Computers: More than Just an Artificial Need - Essay Example

? Computers: More than Just an Artificial Need Computers are intrinsic in today’s lifestyle. There is hardly any place present where it is not possible to access a computer. The invention of computer is one of the most important and influential inventions in the history of mankind. The influence this machine has on human race is undoubtedly unmatched. It is too hard to even imagine our lives without computers and that truly is a very difficult job now because of the ease this machine provides in a daily life. The basic intention of inventing computers is to discover ease in calculations. After awhile the term ‘ease’ became the key in upgrading the simple calculator to a whole new machine what today is considered as ‘computer’. Before the computers were invented, people used to waste a good amount of their time on things that can be done in minutes using computers now in a more systematic and organized manner. At that time when there were no computers, people had to make everything (cards, posters, leaflets, brochures etc.) manually using their hands and material. They used to keep record of the data in written and they had to keep it safe from physical environment which could damage it. Searching was another time taking problem because they manually had to go through each entry until they reach to the required one. But now with computers it all seems so easy and quick than never before. Computers have cut lots of energy and time wastage which is being used in other developmental strategies and actions (Beisse). The use of computers has been enhanced in the recent years, and it is nearly impossible to step into any field without holding hands with computer. From studies to entertainment computers are the hosts of everything that is out there in the world. In medical sciences; computers saves time which replicates to life for any patient in critical condition. Computer keeps the record of the medical history of a patient which can come handy in crucial situations. It helps doctors to diagnose any patient with better efficiency. Doctors stay connected to each other through computers and it is with the help of computer that they can access the latest researches and reports related to their specializations in different medical journals online (Caplan). The increased usage of computer is also because of the Internet. The idea of internet is too broad and fanciful that no one helps but gets inspired. It has widened the bridge of communications all around the globe. It wouldn’t be wrong if it is said that the world has now become a global village mainly because of the Internet and computers. From news to business and from discussions to reports everything is just a click away. The emails have become a key figure in a lot of businesses. It is not just only fast but it also reduces the cost of telephones and papers. The whole staff can be easily updated by a single mail within minutes and they can remove their queries in a shorter time span. The actions can be quickly taken once the communication is over and it has no limits of how long or short that discussion can be. Individuals unable to come to the offices for any possible reasons can stay at their homes and work with all of the updates of latest proceedings in their companies (Brounstein). Another life easing facility this technology provides is the search engines such as Google. There is no single topic in the world which cannot be found on the search engines. With the help of these search engines, millions of people collect every kind of information he or she wants. They don’t have to wander in libraries for bits of information. Books are occasionally time consuming to find and then it is also a difficult job to look through it for an appropriate piece of information which are required in the reports but with online search engines provides the appropriate information to the seeker in a lesser time and wasting lesser energy (Kolodzy). The business via internet has now become wholly a separate profession. There are lots of online shopping stores which provide services at doorsteps. A person can order anything he or she wants by just visiting particular websites sitting at his or her home in front of a computer screen. It is beneficial for those individuals who cannot pay a visit to any shop to get what they want. By this facility it has become very convenient to get whatever a person wants by just clicking on it (Miesenberger). For the people conscious about the style, design and colors of shoes, specifically, a facility is being provided that they can customize the product according to their choices online. The life computer has made is certainly unimaginable for the previous people. In past years, with the development of everything else, the technologies used in computers are being advanced. But the developments in a number of other items are because of the addition of computers in those items. The installation of computers in modern cars is a very positive development in both luxury and safety for people. The driving experience was never safer than now after computers are being involved. The sensors attached to computers in cars signals the driver of the potential danger that is possibly there and that danger can be avoided in a more sophisticated manner without any risk to family and the driver. Sensors also detects the symptoms of harsh weather like rain , fog or ice and gets the driver updated about it to minimize the chances of any possible collisions or mishaps even in a rainy or foggy weather. The computers also make the drivers aware of the flooded or damaged roads that can harm the car or can cause severe accidents. The alerts computer provides to the driver can save lives of many people by taking the appropriate measures upon those alerts (Doyle). The weather forecasting is now done through computers which are comparatively more accurate. It keeps people updated about the weather change in coming days and even in next few hours. People can be well aware of the weather which will prevail like sunny, windy etc. In accordance with the forecast, people can carry their raincoats along if rain is predicted in future. It also can update people about the danger of any catastrophic weather if it is predicted and people can take the necessary precautions like evacuation of that area or other according to the prediction (Fleisher). With all that is mentioned, computers also helped for the