Technology has without a doubt, transformed the landscape of the world. We now reside in a world that we perhaps might not even have envisaged a few years ago.
However, many of us must have held expectations that are probably ‘too high’ such as flying cars or robots taking over the world.
Here in this article, we will contrast the expectations and reality that most people have held with regards to technology.
Expectation #1 Technology will increase our productivity levels
Productivity levels and criteria vary from person to person. How people use technology for completing their tasks also differs from person to person accordingly. Many people tend to rely on technology for researching and acquiring knowledge and for automating most of the tasks.
However, technology has brought with it social media and other types of media that boast of their own negative and positive sides as well. Moreover, when it comes to research, a lot of information on the internet may not be entirely accurate.
As far as social media is concerned, a lot of the individuals fall victim to the habit of procrastination and endless scrolling on their feeds, which only consumes their mental energy and their time that could have been used for something more productive.
Also, we often assume that tools such as Trello have made it easier for keeping track of activities. However, for many individuals, these tools pose a larger learning curve and hence lead to lots of wastage of time.
Expectation #2 Technology will make us more independent
Technology might have made us independent in the sense that we can now navigate our routes better, we can verify different kinds of information better and we can plan our tasks without external much better.
However, if you consider these points from a different perspective, it has actually made us much more dependent. If previously we utilised our memory for remembering the routes better, now we will just head over to Google Maps to revisit the route instead.
Similarly, no person would go through a book to verify any kind of information and will make use of the internet to authenticate the information instead. A student may consider getting a dissertation proposal help from the internet rather than exercise their own potential.
Many individuals are used to automated calendars and notetaking for their daily tasks. Remove these options from them even for a day and they will be unable to function well. A huge number of the populace, especially in first world countries prefer keeping a dishwasher than getting their hands dirty, hence making them dependent on the dishwasher.
Expectation #3 Technology will keep us connected 24/7
It is true that technology has vastly helped in bridging the gap between countries seven seas away and has thus helped in globalization too. We are a short call away from a relative or friend living on a continent far away.
In fact, with the help of technology, we have witnessed the emergence and rise of ‘remote work’ that comprises freelance work, part-time work, and even full-time work! One can handle a large-scale business, spread across different regions much better with the help of new tools.
However, if you dive deeper, you might be able to relate that technology has replaced many of the face-to-face meetings and gatherings we used to have, therefore creating a division between us.
A large population of individuals today still prefer one-on-one conversations as they can express their sentiments better and communicate their thoughts better too. Text messaging cannot convey our sentiments with accuracy and video calls may cause anxiety to many as well.
Moreover, many people end up being ‘ghosted’ meaning that they do not receive their reply and the other person disappears away.
Is It Wrong to Have Expectations from Technology?
Technology has been one of the greatest inventions in the world so far. It is up to the individuals to utilize it for the greater good and bring about positive results in the world.
Regarding its usage, it is much better that we teach each other about it and spread awareness, to ensure that we can harness the best expectations out of it.