The Pros and Cons of Technology – A Detailed Guide

This is a complete guide to the Pros and Cons of Technology. 😎

We tried to cover up all the aspects of this topic. If something is missing we welcome your comment.

Without any further ado, let’s explore this guide. 📗

What is technology, or what do we mean by technology? Whenever the word “technology” arises, the things that come into our minds are smartphones, smart televisions, artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning, automation, etc.

The 21st century is better defined through the perspective of technology. Industrialization has taken the level of technology to a higher level.

Can we imagine this world without technology? Technology is present in every sector- manufacturing, IT, engineering, education, healthcare, etc. Even in your house, you can find every little thing which is a product of technology.

In a factory, starting from the processing of the raw materials to the formation of the final product, everywhere many forms of technology are used. 

We use technology to cook food, read the following article, lighten our room, etc. Technology helps to make our life simpler and easier by making a lengthy process shorter.

Almost whatever work we do every day, it is an example of technology. Whenever we face a problem in solving anything, technology comes to the rescue.  

But here is a twist. Apart from enhancing the lives of people and making them simpler, technology has also been responsible for any adverse effects. One of the best examples of such things is the loss of human lives due to bombs and missiles.

Everything in the world has both a good side and a bad side. It depends on us how to use a particular thing. So, we can say technology can be both beneficial and disastrous for the whole world.  

In this article, we will discuss the pros and cons of technology. If we ponder both sides of technology, then we can try to make a balance between both of them. Let’s look out the pros of technology first.

Pros and Cons of Technology: A Detailed Guide 👌

Pros of Technology

1. Access To More Information Through Technology

If you are a regular user of technology, then you are exposed to more information than others. Google is a bright example of the above statement.

Today, the information of the whole world is on Google. Through platforms like Google, Facebook, and various online news portals, we can get information from any corner of the world.

Whether one is a student or one is a working professional, all of them can search for any information on a computer or smartphone. Through more information exchange, we get to share our views, beliefs, customs, traditions, languages, and thoughts throughout the world.

The Internet has brought the whole world closer. Today, by sitting at our home and sipping tea, we can know information from any corner of the world.

2. Technology Saves More Time

Do you remember how people used to navigate places at times when there were no smartphones and navigation applications? They simply used a map or reached their destination by asking the people on the road or passing by.

Today, you just need to open a navigation app on your smartphone. Voila! You are ready to navigate any place in the world.

It is not the case only about navigating places. Rather than specific addresses, you can also search for nearby restaurants, gas stations, mechanics, movie theaters, etc. Almost, in every operation, technology has become time-consuming means for mankind.

Earlier people used to search for hotels manually. It consumed a lot of time and effort. But nowadays, with a single click on the phone, we can book a suitable room in our desired hotel.

Similarly, shopping consumes a lot of time, as we have to choose between a lot of options that include, clothes, groceries, electronic items, medicines, etc.

However, today, we have the option to buy them online as well. Many applications such as Flipkart, Grofers, Amazon, etc serve this purpose.

3. Technology Provides Options Of Mobility

You can travel to any distant place in a shorter period of time. By boarding an airplane, you can reach any destination in the world you want to, in just less than one day. Visiting faraway places or foreign countries is no longer a dream.

Whether you want to travel through oceans, land, or air, it doesn’t bother you anymore. There are airplanes for air transportation as well as buses, trains, and cars to travel on land and ships and boats for water transport.

A wide range of transportation available in the 21st century is the outcome of technology. It not only has fastened the accessibility to distant places, but it has also eased mobility. 

4. Technology Has Made Communication More Efficient 

Communication is a basic thing that we require every day. It is present anywhere you go. Without communication, almost any work is impossible. 

The industrial revolution was possible only because effective communication originated through technology. Governments, companies, and people communicate all over the world for the exchange and implementation of trade and ideas.

All of these gave rise to the invention of the telegraph. Gradually, the telegraph was modified into a telephone. Later, technology helped in the creation of mobile phones that was followed by smartphones. 

Letters are no more sent by writing on a piece of paper and sending them physically nowadays. Through the invention of the internet and computers, every official work is possible through email or messaging anywhere around the world.

Earlier, it took many days for our message to reach the other person. But in the current century, it takes less than a minute to convey our message to someone.

Communication is very important to solve any problem as well as to maintain relationships. Thus, through technology, communication became one of the most convenient and easiest things for us.

5. Technology Reduces The Price Of Many Things

If you come across the word “cost efficiency” anywhere, then it is necessary that technology is present there. If you go back to the early 80s or 90s, you can find that every piece of work in the industry was done manually.

