That technology continues to transform human life is undeniable. Today, individuals are able to carry out complex tasks with ease thanks to technology. For example, firms have replaced human workers with robots which function more effectively and cost less to acquire and maintain. Social media has revolutionized how humans engage. Thanks to this technology, individuals are able to form and join social networks that enhance their wellbeing (Best, Manktelow & Taylor, 2014). While it has presented a wide range of positive impacts, technology has also had detrimental impacts on society. A brief examination at the state of society today reveals that technology is a destructive force that threatens to decimate the pillars that sustain society.
For one to understand that technology is a destructive force, they simply need to examine the distractions that it has caused. Today, more and more people are abandoning such social units as families and friends as they seek the company of social media. Distraction and addiction are some of the negative impacts of technology. Andreassen Cecile and her colleagues explore how technology causes distractions and is responsible for addiction. They give particular focus to social media and the impacts that it continues to have on the psychological wellbeing of individuals (Andreassen et al., 2016). These scholars argue that internet and social media addiction is a serious problem that negatively affects the health of users. They observe that females are particularly vulnerable to social media addiction (Andreassen et al., 2016). If the female population is to be insulated against the damaging impacts of social media and technology in general, society needs to acknowledge that social media has devastating impacts.
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The negative impacts of technologies such as social media go beyond causing distractions and addiction. In addition to these impacts, technology is responsible for the breakdown of social institutions such as families. Today, people spend most of their time glued to their screens. They fail to create time for meaningful interaction with families and friends. Moira Burke joined forces with two other scholars to probe the impact that social media has on the social wellbeing of users. Their findings are indeed worrying and highlight the dangers of social media. They observe that “users who consume greater levels of content report reduced bridging and bonding social capital and increased loneliness” (Burke, Marlow & Lento, 2010). Essentially, this finding suggests that social media has failed to discharge its mandate. Instead of enhancing social interactions as it was designed to, social media leaves users feeling more empty and lonely. The impacts of social media extend beyond exposing individuals to loneliness and robbing them of their social capital. In his article, Bernie Hogan (2010) observes that social media forces individuals to create and portray unreal and manufactured versions of themselves. It is common for individuals to post flattering pictures while neglecting to mention the hardships that they endure. Essentially, social media fuels insecurity and a hunger for attention and validation. Timo Gnambs and Markus Appel echo the concerns that Hogan raises in his article. Their article examines the link between narcissism and the use of social media. According to the results of their study, there is a “small to moderate effect… for grandiose narcissism that replicated across different social networking platforms (Gnambs & Appel, 2017). This finding suggests that social media has created a society where individuals are obsessed with themselves. The effects that social media has had on the social lives of individuals indicate that technology is a destructive force.
Sleep plays a critical role in enhancing the health of an individual. Individuals who do not get enough sleep suffer cognitive impairment (Killgore, 2010). They are unable to perform such cognitive functions as remembering and learning effectively. Social media has been linked to poor sleeping habits. Writing for the Huffington Post, Michael Breus argues that constant social media use makes it nearly impossible for individuals to have adequate sleep. He notes that technology has created a digital generation that does not recognize the value of sleep. Breus observes that “the most frequent social media users… had nearly three times the risk of sleep disturbance” (Breus, 2017). This observation is clear evidence that social media and other technologies have damaging impacts on society. Breus is not alone in his assertion that the use of social media denies individuals adequate and quality sleep. Tamar Shochat and his colleagues also examine this issue in their article. They give particular focus to the impact of exposure to bright screens on the quality of sleep. They observe that poor sleeping patterns result from excessive social media use and exposure to bright screens (Shochat, Flint-Bretler & Tzischinsky, 2010). The poor quality of sleep that individuals receive points to the fact that technology has a damaging impact on society. Unless society takes action to shield its members against the damaging impacts, it will continue to suffer harm.
Social media networks were designed to be safe spaces that allow for healthy and meaningful interaction. To some extent, these networks have allowed individuals to engage in safe and private environments. However, for the most part, social media has exposed individuals to a wide range of harms. These harms are the focus of an article that Gwenn O’Keefe authored in collaboration with other scholars. In the article, the scholars note with concern that social media threatens the wellbeing of adolescents. They note that due to social media, adolescents are experiencing depression and are exposed to inappropriate content (O’Keefe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011). They identify cyberbullying and sexting as other harmful impacts that social media is responsible for. O’Keefe and Clarke-Pearson add that social media has led to privacy concerns. Today, technology companies routinely collect user information that is used for marketing purposes. David Luxton and his colleagues continue the discussion that O’Keefe and Clarke-Pearson initiate on the negative impacts of social media. Their article explores the link between social media and the threat of suicide. They observe that “there is increasing evidence that social media can influence suicide-related behavior” (Luxton, June & Fairall, 2012). The US and other countries have witnessed dozens of suicides that result from cyberbullying. Society cannot continue to lose young individuals to suicide. Urgent intervention is needed to protect these individuals and restore social media networks to the safe spaces that they were designed to be.
Creativity is one of the fundamental pillars of any stable nation. The US has achieved progress thanks to the creativity of its people. It is true that technology has exposed individuals to a wealth of information. One would be forgiven for expecting that with greater access to information, individuals will be more creative. As Kyung Hee Tim reveals in his article, this expectation does not coincide with the reality. Tim notes with concern that over the last few decades, a worrying decline in creativity levels among children has been witnessed (Tim, 2011). He notes that students in the 12 th grade today are not as creative as children from previous years. He adds that the decline in creativity has also been observed among adults. While it is true that Tim does not blame the fall in creativity on technology, linking technology to this fall is fair. Technology has made it extremely easy for individuals to access information. It has effectively robbed individuals of reasons to create and innovate. Therefore, it is little wonder that such scholars as Tim have observed a decline in levels of creativity among different populations.
The discussion this far has focused on the impact that social media has on the lives of individuals. For a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of social media, it is helpful to explore how the operations of companies have changed as a result of social media and other technologies. Today, most companies rely on technology for their operations. Thanks to their adoption of technology, these firms have witnessed greater efficiency and lower costs of operations. However, the over-reliance on the technology exposes the firms to great risk. It is indeed possible that the technology could fail. In this event, the operations of these firms could stall. There have been reports of companies being forced to suspend their operations as a result of a breakdown of technology. For example, in 2017, the National Health Services in the United Kingdom suffered a cyber-attack. This attack created chaos and confusion across dozens of hospitals in England (Griffin, 2017). The attack highlighted how over-reliance on technology exposes companies to vulnerabilities. Whereas it is true that modern technology enhances the operations of companies, it also blinds the companies to the vulnerabilities that they face. If they wish to reap the full benefits of technology, firms need to anticipate the dangers that their application of technology presents.
In conclusion, mankind has made remarkable progress in the development of technologies. Such technologies as social media have provided numerous opportunities for development. However, the technologies are also to blame for some of the unpleasant realities that are being witnessed today. Social media is responsible for depression, cyberbullying and suicide. Moreover, scholars have established that social media fuels narcissism and erodes social ties. Social media has also raised privacy concerns. The continued and uninterrupted operations of companies cannot be guaranteed as firms continue to rely on technology. If society is to enjoy the full benefits of technology, it ought to move with speed and address the many negative effects.
References
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