Jasmine Inthavong

ENG 112

November 3 2019

The Evaluation of Technological Advancements

Technology has had a major impact on society now more than ever. Society has been able to

grow and flourish as a result of technological advancements. Over recent decades, technology has

advanced at an exponential rate. An example of this would be the evolution of phones. From rotary

phones to payphones to flip phones to Iphones, phones have changed steadily in a span of just a hundred

years. ​The purpose of every technological invention that is created is to benefit the lives of everyone. This

reinforces that technological advancements have had a positive impact on society and that it is seen as

being almost always beneficial. Although there are some instances in which people view technological

advancements as being one of the many detriments to society. ​”The debate on how technology is affecting

[society] rages on” (Jagyasi). ​There are both benefits and drawbacks to technological advancements that

most people don’t realize nor do they realize that there are many different types of technological

advancement. However, it is clear that the benefits of technological advancements far outweigh the

drawbacks.

When people usually think about technological advancements they think of it in terms of it being

in one field or spectrum. Most people think of advancements in technology in relation to the engineering

field. Although this is true, there are many more different types of technological advancements. One of

the main technological advancements that are used daily in the community is in the healthcare field. In

relation to healthcare, there has been a great amount of technology that has evolved over the years.

Instead of having to do everything by hand, healthcare professionals are now able to type patient

information on a computer. In the past healthcare professionals wrote all patient information by hand,
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making it a more lengthy process. With technological advancements over recent years, it is now a faster

and more effective way for both the patient and the healthcare professional. “Today, much of what nurses

do involves using a computer - before, during and after the human or one-on-one interaction with a

patient ” (Leflar). As a result of most patient information today being electronic, it is easier for healthcare

professionals to be able to transfer patient information. An example of a system that is used in healthcare

today is Epic Systems. This system is one of the biggest providers of health information technology and is

used mostly by U.S. hospitals and health systems in order to access, organize, store and share electronic

medical records. Another type of technological advancement that most people don’t think of is​ global

welfare. Global welfare is the health, happiness, and fortunes of people worldwide. Each country has their

a different state of development they are currently in. The United States would be considered as a

developed country while Brazil would be considered as a developing country. In order to help global

welfare, there has been the implementation of technology in areas that don’t have access to it. However,

there have been unforeseen consequences as a result of this.“The real impact of advances in technology

on global welfare is [still] an unresolved issue” (Fazel). Another type of technological advancement that

people don’t think about is technological advancement in relation to how it affects people cognitively.

Technology has been such an important part of people’s life that they have become entirely dependent on

it. “On the other side of the story, digitalization comes with some challenges, exerted both at the

individuals' and communities' level” (Petraşuc). This makes arises the question as to whether or not this

would affect human thinking and human intellect.

When it comes to technological advancements, the first thing that people think of is all the

benefits that come along with it. Technological advancements in healthcare are beneficial to society. In

relation to healthcare, “technological change brings benefits in addition to costs—increased longevity,

improved quality of life, less time absent from work, and so on” (Cutler 11). With technological

advancements there has been an increase of medical care cost over time, but this does not necessarily
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mean that technological change is bad or negative. This comparison brings up the question as to whether

or not it is worth it in relation to cost. Some of these benefits include lower infant mortality and better

treatment of heart attacks due to technological advancements, although the cost of these treatments are

quite expensive. “Recognizing that there are other benefits to medical care, we conclude that medical

spending as a whole is clearly worth the cost” (Cutler 12). Along with technological advancements, ​new

technologies lead more people to be treated for disease. When treatment for diseases is effective, getting it

to more people is beneficial. This in turn helps with the health of all people in a community. Longer life

as well as the improved quality of life is the most important benefit of technological advancements in the

healthcare field. ​Another benefit of technological advancements is that it has played a key role for people

to overcome their disadvantages. “​Technological advancement has been a defining feature of the modem

industrial economy. While such advancement is often portrayed as a process in which tech-savvy

individuals prosper while low-skilled people are left behind in a digital divide” (Saving). In actuality,

those who lack strength or mobility can use machines to lift objects or move from one location to another,

those who lack dexterity can operate machines that perform manual labor, and people who can’t read can

perform tasks by touching pictures on a computer screen rather than typing. Technological advancements

have helped to reduce the need for physical skills and people who previously lacked the requisite

qualifications to work have been able to become employable. Technological advancements benefits

workers of all skill levels in relation to job hunting. This process is often often cumbersome and

time-consuming. People who were in search of work usually had to travel from city to city or spent days

in libraries shifting through copies of major newspapers to find jobs.This process of finding work could

take months or even years for people. ​Today the job-search process has become much faster for workers

and companies alike and now millions of resumes are put online for potential employers to see. ​In relation

to education, there are some positive aspects for technological advancements. With the internet, education

has been transformed. ​There is more knowledge and information available online than ever before, “be it
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history or math, languages or chemistry from kindergarten kids to adult students in community colleges

they have everything available at their command” (Jagyasi). Children are smarter than ever before and it

may be due to technological innovation and progress made in the information sector and computing.

