Technology is an ever-expanding field that affects every aspect of our lives. The word technology was originated from the German verb tegeten which means “to put in motion” and was first used to refer to new technological developments back in the 18th century. Technology is the collective term for any methods, skills, processes, or methods utilized in the creation of products or services or in the achievement of specific goals, including scientific research. The development of new and more efficient technologies is a process that is continually being refined, updated, and developed by a wide range of individuals and organizations, with the primary objective of improving the quality of life through technological innovations.
The history of technology can be traced as far as the ancient Mayans and Aztecs. Some specialists believe that the popularity of technology can trace its roots directly to these ancient civilizations. Others believe that the development of new technologies, specifically in reference to the electrical, mechanical, and architectural aspects of daily life, was initiated by humans themselves, either intentionally or unintentionally. In modern times, technology has become crucial to the way we live our lives. People rely on technology for transportation, information exchange, work, entertainment, and communication, not to mention all the other things they do for a living.
The process of technology transfer is nothing new. However, advances in knowledge and technology have resulted in many changes in how society thinks about technology. For example, prior to the age of computers and electronic media, people did not give much thought to how their belongings would be stored or organized, or what processes would be involved in the transmission of information. With the advent of computer technology and the internet, however, these issues became more significant. Now, instead of simply storing documents, photographs, videos, and music, users not only store these items electronically, but also organize them in ways that are not only easily accessible, but that are able to be searched for and retrieved at a moments notice.
Technology is also changing the way society looks at itself. Many of the processes in which society looks to technology have become dysfunctional or obsolete. People no longer use fax machines to send messages or conduct business deals over the phone, nor do they visit a website to learn more about a particular product before purchasing it. The process of “digital marketing” is becoming more widespread as users do not respond to emails in a timely fashion or access multimedia content through the web. Similarly, businesses use technology to manage their records rather than relying on paper-based systems. By streamlining processes and automating repetitive tasks, technology has created a better means of conducting business and gaining access to all that modern society has to offer.
On the other hand, the process of technology transfer is not without its problems. Human interaction has been a large part of the development of technology, and as human interaction decreases, the level of technological complexity increases. As information circulates through different networks, the amount of data available to humans decreases as well. As information is stored in digital form rather than in human forms, there is a decreased likelihood of error and an increase of potential downtime.
Technology can change the way society works, but only if society allows the technology to change. The ability to change, even when technology fails to do so successfully, changes the nature of how communication takes place and creates a much more dynamic world. Technology has already affected many aspects of life and continues to do so on a daily basis. Changing the way communication takes place and the way it is organized has both positives and negatives. People can use technology to their advantage and can also be affected by it.