduce bones as well as other organs in the human body.

Technology can also be used by individuals to improve their wellness. One can search for information regarding nutrition and well-being using technological devices and tools. Workplace wellness can also be achieved through technology. Employers seek to improve wellness at the workplace to control healthcare costs, reduce absenteeism, and to improve the quality of work. Employers make use of wearable devices to monitor and promote fitness activities among the employees. Gamification is also another application of technology that helps the employees achieve their goals (Phillips, Nabhan, & Feinberg, 2019). Medicine has largely benefitted from the advancement in technology.

Technology and Communication

The use of technology in communication has become a necessity over the years. The role that technology has played in the history of communication cannot be overemphasized. The role of technology in the transformation of communication can be traced to several centuries back. For instance, pictographs ushered in written communication while the invention of paper and wax fuelled the growth of the printing press. More recently, the world has witnessed more significant advancements in technology, which have further enhanced communication. From the invention of the telephone to the launch of the latest smartphone model, technology has played a critical role in bringing people together and improving collaboration (Crowley & Heyer, 2015). Events happening in a place can be viewed in real from any part of the world. This has helped bring people together and has given them a sense of brotherhood. By bringing people together to enjoy and celebrate shared passions, technology has managed to shrink the geographical distance between people and has also blurred the borders that traditionally divided them. They have become citizens of the global village. Technology has also significantly increased the speed and reduced the costs of communication. For instance, sending a document over the internet is much cheaper and faster as compared to the traditional options. The quality of communication has also greatly improved. For instance, text can easily be translated from one language to another and meaning various words and texts can be quickly sought.

Moreover, technology has made it possible to store vast amounts of data as well as to retrieve it when needed quickly. However, this does not come without some risks. Privacy threats rise as technology advances. Organizations are forced to spend more to protect their data from attacks (Crowley & Heyer, 2015).

The Relationship between Modern Technology and Business

The modern business environment is characterized by high levels of unpredictability as well as cutthroat competition. The adoption of technology has proved to be one of the most effective ways of surviving and thriving in this environment. The provision of instant solutions is arguably the most critical use of technology in business today (Windahl, 2015). Through technology, vast amounts of data can be collected, analyzed, and presented to the management in the form of trends and projections. This information can then be used to make various critical decisions. For instance, the management could decide to withdraw a particular product from the market or improve certain aspects of the product after the analysis of the market trends.

Technology also enhances the ability of the business to serve its clientele better. The customers are among the most important assets in a business. Through the use of technology, the business can reach a larger audience and also quickly get feedback from the customers. Through this feedback, the business can improve its customer care service (Giudice, 2016). Technology has also helped level the playing ground by providing several and affordable advertisement avenues. Both big and small businesses can advertise their products to a global audience hence eliminating some aspects of the unfair competition that existed in the past.