Production of a small item required a lot of manpower and effort. This process consumed a lot of time, and therefore, production speed was very slow. Moreover, due to manual production, the prices of the produced goods were high. 

But if you consider the present scenario, industries leverage a lot of machinery, artificial intelligence, machine learning strategies, which help them in making the process faster.

Also, they can understand their customer needs better. Understanding customer demands help the companies to produce the right goods for them. Moreover, through technology, companies are producing their goods or providing their services more efficiently.

In addition to that, technology helps industries to reduce the initial costs of their products, which ultimately decreases the selling price. 

Due to the use of technology, competition among different firms has even helped to reduce the price of any particular item. 

6. Technology Can Create Innovators

As we discussed above, innovation creates a lot of competition among different firms. Today, a company that doesn’t embrace modern technology can’t stand out in the competitive world.

Nokia is one of the best examples to explain the above comment. Every smartphone company adjusted its mobile features and services according to the customer’s need.

They regularly use advanced technology to serve the customers with better products. But, Nokia couldn’t embrace technology to that extent. As a result, it got extinct from the market.

The brand, which was the once, leader of the mobile market, stands nowhere today in competition. This example can help us understand how technology can affect you and your organization in any manner.

So, as customers are more tilted towards technology-enabled products, firms and companies along with their research and development departments are pressurized to innovate more in order to launch better products.

Thus, technology has pushed every person or organization to be an innovator in their sector to survive the ongoing race.

For instance, in the field of medical science, researchers are developing more advanced and useful medicines. Similarly, in the case of computers, companies like HP and Lenovo are regularly working on the improvisation of their products.

7. Money Management Has Become Easier And More Convenient

Some years ago, payment was possible only through hard cash. People used to post and private courier services to send money to their friends or relatives. If a transaction got stuck in the middle, then it took months to resolve. 

However, nowadays all the banks have become digital. Digitalization has become effective due to technology. Today, you can transact your money within a few seconds. You no longer need to stand in long queues or take the help of traditional courier methods to send or receive your money.

Whether it is a hospital bill or your insurance premium payment, you can pay everything online through your smartphone or computer.  

Even you can buy any kind of items such as vegetables and fruits using digital payment. There are many applications available on our smartphone, through which you can manage the transaction. Thus, money management has become convenient due to technology.

No matter at which place of the world you are in, you can send money to your needy ones or pay your bills. The development of applications such as PayPal has served the customers to a great extent in the transaction of their money.

8. Technology Has Created Better Learning Methods

Many tech-powered products, software, and gadgets have arrived in the market which has made the learning process easier. 

Earlier, students used to study in the classroom or at their homes using only traditional tools like blackboard, pen, and notebooks. Physically, they had to approach their teachers for any problem or clearance of doubt.

But, the time has changed today. A student starts learning from Google from his/ her early childhood. Tablets and stylus have replaced the books, copies, and pens.

Whenever any doubt arises in the mind of a student, the first thing that he/ she does is approach Google to search for the answers online.

Moreover, many schools and colleges have replaced their traditional classrooms with digital products, such as digital screens, projectors, and much more. Thus, technology has given way to better education methods. 

In addition to this, many organizations have developed applications that offer online classes to students of any standard. Thus, if you are absent from school, it no longer affects the student’s education.

He/ She can sit at home and enjoy the subject or lessons according to his/ her convenience. There are in fact, no more barriers to the quality of education that is being provided.

9. Eased Out the Life Of Physically Challenged

Once upon a time, handicapped and physically disabled people were thought to be very inefficient and a burden on society. They faced problems in their daily lives for performing simple tasks.

But, science and technology have improved to such an extent that even a physically disabled person can perform the activities of an abled person.

For example, blind people found it impossible to study or read anything. But the invention of the Braille script has made reading possible for them.

Similarly, artificial limbs are one of the greatest innovations done in the healthcare field. That means, through technology, physically disabled people become efficient enough to perform a task. Ultimately, physically disabled people can no longer stay hungry or find difficulty in searching for a job.

10. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

These two are one of the greatest inventions in today’s world. Whether it is about a business or any ordinary task in your life, you will always come across the terms – “artificial intelligence and machine learning”. 

Artificial intelligence helps to automate any process used in a specific task. Today, several digitally-enabled companies are using artificial intelligence to a huge extent. 

Have you ever gone to a shopping site, added an item to your cart, and then left the site without buying it. If yes, then you can also see that the ad for the particular item (with a lower price than before) appears on any website you open on your phone or computer. How does this happen? 

