 IET 600 Christopher Smith

 Technology is where science and innovation meets.  The results over time have greatly impacted mankind both positively and negatively.

 The Proliferation of Technology has had many great technological advances over the last hundred years resulting in a technological revolution.  This positive impact has greatly affected the speed in communication, travel, and information harvesting.

 This impact has in a sense made our world smaller and more accessible than ever before.  This evolution has cut down on the time we harvest information. What once had to be researched via encyclopedia is now just a Google search away.  What was once a months long journey from coast to coast in the United States is now a mere hours away via air travel.  Even the smart phone and social media evolution has created real time conversations with friends who are thousands of miles away and reconnected us with friends we have not seen in years.

 This has also created jobs worldwide and opened up communication with emerging global economies.  It has had a major impact in the Arab Spring and has had a significant impact in government reform.

 However the technology has also created a conundrum of when does its reach actually stop and reality start?  We have started communicating with our friends and family using smart phones without acknowledging the people who are in the same room.

 In addition our dependence on readily available information has left us reliant on having our communication devices with us at all times.  Directions which we once memorized are now merely a few clicks away on our GPS or smart phones.

 Technology has also has created a gaming generations of kids who's sole purpose in life is to play video games.  This lack of social interaction has yet to be proven detrimental but one has to wonder over time what impact it will have on real world social interaction.

 The technological advancements has also created skilled work force gaps with the job market.  There are simply not enough people in the manufacturing sector who are highly skilled to deal with these technological advancements.

 Although many of these issues have arised over the last several decades it is clear that technology will continue to grow and not be simply indigenous to the West.  Its evolution will continue and we will be forced to face these challenges ahead be it good or bad. It is here to stay weather we like it or not.

 Technology can have positive and negative impact on social interactions, taken from: negative-impact-on-social-interactions