A world without technology is unimaginable and inhabitable. It is difficult for human beings to survive without modern-day technological advancements. Some of the technologies that we rely on and would be difficult to get through the day or night without include the internet, mobile phone, refrigerator, and car. However, these technological innovations have negative impact on life, society, and the environment.
The mobile phone is a disturbing device. People always get distracted during work and meetings. It is not only a disturbance at work but also in life. During sleep, when a phone rings, we are forced to wake up. Using mobile phone while driving has been identified as a leading cause of road accidents. The internet and mobile phones have taken much of children’s time thus neglecting other aspects of healthy living such as exercising and socializing. Studies have discovered that old models of mobile phones had strong phone radiation which caused sterility, tumors, and blood cancer (Miller et al., 1998). The internet is platform for cyberbullying and cyber-crimes. Spending long hours on the internet for instance playing computer games can cause obesity and an unhealthy lifestyle. Through the internet, children access pornographic and violent images that are undesirable for kids. Personal privacy and security have been greatly compromised on mobile phones because we are always sharing personal details online (Kelsey, 2018). Disposal of fridges and microwaves present a serious environmental hazard. Fridges and microwaves contain chemical compounds such as hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) which are unfriendly to the environment and human health. Microwaves like any other electrical appliances pose a risk of fire if not maintained and used properly.
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The discovery of electricity was the magic of science as almost every human activity depends on it. Electricity has significantly simplified daily lives of human beings. The concept of electricity opened opportunities for other groundbreaking discoveries. In fact, after the discovery of electricity, scientists discovered that the brain and nervous system communicates through electric impulses called action potentials. Electricity can be obtained from coal, fossil fuels, petroleum fuels, nuclear power plants, wind, or hydropower (Dogaru, 2020). Electric energy is the most reliable source of heating, cooling, and lighting. All electric gadgets ranging from mobile phones, refrigerators, televisions, and washing machines run on electric energy. Government offices, hospitals, factories, police, and armies depend on electricity to communicate, assist, and govern effectively.
Some sources of electricity use biomass that release sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the air. These oxides are dangerous pollutants that significantly contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer (Mahmud, et al., 2020). Using coal to produce electricity produces carbon dioxide which is a greenhouse gas responsible for rising temperatures on Earth’s surface. Nuclear power plants produce radioactive materials which remain radioactive for thousands of years and are harmful to human and wildlife health. Electricity poses a great risk of fire, short-circuiting, shocks, and accidents. For instance, the Chernobyl nuclear explosion of 1986 in the Soviet Union released radioactive materials through Easter Europe. The disaster killed 32 people and since then, thousands have suffered various health complications. A medical study in 2002 reported 4000 cases of thyroid cancer which is closely associated with exposure to radioactive substances (Mousseau et al., 2020).
The importance of electricity outweighs its dangers. Without electricity, the world would come to a grinding halt. Operations in hospitals, factories, and government offices would stop. Production of goods and services that rely on electricity would be adversely affected. However dire the negative effects can be, the world cannot survive for a day without electricity.
Part II: Science and Technology in A Multicultural World
The western high-tech research approach has proven effective in testing and diagnostics and treatment. Patients are able to get diagnosed at early stages especially with chronic illnesses. This has been made possible through systematic high technology research which has birthed modern medical equipment like X-Rays and medicinal drugs (Satcher et al., 2005). However, a major disadvantage of this approach is that the discoveries of modern equipment and medicinal drugs have been found to have further short-term and long-term health complications. For instance, X-Rays and chemotherapy procedures can damage body cells.
Traditional medicine or alternative medicine uses a natural approach to treating diseases. Herbal medicine is extracted from plants has proven effective in treating illnesses and does not have other health complications. The main disadvantage of traditional medicine is that, despite the continued usage, some medicines have not been studied scientifically to establish suitability (Satcher et al., 2005). It uses a trial-and-error approach to healing diseases that can be dangerous to human health.
A multicultural approach to medical treatment is beneficial because culture influences the understanding and meaning of good health, defines how patients interact with healthcare professionals, how to handle disease, decision making, the need to dutifully follow a treatment plan and shapes the attitudes towards death. Western high-tech research approach and traditional medicine can complement each other because both have been proven to have benefits. The western approach can be used to refine traditional medicine through systematic research. On the other hand, traditional medicine can provide solutions in form of medicinal drugs. Studying both cultural approaches to medical treatment further helps in the effective handling of patients.
The main challenge in combining the two cultural approaches is suspicion and mistrust (Satcher et al., 2005). Traditional medicine adherents may avoid seeking healthcare from western medicine when ill due to mistrust. Also, research on traditional medicine may encounter resistance and rigidity because proponents of alternative medicine believe that healing comes from God. Differences in diets and the approaches to treatment such as removing clothes for injection are not universal in both cultures. Language barrier and cultural beliefs such as not allowing a medical professional to touch or inject a patient from the opposite gender pose a threat to merging the two cultures.
References
Dogaru, L. (2020). The Main Goals of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Renewable Energy Perspectives. Procedia Manufacturing , 46 , 397-401.
Miller, R., Michalski, W., Stevens, B., & Secretariat, O. E. C. D. (1998). The promises and perils of 21st-century technology: An overview of the issues. 21st , 7.
Mousseau, T. A., & Møller, A. P. (2020). Plants in the Light of Ionizing Radiation: What Have We Learned From Chernobyl, Fukushima, and Other “Hot” Places?. Frontiers in Plant Science , 11 , 552.
Satcher, D., Pamies, R. J., & Woelfl, N. N. (2005). Multicultural medicine and health disparities . McGraw-Hill.
Kelsey, T. (2018). The present and future of techno-scepticism: two books on the dangers of technology. Renewal: a Journal of Labour Politics , 26 (4), 92-95.