This process is called machine learning. The websites track your shopping pattern, your likes, and dislikes and then lure you to buy your favorite items by offering more suggestions or discounts. It is really amazing to know that a machine gets to learn the likes and dislikes of a human being. 

Artificial intelligence and machine learning have a lot more to contribute to the world in the coming years. In fact, in this modern world, it is impossible for any business to make a profit without integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Till now, we discussed the benefits of technology. However, there is a lot more to talk about. As we know, everything has a negative side as well. Similarly, technology can also have an adverse effect on us. It has also many negative impacts on our life that we will discuss below.

Cons of Technology

1. Tech Creates Dependencies

If you find out a specific method through which you can complete a difficult task more easily, then it will be obvious for you to depend on it. You will hesitate to put more effort next time.

You can feel a similar case with technology. It has produced many tools and devices to perform any task within a shorter span of time.

We have become very reliable on those devices. You no longer need to think of any past incident or any upcoming one because you already have your watch or phone to remind you. 

For example, consider mathematical calculation, then you no longer make an attempt to perform the calculation manually. Your calculator will do everything for you. This dependency on small calculations can affect your thought process and logical ability to a great extent.

If we think of the longer term, then our excessive dependency on technology can reduce the need for human labor in any organization in the future. It can anytime lead to unemployment.

2. Many Data Security Concerns

The more technology we use, the more vulnerable we become. Every day, we open many websites on our phones and computers that can breach our privacy.

Moreover, whenever we install any application or software on our phone or computer, we always give permission to our storage, camera, etc.

Many applications take our personal information into their memory storage. In fact, in recent times, many organizations have been condemned for hampering customers’ privacy. 

Many websites keep track of your shopping trend, your likes, and dislikes. Whenever we opt for any online transaction, we enter our debit card and credit card details on various websites.

These websites store the information of our cards in their database. If this data leaks anywhere in the world, then anybody can know about our address, family, working location, etc. Thus, our data becomes more vulnerable. 

In the current scenario, information is the most expensive asset that we own. So, it is crucial to make it more secure and save yourself from cyber attacks.

3. Social Disconnection Increases

Due to the increase in the use of technology, people are interacting less with each other physically. Nowadays, if someone has to convey a message, then he or she drops a text on Whatsapp or Messenger.

Relationships remain strong with physical or face-to-face interaction. In the digital world, you may get connected to a large number of people in a short span of time, but you may not get a perfect friend or partner. 

Earlier, members of a family used to spend time with each other at home. But today, everyone in the family uses a smartphone. He or she stays busy on social networking sites for the whole day. In such situations, the bond between members of a family weakens. 

Moreover, excess use of technology can have adverse effects on our minds. In particular times, it can make us feel depressed or lonely.

4. Second-hand living due to technology

Technology has somehow pushed people to live secondhand life. People no more experience real-life events directly.

Today, if we think of music, then music applications and music channels come to our minds. We just open the application and play any song we want or we change the music channels with a single button on the remote. But we will never think of visiting any real program or concert at that time.

Similarly, we can take photography as another example. People love to see the photos or moments captured through the camera. But in reality, people forget to cherish those moments and sustain the values of those things.

Moreover, people fail to see the beauty in nature and living organisms in real life. They just admire nature through photographs but not in reality.

In short, we have started experiencing life through digital means rather than cherishing it in real life, which is not a positive attitude towards moments, life, and nature.

5. Increase in Plagiarism and Copying

Google means information about the whole world. Today, through the internet, you can have access to any information you want. Almost all data and information about any particular niche are present on the internet.

So, it has become easier for people to copy information or plagiarise them. People can copy your model, ideas, innovations, etc.

Many people represent themselves as great personalities by copying other’s ideas and methods. As discussed above, once you enter the online world, your information is vulnerable to the whole world. 

If you consider the entertainment industry, then the copyright laws are also failing to work there. You can easily download or copy the songs or picture clips from any source. 

6. Obsession with Technology

When one thing gives you too much relaxation and fun, then you get addicted to that very soon. Technology is one of those things.

Earlier, children used to play outside on the field and do a lot of physical activities. But nowadays, children are more addicted to smartphones and tablets. They remain busy playing online games the whole day. There are reported cases, where individuals have got much addicted to online video games that ultimately affected their mental stability. 

Technology is no less than drugs or alcohol. People are no more caring about their personal relationships because they know they can get in touch with someone over the internet.

In place of studying and putting their minds into research, students and adults are wasting their time on social networking sites and games. This kind of addiction affects both the personal and professional life of an individual.

