There is so much talking about the dominance of technology over human lives in the modern times that it’s high time to get things clear – is it really such a dreadful usurper, or are people prone to exaggeration? Indeed, there is no doubt that technology is gaining an ever more prominent place in all people’s lives, and children start using technology at a much earlier age nowadays. However, is it so problematic and frightening? Is technology really taking over human lives, conquering the human psyche, and depriving people everything human they have? When composing papers on technology, our UK essay writers dealt with many arguments for and against technology, so here we summarize the findings to find an answer to the question about the real danger of technology for people’s lives.
Is Technology Reliance Growing?
Though individual reliance on technology and technological devices varies widely, there is still an unequivocal trend of global relevance – technology is indeed continuing its development, growth, and expansion on the global scale, and its share is expected to grow exponentially in the years to come. Technological companies invest huge sums of money into technological development to offer more services and devices to people in future, which suggests that we are all becoming increasingly reliant on technology and expect more sophisticated devices from producers.
Even at the global investment level, the quick and confident steps of technology products and companies are becoming evident. As financial experts observed, only a decade ago, the investment landscape was dominated by companies from the sectors of telecoms, energy, and commodity production. Now, the top investment positions are taken by technology companies, which is explained by the growing number of users going online, doing more things on their phones, using multiple messengers, and consuming online content.
Such a change leaves a trace not only on the global finance; it is a manifestation of broader changes in the global economy. The old-type economy relied on hard products, while the new one is more digital-based. Hence, many more changes are to come in 2018 and later on, and technology companies will surely have much in store to surprise and fascinate users with commercially successful products.
What About Children?
So, technology is here to stay anyway, at least at the industrial level. And what about the individual level? Are the human trends of technology use changing? Let’s focus on this aspect more closely.
People are definitely using technology more nowadays, and the number of hours spent with technology is growing year by year. But is that so dramatically bad and harmful? The greatest concern has recently been associated with children’s use of technology, which is alarmingly intense. Many parents lament about their kids’ waste of numerous hours with smartphones, computers, and TV, but is that time really so much? Recent research findings suggest that if broken down into chunks, the time children spend with digital devices is not all they do during the day. Though some exceptions indeed exist, the overwhelming majority of children still dedicates a fair amount of time to doing their homework (in a traditional way, with textbooks and exercise books) and playing with friends – not online, but outdoors, with the use of traditional games and activities.
It is also interesting to note that the time spent with technology and the type of activities and consumed content varies by gender. British scientists found out that boys tend to play more computer games, while girls are more proactive in their use of technology, utilizing these resources for studies and communication. Thus, as you can see, things are not as depressing as they might seem, and the intense use of technology by children is a part of the normal contemporary life. Moreover, the way in which technology is affecting each family’s life may be changed and adapted to your personal wishes and needs – read on to find out how.
How Not to Yield to Technology?
We can’t do without technology in the 21st century, and the 2010s are the time of total digital obsession. Now some parents have to talk to their children via messengers and social media to be heard, while face-to-face communication seems hopelessly gone. Indeed, technology is omnipresent and heavily used, but there is no need to sacrifice your family relationships and communication with children to technology – you can adjust your family’s use of technology in many ways to minimize its negative impact on the quality of your interactions. Here are some life hacks on integrating technology into your life instead of yielding to the rules of technology:
1. Don’t forbid the use of technological devices to your kids – that’s a hopeless struggle, and even if you don’t have many devices at home, they will surely try all technological advancements in their friends’ homes or at school. By limiting the child’s exposure to technology, you are not doing any good to him or her, rather limiting the development of their digital literacy skills – a vital skill set for the growing adult of the 21st Instead of banning technology, use it to your advantage: use technology together with children, interact with them during its use, talk and discuss its use. In such a way, you will combine live communication with technology use and will also facilitate your child’s acquisition of vital digital skills, quickly explaining to him or her how the device works and what can be done with its help.
2. Always select age-appropriate devices for the use at home. For infants and toddlers, the best way of technology use is interactive video chatting or viewing some cartoons and developmental videos. As your child grows up and reaches 1.5-2 years of age, more complex programming may be involved, with your assistance of course.
3. Combine technology use with real-life experiences. Thus, as soon as your child learns something new from the Web or TV, make sure he or she has a chance to apply the skill in practice, with real physical objects. Only in this way, education with the help of technology will have realistic value for the overall developmental process.
4. Make technology use safe in your house. While children are attracted to screens and blinking objects since early childhood, they are not accustomed to safe dealing with appliances, so you make sure that all TV sets, computers, and other devices are firmly fixed as soon as your kid starts walking and exploring the apartment.
5. Teach children wise technology use by your example. Children follow parents’ role models and are heavily affected by what they see at home, so if you stick to the screen of your phone or laptop for most of the day, it’s unwise to expect your child to act differently. Add more interactive activities to your communication with children, read books together, spend more time outside – if they see how you enjoy life without technology, they’re likely to learn to do this as well.
So, here are some insights into the role of technology in modern people’s lives. It’s wrong to say that technology is conquering people and taking over their lives – there’s always a way to get your life back if you use technology meaningfully, moderately, and teach your children the same.