The evolution of society and technology
The evolution of society and technology
In our second episode of Together in Tech, we talked about the development of society alongside technology, from the beginning to the present day. To this end, we invited anthropologist Andressa Soilo to dialogue and exchange ideas with host Guilherme Brasil. The chat was very interesting and we will cover some topics discussed here in this article.
The last 10 years of society
When analyzing the timeline of humanity we can see that many things have changed over the last 10 years. At that time, there were no apps for getting around, ordering food or requesting services in general. Nowadays, any item someone might need can be found on the internet.
During the chat, Andressa highlights the point that technology emerged before digital. When we think about it, we often think of it as just a “world” of smartphones, 3D printers, robotics, artificial intelligence, drones and spaceships. However, these are sophisticated items that are gaining ground in the market at the moment. As we live in a context marked by digital, we tend to believe that technology is linked solely to this.
Digital certainly impacts people's lives, as it is something that is very present in everyday life. Instagram is an example of a social network that represents the effect that technology has today. Many people are feeling increasingly insecure due to the aesthetic pressures of society in the digital environment. Furthermore, fake news is also another example of how digital fits into our lives. These rapidly spreading lies generate misinformation and have even caused several deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic. In other words, it can be clearly seen that technology currently has almost the same concept as digital and that it impacts us deeply.
Generational issue
We are living in a period where technological changes are transforming at a rapid speed. Therefore, certain generations end up getting lost when keeping up with technological changes. The example cited to demonstrate this situation is the appearance of Tik Tok. A new social network that has gained a lot of space and quickly in this world. People from an older generation, like Andressa, don't even download and know how to use this network.
Nowadays, children grow up knowing how to use smartphones and other devices. Sometimes they even learn in a self-taught way. Something completely different from past generations, which often have difficulty using certain technologies.
“At the moment, we experience a plurality of understandings of how we incorporate technology today.” – Andressa expresses her opinion.
The impacts of technology
In the conversation, Andressa says that there is no consensus on whether today's digital technology is positive or negative. Technology in itself doesn't hurt anyone, but how individuals use it does. That's because she is ambivalent. In other words, it can have both good and bad impacts on society.
If people want to use technology for something positive, it has great potential to generate benefits in their lives. However, there are also several negative aspects that mainly affect individuals' emotions. By handling technology in a harmful way, psychological problems such as anxiety, depression and panic attacks can begin to emerge in these people's lives. These types of mental disorders are more common in XNUMXst century society and are caused by the misuse of digital technology. Therefore, you need to be aware of how you use technology on a daily basis. Is it bringing you benefits?
Did you like these reflections? Listen to the full chat. In it we talk about other issues related to society and technology.