7. Adverse Effect on the Environment

Technology has given rise to industrialization as industries produce a lot of goods on a daily basis. However, the production of these goods includes the release of waste materials and another toxic chemical into land or water.

These toxic things infect the natural sources completely and hamper the other living organisms or animals inhabiting that surrounding.

Similarly, the refrigerators and air conditioners at our homes emit CFCs or Chlorofluorocarbon gases. CFCs affect our air and ozone layer to a great extent.

Excess use of vehicles and motors also leads to air pollution. Global warming is increasing and the amount of fresh water available in the world is decreasing. Due to excess usage, fossil fuels are also becoming limited.

People are cutting trees and clearing vegetation to set up houses and industries. Undoubtedly, the loss of trees has a huge impact on our environment and lives too.

8. Can Lead to War and destroy Human Lives

Due to the advancement of technology, scientists and researchers are coming up with many war machinery and equipment. Many countries in the world own powerful bombs, rockets, and other destructive items.

Technology was embraced to make the lives of people easier. But in the current world, many countries are using it to attack their enemies. The wars between countries lead to the loss of more than a million lives. In place of self-defense, people are using guns to harm their rivals.

9. Increase in Cyber Crime Rate

If good people are using technology for the betterment of our lives and society, there are also some ill-minded people who are using it for their self-interest.

As most of your data is fed into the computer system, many fraud people steal your money using the data. The rate of cyber-crime is increasing rapidly. Robbers are using highly advanced tools and equipment to rob banks. They also use technology to hide their personal data to be tracked. 

Thieves and murderers use guns to rob people and murder them. It has become common to use a gun for committing any crime. In most developed countries, the cyber-crime rate is constantly increasing. In case of such a crime, it becomes very difficult to trace the culprit.

10. Reduction in Human Effort

A person knows the essence of effort when he continuously does his or her work manually. As we discussed above, technology helps to reduce human effort. 

But by the continuous usage of technology, a person becomes so dependent on it that he or she becomes reluctant to put the effort into any work. The word “effort” vanishes from his daily life. 

Here, effort doesn’t mean working hard for something manually and physically. Rather, it means giving your best for any result by working smartly. When humans perform them every task easily through technology, then they take it for granted. Due to technology, humans are becoming slow. 

📗FAQ’s on Pros and Cons of Technology

Below are a couple of queries on the Pros and Cons of Technology that everyone is expecting to answer and I did include the same for my readers.

1. Can Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning reduce the requirement of jobs in the future?

Ans. If you are talking about traditional jobs, then the answer is yes. This is because the same job can be performed by any machine.

But, on the contrary, more jobs will be created in the field of machines and advanced technology to manage them. So, the number of jobs may not be reduced but the requirement for jobs can definitely transform.

2. Was the world before technology better?

Ans. It depends on the perspective of an individual. But without any progress and advancement, humans can’t perform their tasks efficiently. It depends on you to embrace technology in a positive way.

3. Is it true that in the future technology can be used to produce humans?

Ans. Currently, through science and technology, babies are grown as test-tube babies in the lab by taking the sperm and ovum samples. After a certain time, the baby is implanted in the mother’s womb for normal birth.

However, till now we have not seen such advancement in technology that humans can be produced directly.

4. Can technology be used to increase the average age of human life?

Ans. Doctors and scientists are continuously working with the theory of life and death. Technology can help you fight any disease with proper medication and treatment. However, there is no such sign that technology can help in increasing the lifespan of a human.

Wrapping Up

Thus,  in the above article, we discussed the different aspects of technology to comprehend how it is influencing our life. Technology has made the lives of humans function in an easier way.

Due to technology, many difficult tasks have become faster to perform. There were many things in life that seemed impossible in the early 80s or 90s. However, due to advancements in life, almost every task seems possible now.

Through technology, we can reach any part of the world in hours. We can send messages or express our emotions easily. It has given rise to the biggest innovation of the world – automation. Now, humans don’t involve themselves in production manually. Automated machines are used today to produce different goods.

But technology has also a dark side. While some people use technology for the better of our society, others are using it to harm living beings and the environment alike.

The crime rate is increasing in our society. The environment or nature is also getting affected due to the increase in industrialization and use of toxic materials that are continuously destroying land, air, and water. Toxins are affecting the lives of aquatic animals to a great extent.

Besides, technology has made humans more dependent and lazy. It has also affected human beings both mentally and physically. 

Hence, technology has both pros and cons. But the decision is ours on which side to adapt to. If you embrace the good side of it, then you will never face any problem. Making good use of technology can bring happiness to humans and the environment.

On the contrary, making bad use of it can make an unimaginable and destructive effect. So, use it wisely!