When you look at virtually any aspect of business, industry, healthcare, and education, there is ongoing and fervent discussion about how best to increase the role of technology within that sector. Many resist, of course, claiming that technology is destructive and threatens jobs. Fans of technology say that it promises to make life better for everyone, and that the so-called “destruction” it brings is actually creative as many new careers spring forth in a new higher-tech world.
Others fear that the bigger problem to discuss should be about how much we rely on technology. Some technology has a clearly beneficial application, such as allied health reporting software in hospitals. Others are more questionable, such as automated or AI-powered customer service solutions, which frequently leave customers more frustrated.
Is our increasing reliance on technology a good or bad thing?
Good - It Speeds Up Essential Work
High tech equipment is making the “nuts and bolts” parts of our work that can otherwise be quite mundane and time consuming, much faster and more efficient. Even the simple research tool of a search engine like Google makes finding and securing facts a much faster job, which greatly speeds up the creation of reports, journalistic writing, and more. Beyond this example, there’s virtually no workplace where technology isn’t now helping people complete the more tedious element of their jobs.
AI-powered proofreading tools are speeding up the work of writing emails, letters, and media content; instant data sharing allows doctors to see test results of their patients without having to wait for nurses or administration workers to bring it manually for them to read and interpret; cloud computing makes file sharing as easy as a drag and drop…and so the list goes on. Less time wasted on the mundane means more time and energy to focus on the magnificent.
Good - It Creates High-Paying Jobs
The greater integration of technology means more demand for tech companies to develop tech- based solutions for all kinds of business problems. These companies need workers, which means thousands and thousands of high-paying, highly skilled jobs. As we embrace technology more, it does seem that some jobs do get eliminated, but if that same technology is creating opportunities in a higher-paying and more competitive sector, then that’s a good thing. That is what’s known as “creative destruction”.
Good - It Makes Life Easier And More Enjoyable
Greater reliance on technology is a big part of what makes life easier on all of us, and what gives us the spare time to pursue more hobbies and interests, not to mention spend time with our families, or even build a career. No group has benefited more from such advances than women. Where in the past women were confined to households with mountains of unpaid labour, they can now turn their efforts toward paid labour thanks to all the energy- and time- saving devices that now render domestic chores either automated, or easily achieved by either spouse in a relationship.
Bad - It Leaves Us Vulnerable
Technology has made life easier in many ways, but it also leaves us open to new forms of attack, some of which could be even more destructive on our lives and careers than any kind of physical attack. Inputting our personal data here, there and everywhere leaves us open to identity theft, and all kinds of fraud. The elderly in particular are vulnerable to phone- and Internet-based scams, and kids very often leave their devices and social media wide open to manipulation.
Another area of vulnerability is that of increasing reliance on others with technical knowledge. In the event of system malfunctions, technical faults, or failures in technology, very few of us have the real skills to repair them. That puts a strain on things.
