Technology and Its Effect on Human Freedom and Happiness in Society - Term Paper Example

?[Your full February 28, Technology and its effect on human freedom and happiness in society Technology has provided us with sophisticated means to make our lives easier. It has improved the overall quality of life. People use technological tools and equipments right from the moment they wake up in the mornings. Shutting the alarm on cell phone, drying hair using blow dryer, frying toasts in toaster, viewing movies on the latest LEDs, travelling in fast-moving underground trains, attending video conferences with cross-border professionals, socializing with distant friends through internet, finding jobs online, engaging in e-commerce, preparing tea in electric kettle, and checking Facebook status updates on android, are all examples of how easier our lives have become through the use of technology. Although critics claim that technology has tended to limit our overall human freedom and happiness, yet the benefits outweigh the limitations so much so that one cannot help admiring technology and its blessings. This paper discusses the effects of technology on human freedom and happiness, while also considering the criticism. Let’s take an example of technology in education. Since the advent of sophisticated technological means, educators have been trying to modify the instructional process with the help of technology. According to Baker, early 1960’s brought with it “new curricula, instructional models, and approaches to individualization” (3) of instruction. Teachers started feeling the necessity of incorporating information and communication technology in teaching language. According to Kaka, “Technology (internet) in another side can be the most effective way to increase the student’s knowledge.” Teachers are getting more and more aware of that technology is an important part of the national curriculum, because it provides great resources for learning and teaching processes. Children can be made well equipped with up-to-date information while being able to conduct their own research, do analysis, make decisions, share ideas and views, and learn to be creative and initiative using technological tools in their study. Teachers can use technological resources to teach more efficiently with good outcome. Technology is becoming inevitable in the educational and personal lives of students thanks to great advantages it offers. Hence, it is adding to the overall happiness of the society by producing such knowledgeable students who can keep pace with the modern world. Here is another example of how technology has improved human freedom through incorporation in law. Since technology has created great seismic impact on every level of our professions, the development and implementation of laws have also gone through drastic changes. Technology has made possible the availability of virtual experience to officers belonging to law enforcement agencies, which has compensated for their lack of real-life experience, because an officer seldom encounters real critical situations in his life. If we talk about the United States, there are “over one million lawyers…providing roughly one billion dollars' worth of legal services” (Leibowitz). And this increase in their profit has resulted due to the use of internet and technology in their legal practice. This has forced the lawyers to incorporate the use of internet and technology based tools and equipment into their practice. With the advent of technology, courts, such as, U.S. Supreme Court started its own website in the year 2000 with the URL as www.supremecourtus.com; whereas, previously, the courts used to pronounce decisions and publish opinions through personal publishers and law and legislation schools. Technology has made possible for courts and judges to make use of the latest technological means to get to the truth, such as the use of forensic techniques or criminalistics. There are lawyers who are opening up their virtual offices over the internet where they deal with clients, which is a very good step toward consumers’ ease, and eventually human freedom. Critics of the claim state that technology has reduced human freedom and happiness because it has put limitations on natural means of freedom and happiness. Today, a person cannot hide himself if he is cheating on his wife because the latter has him on her Google maps. He wails for freedom. Employers have a proper check on their employees through surveillance security. Mothers-in-law keep a constant check on where their daughters-in-law are through frequent mobile calls. Hence, human freedom has become limited. And what happened to the social happiness? Before the advent of technology, happiness was related to family, marriage and children. A woman could have many children because there were no contraceptive measures and technological means to cut down the conception tubes in the body. Hence, there were many children in a family which strengthened the bond between husband and wife, thus bringing lifelong happiness. However, this criticism can be challenged. When a mother could bear many children, her chances of death in childbirth were also greater. Today, mothers can be saved through the most modern technological means, thus preventing the husband to become unhappy. Disease-prevention has become a lot easier with the use of technology. Children can be saved from illness. The death and dying process of the elderly can be made much easier. Life partners can be chosen on the internet. House wives use dishwashers, automatic washing machines, microwaves, vacuum cleaners, cloth dryers, hair straighteners, and many other labor-saving household gadgets. Social networking websites help one make friends and find old ones. Friends share their life experiences and keep in touch with one another sitting in the comfort of their homes. Moms and Dads can have a video chat with their children when they are distant. All of this brings happiness without effort to find happiness. Hence, the claim that technology does not bring happiness is not correct. Summing it up together, technology has created a great positive impact on human freedom and happiness in society. It has made our lives easier through the introduction of user-friendly and labor-saving services. People feel freedom because they have more options to choose from now, like in employment. They feel happy because their time and energy is saved in finding happiness, because technology has brought happiness and leisure at their doorstep. Hence, it is impossible to delete the usage of technology from our lives because it has affected our freedom and happiness in the most unbelievable way ever possible. Works Cited Baker, Frank B. “Introduction to CMI.” Computer Managed Instruction: Theory and Practice. USA: Educational Technology, 1978. Kaka, Saverinus. “The Role of ICT in Education Sector.” Very Kaka’s Community. N.p., 2008. Web. 28 Feb 2012. . Leibowitz, Wendy. “An Exploration of How the Internet Has Affected the Legal Profession.” WendyTech Articles. N.p., Jan. 2001. Web. 28 Feb 2012. . Read More