Impact of technology on society
The Impact of Technology on Society, or more accurately, of technology on the human society, is an ongoing subject that addresses the interaction of technology with human nature, society, and culture. The term "technology" refers to anything developed to serve a human need or desire.
The term "impact" refers to the impact of a technology, which is a particular method used by humans to satisfy a need. The technologies of the most pervasive impact on society are all electronic in nature. One example of an electronic technology that can be used to generate a great amount of social impact is the telephone. The telephone has had a wide ranging impact on society in the areas of economics, politics, and of course, communication.
Although the impact of technology has been and continues to be very pervasive, and the majority of the world's population uses some form of technology daily, the impact is also a great source of confusion for the general public. The widespread use of technology is, however, inevitable and has led to the invention of numerous definitions of the impact of technology on society.
In the 1980s, the impact of technology on society became the major research theme of the United States National Science Foundation.
An understanding of the impact of technology on society is the focus of the book Technological Utopianism by George Gilder, and of the Technology and Society section in Human Values and Technology: International Society for a Values-Oriented Approach to Technology.
The impact of technology on society is a growing field in the humanities, including history, law, social science, theology, and even business.
Purpose
The impact of technology on society is the subject of the Impact of technology on society, or more accurately, of technology on the human society. The term "technology" refers to anything developed to serve a human need or desire. The term "impact" refers to the impact of a technology, which is a particular method for satisfying human needs, or the impact of a technology on a particular human society. The impact of a technology on society is sometimes referred to as the "technological utopianism" of the society. The term "society" refers to a group of people living in one or more locations (e.g. an economy, a political system, etc.).
The word impact appears in the first part of the phrase, "impact of technology on the society" since the term "technology" is placed in front of the noun "society".
Technology
The development of technology is an ongoing process and can be defined as anything developed to serve a human need. In a narrow sense, technology includes "means of production" and includes "tangible objects", as opposed to "ideas", and, by extension, "inventions". In a broader sense, technology is the entire process of any science that produces a useful, tangible product.
Impact
The term "impact" is used in the sense of a measurable effect. The term "impact" refers to a positive or negative effect that a technology has on the society. Impact can be a subjective term (as when describing human emotions or mental states) or an objective term. "Impact" is used here in the sense of social impact or technological impact. Impact can also refer to a physical impact such as damage to the environment, property or health.
Technology on society
The term "society" has two meanings here. First, the term "society" is used to refer to the collective human society as a whole. Second, the term "society" refers to the economic, political and/or social groups of people living in one or more locations, or societies. In other words, "society" refers to the economy, the state, a nation, an ethnic group, or any political system, government or community.
Technological utopianism
Technological utopianism is the belief that technology is an end in itself and, therefore, it should be used for humanity's sake, not just the benefit of a few. Utopian technologies use technology for positive, constructive purposes.