As a result of technological advancements there are some disadvantages. One drawback of

technological advancements is that there are cyber threats that come along with it. As technology

advances, so do cyber threats. “Today, cyber threats are risks to governments, corporations and many

other institutions as well as individuals”(Kilaz). An important part in cyber defense is manpower. This is

because it takes longer to train cyber defense personnel compared to conventional military branches and

there is a scarcity of cyber human resources. Everyday on a global scale military, energy, and many other

sensitive government networks, websites and critical IT infrastructures are being attacked through

cyberspace. In cyberspace there are many threats that stem from nation-states, terrorist organizations,

organized crime groups, and individual cyber criminals. These threats are extremely dangerous because

they could have the ability to obtain personal information from the government, corporations, institutions,

or even just a community of people. Although it is true that cyber threats have been manifested as a result

of technological advancements, the government has taken steps to help make this less of an issue. “The

arrival of cyberspace as the new domain of warfare and the proliferation of cyber threats prompted a swift

reaction from government” (Kilaz). As a result of this, the government and military have started to recruit

people outside the military. This would include people like cyber warriors or hackers. Reaching out for

recruitment could be assisted by calling the attention of the younger generation, tomorrow's cyber talent,

to start technical skills in this field. Recently, the military had decided to convert some of the existing

communications, signal and all other relevant branches into the new cyber specialty in order to help with

this problem as well.

Another drawback of technological advancements is that it can affect people cognitively in

relation to education. The age of digitalization comes with challenges for both individuals and in
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communities. ​Technology has been seen as a form of ​substitution of all characteristics of life. An example

of this is in the school system. The traditional way of learning is rapidly replaced by new technological

approaches due to this. Students of all grades now speak less and instead choose to type more on their

computers; they don't remember things as well as they use their computer to find all the needed answers

or solutions for their work. “As a result, a weakening of cognitive processes, abstract vocabulary,

reflection ability, critical thinking and imagination occurs, as psychologist Patricia Greenfield states”

(Petraşuc). However, there is another side to technological advancements in education. The use of

computers in the classroom is beneficial to the environment. When computers are in use, paper is not.

This means that there are fewer textbooks and worksheets being made as most are now documents online.

Today it is common in schools for students and teachers to have computers, with the goal to improve the

learning process and make it more attractive. This would greatly help students be more active in the

classroom and actually focus and do their work. Having the traditional way of learning and the

technological approach of learning in the classroom gives the students the best of both worlds to better

learn the material taught. ​Another drawback of technological advancement is that it affects global welfare.

Looking at globalization in relation to technological advances in information technology, it has had an

impact on the economies of developing countries based on a Human Development report. Most people

don’t realize that this causes developing countries to lag further behind. Some studies have come to the

conclusion that the investment of technology is an important factor in improving the economic welfare of

all countries. However, one important factor about these studies is that they have treated technology

investment as an independent variable explaining growth in economic welfare. “I​n most developing

countries, there are not many opportunities for a technological unemployed individual to undertake the

necessary education or training to win a place in the new technological job market”(Fazel). The most

important thing to take out of this is that a​ccording to the well accepted rules of growth theory, new

technology doesn’t guarantee increased productivity and economic growth. However, technological
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advancements have helped to improve the standard of living in industrialized countries. To make

technological advancements have more benefits and fewer drawbacks the World Bank has come up with

some ways that can combat this.​"To reap the greatest benefits, countries must create the right

environment for technology: regulations that facilitate competition and market entry, skills that enable

workers to leverage the digital economy, and institutions that are accountable to people. Digital

technologies can, in turn, accelerate the pace of development" (W’bank). As a result of the digital

revolution it is able to transform the world, aid in information flows, and facilitate the rise of developing

countries that are able to take advantage of these new opportunities.

“Technology continues to have a major impact on all aspects of our lives. At home, we turn to our

personal computers to play games, contact loved ones and access online information. At work, computer

programs often keep us on time and on task while electronic files are used to store important documents”

(Leflar). With the advancements of technology there are both benefits and drawbacks. Technological

advancements have helped to improve learning techniques and innovations in many fields like healthcare,

global welfare, and the government level. In actuality, the benefits of technological advancements far

outweigh the disadvantages as society would not have been the same as it is in now with all the

advancements created and done.

Works Cited

Cutler, David M., and Mark McClellan. "Is Technological Change in Medicine Worth it?"​ Health Affairs,​

vol. 20, no. 5, 2001, pp. 11-29​. ProQuest​,

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https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/204631162?acc

ountid=10163, doi:​http://dx.doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.20.5.11​.

Fazel, Shokoofeh. "Advances in Technology and Global Welfare."​ Humanomics​, vol. 19, no. 3, 2003, pp.

36-40​. ProQuest​,

https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/203023182?acc

ountid=10163, doi:​http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/eb018887​.

Jagyasi, Prem. "Are the Innnovative Technological Advancements Making Us Smart Or Lazy?"​ProQuest,​

Oct 18, 2017,

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countid=10163​.

Kilaz, Ilker, Akif Onder, and Murat Yanik. ​Manpower Planning and Management in Cyber Defense.

Academic Conferences International Limited, Reading, 2014​. ProQuest​,

https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1859443945?ac

countid=10163​.

Leflar, Jennifer. "Health Care Providers and Patients Benefit from Technological Advancements: 1]."

Leader Post, May 07, 2012. ProQuest,

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countid=10163​.

Petraşuc, Ana-Maria G., and Daniela Popescul. ​The Dark Side of Digitalization: Information and

Communication Technology Influence on Human Learning Processes. v​ ol. 2, "Carol I" National

Defence University, Bucharest, 2019​. ProQuest,​

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https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/2213790762?ac

countid=10163, doi:​http://dx.doi.org/10.12753/2066-026X-19-085​.

Saving, Jason L. "The Effect of Welfare Reform and Technological Change on Unemployment."

Economic & Financial Review​, 2000, pp. 26-34​. ProQuest​,

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ountid=10163​.

"W'Bank - Benefits of Technological Advancement Still Low in Developing Countries."​AllAfrica.com​,

Jan 15, 2016​. ProQuest​,

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countid=10163​.