Introduction
The culture of a society is reflected in values, norms and practices. Culture observes itself through individuals to reflect their perception, practices, and values and in transfer of technology.
Technology has a crucial impact on fundamental aspects of all our cultures including health, language, art, mobility, education and religion. Culture of a community acts as a standard for perceiving, judging and evaluating the technology. As technology affects all the components of culture, it determines the direction of cultural development.
To occupy the larger cultural dimension, technology should be in harmony with social and cultural conditions of community else there exists a friction between
technological development and preservation of cultural values. A rational balance allows people to exercise freedom of expression in the technical world which is beyond one’s ethnicity, age, or level of education.
People use it for fulfilling their fantasies but a cultural downfall may occur due to lack of restrictions, regulation and/or consequences.
Technology impact on human health
When it comes to primary care of men and women, Portland physicians are increasingly seeing patients who exhibit signs of technology overuse, particularly with the current reliance on smartphones in our day-to-day lives. By considering the following symptoms linked to technology addiction, you can continue harnessing its power to improve your overall well-being while staying connected. Here are a few key considerations around technology use and how it affects our health.
Digital eye strain
When we gaze at a screen for long periods of time, we often forget to blink. In fact, research has shown that digital eye strain reduces our blink rate by half, which means the tears that protect our eyes evaporate without being replaced. Additionally, reading the smaller fonts on a smartphone or other portable device can intensify the strain.
As a result, nearly 60 percent of adults report symptoms of digital eye strain, which include dry eyes, headaches, blurred vision, burning, itching, difficulty focusing and pain in the neck or shoulders. For most people, eye strain merely causes discomfort but it doesn’t typically result in any long-term problems.
Sleeping disorder
We love our devices so much that many of us even sleep with them. One study found that 71 percent of smartphone owners keep their phone next to their bed at night to ensure they don’t miss a thing.
Another study found that over 40 percent of bedside smartphone users wake up from noises or lighting from notifications coming from their device.
It might seem like a harmless habit, but late-night technology use can interfere with your ability to sleep. According to a Gallup poll, 40 percent of Americans say they’re not getting enough sleep.
The National Sleep Foundation and Swedish researchers discovered a link between heavy cell phone use and increased sleep disorders in men and women, as well as children.
Physical inactivity
The use of modern technology like Smartphones, computers, video games, etc, leads to decreasing physical exercising and fitness levels as people use such modern technological gadgets for longer durations. In a recent study covering college students in Thailand, researchers found that students experiencing smartphone addiction participated in less physical activity compared to those who moderated their use.
Logically, spending more time on the couch and watching TV or playing video games reduces the time you spend staying active. However, the link between obesity and gaming is marginally associated with weight gain in adults, with exposure to unnatural blue light from a TV and smart devices being more associated with obesity.
Technological Impact on Tradition
There always exists a tough competition between technology and tradition in a community. Technology has constrained the world into a global village by globalization. Imagination of today’s life without electricity, transportation, communication, etc. takes us back in time. The advancement in the field of medical science, engineering, economy, etc. is as a result of technology.
Industrialization, Urbanization, Modernization, Development of the means of transport and communication is all possible as a result of the positive impact of technology. It also helps in networking of the culture, tradition and coherence of the society. The 21st century has been so much forward due to the progress of technology.
As seen in TED talks, Sherry Turkle says “As we expect more from technology; we start to expect less from each other.” She points out that we’re not building a relationship with each other, but building a relationship with technology as if it’s a real thing.
Connecting electronically can also lead to isolation which is as a result of constant sensory stimulus of texts, tweets, facebook, emails and more rather than thinking and listening to each other.
Dominance of western culture on recessive culture can be a vital example of the negative impact of technology. Violation of social values and loss in coherence of tradition is a result of technology.
Tradition style thrives if they have their recognized value. Technology helps to modify methods of production or industrialization rather than killing the tradition. Thus, technology allows
preservation of tradition if the beneficiary part is taken into account.
Technological Impact on Social Values
The technology has given a wide range of topics to be discussed. People get to know extensive knowledge about any subject and more information has been shared effectively.
Technology assists in transformation of the economy and the evolution of new social classes too. Technology plays a crucial role in strengthening interpersonal connection. It has contributed in the sector of health, transportation, electricity, etc. to all the demographic factors of society Eg: Modern farming replaced rudimentary farming allowing increased crops, less time investment, etc. Whereas people invest more time in technology and less time in the social environment.
Technology has been blamed for the turndown of traditional media such as TV and newspaper, etc. The complete use of technology has been limited in the periphery of educated people only. The more technology grows up, the more human regresses. The invention of robots and machines has made humans lazy and dependent. Bombs, nuclear weapons and missiles exist due to use of technology.
Implementation of technology influences the values of society by changing expectations and realities. Over emphasizing technology has created a lack of trust among people. Technology can also be blamed for unemployment, cultural lag and changes in social institutions.
Conclusion
While modern technology has undoubtedly revolutionized our lives in many ways, it is important to acknowledge the negative impacts it has brought along. From the erosion of privacy to the addictive nature of social media, we find ourselves grappling with the unintended consequences of our reliance on technology. It is crucial that we approach these issues with caution and mindfulness, seeking to strike a balance between the benefits and drawbacks of the digital age. By doing so, we can harness the power of technology while mitigating its negative impacts, ensuring a future where we can thrive both digitally and in the real world.
–The author, a resident of Magam Handwara, is a student of J&MC at GOVT.COLLEGE FOR WOMEN, M.A.ROAD, SRINAGAR. She can be reached at mirmantasha00@gmail.com