increase in employment rate. More the computers are being sold to businesses more the people are being hired to handle it. More the consumers have queries posed towards the company more the people are employed to take care of those queries. The technology is advancing day by day and for that advancement in technology, companies necessarily require experts to be employed for handling certain advancements in technology. (O'Brien). So with computers there are new opportunities open for individuals to get employed. The critical social problem of unemployment and ultimately poverty resulting increased crime rates are being taken care of, to some extent, by computers. While the Computer era has brought with it numerous benefits for society, there are certain caveats that need to be addressed. For instance, computer games have generally had an adverse impact on the youth. While computer games were intended as a source of entertainment to be used and enjoyed sporadically, they have completely conquered the fancies of the young generation. Youth now spend more of their time in front of the computer with imaginary heroes and villains with some super natural abilities and interact online with other fellow users in these unreal fancy environments. This in turn means that they have less time to allocate to activities which would be beneficial for their growth and success as upstanding members of society. But it is not just totally a drawback because the games today are not only for the entertainment purposes. There are games designed to educate kids in a better way because the way games seeks attention of kids there is hardly any other method does. There also are some very popular strategy games among the youth that not only entertain them but those games also increase the analyzing and cognitive capabilities. It puts a person in a number of scenarios that helps him or her practice their decision making skills and they gets improved in it by every passing moment. The games also groom the leadership capabilities of individuals in many social settings and with that they also get to know about different information depending upon the certain game they are playing (Dennis and Pease). Another negative product came along with computers and internet is cyber crime or simply computer crime. While the life is getting built around the networks, few people exploit the use of internet and trespass the very private yet important boundaries on the internet via internet. The most known crime is computer hacking in which the hacker circumvent the security of any computer system. Then there are further more misuses in which some common are cyber frauds, espionage and cyber-based terrorism. (Turrini). Because of those few individuals the usage of computers and internet cannot be considered as safe. To get rid of these crimes and also to catch them there is a proper education given to some people who work for the government to keep the walls stronger towards the intruders. For that reason, companies also have to hire properly educated individuals to be secured from criminals, this factor is again resulting more employments. By learning the criminal tactics it is easier to defend and to make the access safer. Despite of all the negativity because there is nothing in this world with zero drawbacks, Computers cannot be ignored because of the benefits it provides in the daily life is undoubtedly huge. The learning and teaching through this machine is a whole new experience in which hardly any learner would need a break in-between. The learning can be from home to home without any deviation in fact it is a more easy and relaxing way to teach and to learn. It is all because of the internet and computers that the ways to educate have become easier. The facility of video calling provides the ease to a person who is unable to be present at any meeting in some other country or state can still attend or brief his or her idea to everyone else. The usage of computers has become very vast that from store bills to drug maintenance and from home to a multinational it is used on key posts. The problem of storage of data is now not a problem, tons of data can be stored in a human hand sized portable hard drive through computers. It also reduces the chances of human error in every field there is. The development in life is in fusion with the advancements in science and technology. It is impossible to escape from computers and grow in today’s world. This dependency is for individual’s own good because without computers the life and work both are not only difficult but time wasting. The impact computers have on society is majorly positive because of the benefits and facilities it provides. It saves time, money, and lives on a number of occasions. It is not just useful but is a need. In fast paced developed society, today we are living in; it is not possible to be a good survivor without knowing the importance and the usage of this light. It is a multipurpose tool that has replaced a lot of distinct tools which were considered to be needed for certain activities. The entire journey this machine has been through has made it a necessity because of its inescapable vast usage and connectivity between our lives, education and work. A machine can never replace any human but computers are by far proved the best assistance to any user. Works Cited Beisse, Fred. A Guide to Computer User Support for Help Desk & Support Specialists. Boston: Cengage Learning, 2013. Brounstein, Marty. Business Communication. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2010. Caplan, Louis R. Caplan's Stroke: A Clinical Approach. Philadelphia : Elsevier Health Sciences, 2009. Dennis, Everette E and Edward C Pease. Children and the media. Piscataway: Transaction Publishers, 2000. Doyle, Stephen. Understanding Information Technology. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes, 2000. Fleisher, Paul. Doppler Radar, Satellites, and Computer Models: The Science of Weather. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company, 2011. Kolodzy, Janet. Convergence Journalism: Writing and Reporting Across the News Media. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2006. Miesenberger, Klaus. Computers Helping People with Special Needs. Berlin: Springer, 2008. O'Brien, James A. Management Information Systems. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008. Turrini, Elliot. Cybercrimes: A Multidisciplinary Analysis. Berlin: Springer, 2010. Read More