How Would We Cope Without Technology?
These days technology plays an integral part in our everyday lives
. We use alarm clocks to wake us up in the mornings, heating systems to have a hot shower, transport to get to work, computers at work, watch television in the evening, and use ovens or microwaves for many of our meals. So how would we cope without all this technology?
Communication is a key human need, and technology is often used to communicate. Telephones, mobile phones,
VoIP, and emails are used as forms of communications. A recent study in Italy highlighted how much we have come to rely on communication technology. The study deprived 300 people of their mobile phones for a week so see how they would cope. One in six said they experienced a loss of appetite, and 25% said they lost confidence resulting in sexual problems. This seems a little extreme but gives a flavour on how weve come to need technology.
It is especially young people who use mobile phones extensively. Text messaging has become extremely popular, and one of the most common forms of communicating. People, and especially children, use them as a safety net and concerned parents want their children to own a mobile phone just in case.
Families typically live further apart now than previously. Many have relatives not just across the country, but across the world. Therefore the only way to communicate with them is through technology. You cant just pop in for a cup of tea.
Business is the area where technology probably has the biggest influence. Communication is again a large part of this, and email has taken over as possibly the most important form of communication in the business world. Without it processes would have to change dramatically. Many businesses are now global which makes this even more important. You cant just arrange a quick meeting. This has made video conferencing and conference calls more common. Because of the worldwide nature of business, suppliers and customers can be anywhere. Many businesses have also become reliant on the internet. Some operate exclusively online, by selling things via internet and email, and these businesses simply wouldnt survive without it. There are also sectors, such as
Web Design, that only exist because of the internet. All businesses are expected to have a website, and no internet would hurt many. Research is also mostly done online.
It is not just business that is reliant on the internet for research; it also used personally and by schools. It has taken over from libraries as the main form of research. People have become used to using the internet to find information instantaneously and therefore would not be happy using alternative methods. As with many things it is more of a convenience than a need, and it would seem difficult without it.
Cars and other transport are a major technology used by many. Most people no longer work locally to where they live, so they cant just walk down the road to work. Therefore cars are needed, especially for those who live or work in areas without good transport links. The way society has changed, without a shop on every corner, also means it is necessary to drive to many other places. Again the fact that families dont all live locally means that transport is used to visit them. Without transport people would have to move to be able to work.
We also use technology for pleasure and entertainment, for example televisions and radios. We would therefore have to revert back to playing games and improvising. There is nothing wrong with this, but many would miss what we have now.
With many of todays technology it is not a matter of not being able to cope without it, just that we would have to change the ways in which we live. We would obviously miss what we have now, but would eventually get used to it. It would, though, no doubt have a massive effect on our everyday lives. The area that would be affected most would be business. Some businesses would no longer be able to survive, while others would have to adjust or become more localised.
Andrew Marshall
by: expo09
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