Technology and Society

Technology has evolved from the basic hand tools we used to hunt for food thousands of years ago, to the electronic devices we use today to manage our daily lives. It has served to provide us with essential needs, complete necessary tasks, and afford us a means to fulfill our wants and desires. Technology influences our lives in many ways, even ones that we probably don't realize. With such an widespread effect on modern society, we would be wary to consider the impact of technology as we become more dependant upon it.

Telephones brought us the ability to communicate across vast distances in real-time, allowing people to exchange ideas and information, and keep in touch with loved ones easily. Television is another such form of communication that is also composed graphically, although it is used mainly for entertainment. The internet is slowly expanding on these early ideas to form an easier method of global connectivity which has many more uses. All of these technologies are developed for the purpose of bringing people closer together, like a global community, but can also allow people to disconnect themselves from the rest of the world.

Lots of children today are more likely to talk with friends through the telephone and instant messaging than in person. Friends play together with multiplayer games on the computer and gaming consoles rather than physical activities. Adults, young and old, find dates through online dating services instead of going out to bars and other social gatherings. There are more people with memberships in online communities than in almost any social club. The lack of physical appearance may seem like a small sacrifice, but can have a profound effect on our mental and emotional evolution. Especially when people tend to do more and more things "anonymously".