Technological determinism indicates that the society is shaped by the type and the level of technology available (Surhone, Timpledon, and Marseken, 2010). Today, the society has altered to accommodate the current technology, and numerous changes have occurred in social structure too. As a result, social norms and values in the society have changed to adapt to technological progress. Today, modes of communication change with the level of technology that is available to society. This paper will discuss the alterations that the society has gone through as a result of technology.
Technological determinism can be subdivided into three major categories, namely, hard determinism, soft determinism, and neutral technology (Surhone, Timpledon, and Marseken, 2010). Proponents of hard determinism argue that technology shapes our world. Modern electronic media like TV determines how we see and interpret our world. In addition to this, hard determinism also states that technology guides human activities in almost all sectors of the society. Because of this, social structures have changed to accommodate the ever-changing technology (Surhone, Timpledon, and Marseken, 2010).
On the other hand, soft determinism mentions that the society determines how new technology will be used and it acknowledges that technology influences social change in a big way. Soft determinism also argues that society members have the freedom to make changes to the level of technology in order to accommodate their needs.
The third form of technological determinism determines that technology is neutral. This category argues that technology is neither bad nor good (Surhone, Timpledon, and Marseken, 2010). The outcome of technology depends on how society members use any form of technology available to them. The general argument is that any form of technology has both positive and negative effects depending on how such technology is used (Fulcher and Scott, 2006).
Despite various arguments put forth by different social and technological theorists, we all must agree that technology is changing the society in a big way (Fulcher and Scott, 2006). Different social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, email, and 2go among others, have influenced the social world in terms of communication and so on. According to the research, people spend most of their time exchanging ideas on Facebook and Twitter. They are leaders among all the social networks. Indeed, technology has become addictive as most people depend on it and cannot imagine their life without it.
Social networks allow people to share ideas, make decisions, do business, and interact with others globally. This has made it easy to communicate with people who are from different corners of the world. Notably, use of e-mails has made communication efficient and instant. People are able to send messages across the world and get instant feedbacks (Mc Lellan, 2000). Because of this, e-mail is used as the number one form of communication in most organization, especially in the offices.
Online trading also known as e-commerce has changed the way people carry out business. Indeed, information technology has revolutionized business. People from different places of the world can post different products in the website and trade in with customers online. This has made business easy because individuals are able to sell their products to a wide range of customers. For instance, Facebook is said to be the most commonly used site in the world with over 750 million users (Surhone, Timpledon, and Marseken, 2010). This offers a good platform for companies and organizations to advertise their products and expand their market.
Socialization patterns and modes of entertainment have been changed because of the modern technology. Televisions, radios, video games, and movies have replaced the old ways of entertainment. Today, children and adults spend their time playing video games, watching television and movies unlike in the past when they could have a direct communication with their peers. People spend time communicating with friends and relatives through Facebook and Twitter and this, however, has reduced the level of direct interaction.
Exchange of moral values is high across the world because people follow the pattern of behavior they see on television and Internet. Today, moral values of any given society are determined by the level of technology available. As such, technology is very significant in the current society (Abercrombie, 2004).
The use of technology made the world become a global village. Globalization enables individuals to interact with people from different geographical regions. Exchange of cultural values and norms is already taking place through the Internet. People do not need to travel to different countries to learn about other people’s culture because the global web provides people with an opportunity to learn and study about everything from any corner of the world.
On the other hand, technology has negative impacts on the society. Modern technology has enabled poor interaction patterns, such as cheating in exams, high levels of crimes, fraud, access to pornographic materials, human trafficking, and manufacturing of counterfeit products, which devastate world economic growth among other effects (Giddens, 2000).
Because of the Internet, people have replaced physical or direct communication with social networks. Internet is highly addictive making people spend more time on the Internet, and this destroys human relationships (Abercrombie, 2004)
Today, individuals do not want to miss news and current events. As such, people spend a lot of time on social networks, and both parents and children neglect their duties. This contributes to irresponsible behavior in the society. Secondly, Internet has enabled students to cheat in school. With availability of mobile phones and computers, students develop a new form of cheating in exams; they are literary browsing for answers during the examinations (Giddens, 2000). Today, students have become dependent on web articles to do assignments other than doing actual research to get answers.
Levels of crime have gone high because the modern technology enables criminals to plan and execute criminal activities easily. Internet fraud is reported to be on the increase and millions of people become its victims every day. Some of the online companies are not real and they just rob innocent people over the Internet (Mc Lellan, 2000).
Children as young as 13 years old spend most their time on the internet browsing and chatting. This is a great risk because they are able to access pornographic materials online (Fulcher and Scott, 2006). Such children are also at the risk of engaging in unhealthy relationships with the strangers who they meet on social networks. As a result, children develop deviant behaviors.
Through social networks, people are lured into unhealthy relationships. Because of Internet, human trafficking has emerged as a major problem in the modern society. Strangers pose as lovers and promise their online friend a good life. Once the online friend agrees to meet them, they are taken to foreign places where they are sold out as prostitutes or to rich families as labors.
Lastly, production of counterfeit products is on the rise with development in technology. Fake products that are sold at a cheap price rob people while the genuine products lack market. Piracy and production of cheap products devastate the world economy and hinder innovation (Giddens, 2000). With the current level of technology, individuals practice counterfeit and piracy all around the world.