Technology is transforming industries and our home lives. It moves at an incredibly fast rate, which brings advantages. We jumped from a decade when computers were large and very expensive, to the next decade when everyone has a home computer, and the decade after, people are carrying portable devices with similar capabilities in their pockets.
When we think about keeping up with technology, we often think of using the latest and best tools and systems to help us function more efficiently. This could be security at work, smart products in the home, or driverless cars for transport. There is more than one way to keep up with technology, though.
It isn’t just using technology that we need to be aware of. Can we keep up with tech by knowing how it works, what we are adding to our homes and businesses, how to fix it when it goes wrong, and even how to live without it? We take a look at how we understand the technological world we have created around us.
IMAGE: PEXELS
A Life Of Convenience
One of the first ways that technology came into our homes was through appliances that save us time and effort. There are plenty of jobs that can be made easier, from using a vacuum cleaner for our floors, a washing machine for our clothes, and a dishwasher for our dishes.
These are simple to use, once we have read an instruction booklet, or used one for the first time, it becomes part of our general knowledge. Although, we sometimes encounter overly complicated appliances that have taken tech even further, with touchscreens and remote controls for your refrigerator that tell you when you need to go shopping.
We’re so used to having these items in our lives, and we have a rudimentary understanding of how they work, but when they go wrong, we don’t want to go back to doing things by hand. In this scenario, we need technicians, such as a dishwasher repair service to understand the problem and recommend a solution.
Understanding Capability
Technology is a tool, and in many cases, it’s being wielded by people or companies with an agenda. That sounds quite menacing, which isn’t necessarily always the case. However, a lack of understanding when it comes to technology can mean that we don’t see the picture clearly.
Technology is often viewed in terms of advances, and cutting edge, or innovation. This can obscure the fact that there are positives and negatives to the technology we use. As previously mentioned, plenty of gadgets and inventions come about to make our lives easier. However, unless we know the capabilities of that tech, we don’t know exactly what we’re getting.
As a tool for connection and communication, technology has made our world smaller in a good way. The consequence of that is that communication is two-way, and when we use our tech, it builds a picture of our lives that is available to third parties. If you don’t understand the capabilities of your smartphone, your social media account, or your voice assistant in terms of the data it logs, then you could be unwittingly compromising your privacy.
Left Out Of The Conversation
The most important impact of being left behind when it comes to technology is that it becomes a cycle. Technology keeps moving on without us, making it even harder to catch up. Those who aren’t using the latest technologies won’t be included in the target market. This means the next time market research is done, and a product is designed, the needs of users who are being left behind are excluded.
It can be very difficult to defend your rights, ask for what you need, or take part in shaping technology those in power or everyday users don’t fully comprehend what they are using. The complexity of technology isn’t talked about enough, and when it is, most of us are left out of the conversation. Until we expand the umbrella of tech literacy, we can’t expect everyone to take part in the conversation.
While we might not need to know how to fix our dishwashers, technology is now so prevalent in our way of life, that it isn’t something we can’t ignore. Even those of us who know our way around our smartphones don’t necessarily comprehend how they function or what it is we are actually paying for.
Conclusion
Staying up to date with the latest technology isn’t just about being able to use the latest gadgets. Although being able to take advantage of the conveniences of modern life can be beneficial.
Technology impacts how we arrange our lives. Its capabilities that remain obscure or unknown to us mean that we aren’t making informed decisions for ourselves, and most importantly we can’t challenge these ideas or uses without a good grasp of how things work.
If you are interested in even more technology-related articles and information from us here at Bit Rebels, then we have a lot to choose from.
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