BY WOSSENSEGED ASSEFA
The world has come a long way in technological advancements since the beginning of the human civilization. For example, journeys that took our forefathers days, weeks or months now take us minutes or hours because of progress in the aspects of technology.
The past century or so has shown tremendous changes and improvements in the lives of common people by the means of technology. At this age and time, it is safe to say that we have become very dependent on our smartphones, laptops, and other electronic services for our everyday lives.
Technology affects our relationships, health, finance, economy, politics etc. It has become a major player in our everyday lives, becoming a big part of our lives, and whether people like it or not technology is here, and it’s here to stay.
The effects of technology on economy and society are somewhat clear in the general sense. We see that countries with better advancement in technology have better economies due to improved operations and communication, and the lowering of costs of doing business. Currently, as an example, just a few technicians controlling robotic systems can operate an entire manufacturing plant, and innovative inventory systems are capable of supplying needed parts within a short time for assembly.
Advancements in the computer industry, in addition to advancements in telecommunications, have increased job opportunities and strengthened economic growth. Technological development makes very important contributions to the economic and social-cultural life.
A study conducted in America reveals that people work more than the past; virtues like industriousness and self-discipline are more valued; entrepreneurship increased and people increased their technological capabilities for their new careers (EraydÕn, 2001).
Respected researchers from big institutions, such as IMF and World Economic Forum show that whenever companies cut back on technology investments planning to increase profits, the result is the opposite, as profits sink significantly, and, as a side effect, GDP also falls dramatically, then a chain reaction starts with the fall of labor productivity after a few years.
Another group of economists on the contrary argue that the more technology advances, the lesser job opportunities it brings not to mention that technology is actually substituting the already employed labors and it is robbing their jobs.
With regard to the social interaction we have, technology has helped achieve great heights and steep falls. With technology, we can help people who, for a very long period of time, would have suffered pain, debilitating illness or death.
As a simple example in the past artificial insulin needed by diabetic patients used to be produced from harvesting organs from animals. These days we have advancements in technology that have created genetically modified bacteria that can produce insulin at a faster and cheaper rate than animals ever could.
We now have plans to use 3D printers to print implants and joints to be used during surgery as deemed necessary. Artificial Intelligence is already being used to assist in surgery, reduce dosage errors, and support clinical trials. It will become even more prevalent as technologies continue to improve.
Even if technology has served us in narrowing the gap we have with our relatives and friends who live in distance, particularly the smartphones (and the internet) has made the relationship we have in our own families a distorted one. The time we spend on our mobile cell phones screens is more than the time we give for our family members.
In communication, technology has made astounding leaps that have almost made the entire world feel like a small village. News from across oceans doesn’t take weeks, months or even years; it takes a few minutes.
People don’t have to wait days or weeks for their messages or letters to reach loved ones living on the other side of the world anymore. They would only have to use their smartphones and a relatively good internet connection to reach out to their loved ones in a matter of minutes if not seconds.
In politics, technology has been used to create awareness and help citizens have a better knowledge of current events in their countries. The specific positive impacts of technology on human life are too long to list but like two sides to a coin, these effects haven’t come without their negative repercussions.
Technology has had adverse effects on its users for example; most work these days requires people to sit in front of screens for a long period of time leading to eyesight health issues. Listening to music and playing video games doesn’t help our hearing either, because we often listen to things much too loudly.
Some studies have even shown that using earbuds can damage the hearing. Also, the same vehicles used to make communication and traveling easier, when combined, use tremendous amounts of energy and pollute the atmosphere at a significant level.
In the development of communication, one example that falls more on the negative side is social media. Although social media has helped others stay updated on life statuses of friends, social media has also created a false self-image. What is viewed is not real, but the fake and altered views of others’ lives.
The anonymity provided by the Internet is another problem that has caused a rampant cyberbullying problem as well. It’s easier to say terrible things to someone when you can hide your identity and may not be held accountable for your actions.
Another problem with social media is the rise of fake news. Our country has stood witness to this, in recent times we have seen the rise of hate speeches and disinformation that has negatively affected the peace and stability of the country. Due to the low media literacy rate of the population, many users are suspectable to the false information and perceive it as true.
This has led to many civil unrest and instabilities creating more challenges for the country that is already facing many obstacles, so much so that Sahle-work Zewde, the current president of Ethiopia said, “The danger of fake news and the growing climate of disinformation are spreading like wildfire and causing havoc that we are facing as a nation”.
In the war, that is still fresh in our memories, against the TPLF we have seen numerous fake accounts being opened in the name of government officials to confuse the population and to promote fake news. On top of this, there were many pages with a large number of followers, fueled by some of the TPLF’s members, and financing from various sources including our adversaries that were used in incubating fake and unverified news, to perplex the population and create havoc. Looking at the positives and negatives of technology brings us to one major question, is technology good or bad?
To simply address this question, let’s go through an old fable and put things in perspective. In an old fable, an old wise man lived with his children and grandchildren. This man was known for his wisdom and insight in troubling and tricky situations.
One of his grandsons was a cunning young boy who tried with all his might to trick his grandfather and earn the reputation of “the boy who tricked the wise man”. Try as he may, all was in vain and he never got the chance to trick his grandfather. Out of frustration and desperation, the young man tried to deceive his grandfather once and for all.
In his “brilliant” shenanigan the boy decided to hold a small chick in his hand behind his back and asked his grandfather, “Grandpa, if you are so wise, is the small chick I hold in my hands dead or alive?” Now if the grandfather replied “it is alive” the boy was to crush the chick and present it as if it were dead hence seemingly tricking his grandfather.
If the grandfather were to reply “it is dead” the boy would bring forth the chick alive again seemingly tricking his father. The grandfather sat thinking for a moment and the boy thinking his trick had worked couldn’t stop himself from smiling. After a moment of consideration, the grandfather replied, “My boy, it is all in your hands.”
The boy’s smile slowly faded away as he realized that his grandfather was implying that he was at liberty to kill the chicken or let it live. It was surely all in his hands just like technology is in ours. It is not objectively good or bad. Technology is just a tool; use it or abuse it, it’s all in our hands.
The Ethiopian Herald December 31/2020
