technology

Is technology improving our lifestyle?

technology
Written by Nigel Simpkins

Specifically, over the past decade, there has been major advances in terms of technology.  This has changed how we live, entertain and work. Some of these technological advances are for the better but others could be argued are not as good. With a world that is also committed to improving their impact on climate changes, a lot of these advances have improved the reliance on more damaging industry sources which can only be a good thing. In the workplace, there has been massive reliance now on computer as we see robots manufacturing items and communication in a globalised world being key to successful operations.  Here are some of the examples as to how technology is making a difference to our lives.

Mobile Phones

Imagine if there was a worldwide ban on mobile phones.  What would people do? These are now owned by the vast majority of people around the world and have made a massive impact. It was not that long ago where people were required to contact each other by either using things such as landline phones or letter but now, you can get a hold of someone anywhere in the world by the touch of a button. Mobile phones are usually purchased by people on a contract basis which could in fact put a little dent into their finances.  This can be expensive, and it could see people stuck into this for 18 or 24 months.  There are other more cost-effective options where people are not required to be stuck into this.

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Fitness

So, it is a very interesting debate on whether technology is improving our fitness or not as there are positives and negatives around this that are the constant topic of disagreement.   So, with technological advances, we can see people are playing more computer games and can connect with people from around the world whilst doing this. In addition to this, some youngsters (and adults) are stuck to their phones on a constant basis which will mean that they are not then keeping active.   The other argument against this is that some of the technological changes have encouraged people to be more active.  This can include things such as games on the treadmills and gym bikes which will encourage people to stay on them and remain active.

Things such as apps for your phones or watches which will tell you how many steps you have taken, heart rate etc and helps motivate you with a plan.  There are also apps that help in terms of food intake and calorie counting make this a lot more fun and achievable.  As a result, depending on how you use the different technological changes will determine if it is improving your fitness or making it worse.

Transport

Getting from A to B is far easier now than it was many years ago.  If you look at taxi’s as an example.  To access a taxi nowadays, you can use apps such as Uber that you can order a taxi instantly, even choose between rates and watch when it will arrive (you can even pay via the app and not the driver).  This then makes transport like this far more accessible.  Even in terms of air travel, there has been a lot of improvements where luxury is in the air.  There are shower, bars and gyms even on some aeroplanes now making travelling in the air far more luxurious!   Transport is under a lot of criticism though due to the impact it is having on the planet (mainly Co2 emissions) which is meaning there is a lot of improvements going on in relation to electric travel and other natural resources being used to reduce the impact. 

Communications 

People are interacting constantly now with improvements to technology.  This is not only from mobile phones but also from the use of tablets and similar items.  In the workplace this has made some really significant changes and with companies working more globally, there is a massive focus on their communication networks.  More people are allowed to now work at home as they are still able to communicate effectively by using technology from the comfort of their own home.  Messages can be sent instantly and are far more efficient when not so long ago we relied on fax machines or letter posting.  

People are downloading a lot more apps (mainly social media) where they can connect far easier and this will include sharing photos, messages and videos.  The security settings on these sorts of things can also change so you can limit who can see what. This is important, specifically for youngsters, so that you can control your level of engagement with people.  Imagine a world without apps such as Facebook and Instagram! How would people survive?

Entertainment

50-inch TVs in the home living room now seem to be the norm.  This was more like a cinema many years ago but now it seems to be the norm.  Even the quality of the TV output is significant where nowadays you have things such as 3D and HD on your TV which makes the pictures awesome.  To support with the entertainment of watching the TV, you also have the surround sound speaker that you can use also. These do not even need to be wired nowadays and can be connected via the Wi-fi and strategically placed in different areas of the room.   This sort of home cinema experience is now not expensive to install and something that is more and more common in homes.

Other entertainment improvements will include things like the actual quality of films.  The effects and sounds that these production teams are now able to include is fantastic.  Millions of pounds are being invested into these sorts of films in order to try and make them big hits at the box office and they are succeeding and exceeding the viewers expectations year on year. 

Summary

With innovation in terms of technology changing at a rapid rate, there are many different positives to this (some named above).  It is important though that all of this is taken into context and you do not allow technology to take over our lives.   This should not stop you from doing some beneficial old fashioned things like, taking a walk in the park or playing a game of football with your friends or family.  Mobile phones have been a massive improvement and allow people to connect all around the globe at the touch of a button.  If you have family at the other side of the world, you can now see them in live time via these sorts of advances which can only be a positive.