Introduction
Science and technology are critical elements of the modernity, where major everyday activities revolve around actively using them for both essential and non-essential purposes. Four key technologies are PC, smartphone, GPS, and internet. They are most beneficial for society and environment, but they also possess certain negative aspects. Similarly, current high-tech medicine is highly different from traditional one, but they should be combined in a multicultural way in order to maximize their advantages.
Science in Personal and Professional Life
Impact of Science on Personal Life
Four main technologies used throughout a day in my personal life are GPS, smartphones, internet, and PC. There are varying degrees of negative aspects associated with the given technological tools. For example, working on a computer for a prolonged period of time leads to a high level of a sedentary lifestyle, which is detrimental to health. It is stated that sedentary behaviors on their own lead to cardio-metabolic and obesity-related traits regardless of the physical activity levels (Leiva et al., 2017). Smartphones similarly possess negative ramifications, such as addiction, increased stress, and reduced satisfaction with life (Samaha & Hawi, 2016). Internet is a multifaceted technology that brought both major benefits and harms. For instance, in my personal life, scammers and fake gurus are highly proliferated due to the internet, and I encounter them every day on Instagram and Youtube through ads. I am also not as physically active as I should be due to PCs and phones. In the case of GPS, there are no real negative impacts for me, besides someone knowing where I am, which I notice from conversations.
On the societal level, both PC and smartphones facilitate a sedentary lifestyle, which has a compounding effect due to the poor diet of the modern age. The fact that physical activity does not counteract the problem means that current increased interest in sports does not cancel out the issue. The Internet is highly intertwined with these devices, which also brings a lot of social harm, such as misinformation and scams. Internet or real-life stalking can also be a major problem for some individuals, especially women.
On the environmental level, smartphones and PCs contribute to the increased waste, which is shipped to nations, such as Ghana. The local population then suffers from waste-related problems, where elements, such as lithium, might harm them and the soil. The Internet mostly had a positive impact on the environment because it removed the necessity to use physical objects for media, such as music or films. However, digital activity through GPS and Internet contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, such as CO2, because they require electricity.
In general, the positive of these technologies outweigh the negatives because people are more connected and educated due to smartphones, PCs, and the internet. In addition, GPS is a central element of many other key technologies, which need to know the exact location. Although the health and pollution aspects of the given tools are real, there are not as significant as the overall benefit brought by them. Therefore, evaluation leads to a conclusion that the total impact of the mentioned technologies is positive.
Impact of Science on Society
One of the most important scientific achievements is the discovery of antibiotics, such as penicillin. Science is the centerpiece of the web of knowledge that informs a person about the universe (Trefil & Hazen, 2016). Modern life would not be possible without antibiotics, which made bacterial infections mostly less harmful and more treatable. There are no specific technologies related to antibiotics, but the negative aspect can be found in the promotion of antibiotic resistance. It is stated that only technological solutions that would prevent environmental contamination can be helpful in combatting the issue (Berendonk et al., 2015). The active use of these substances can create an evolutionary force that facilitates bacteria with resistance to the medications. However, the positive aspect of antibiotics is the fact that many bacterial diseases became preventable and curable. In addition, medicine itself became cleaner due to antibiotics being used during surgeries to prevent surgical site infections. Therefore, it is evident that the overall impact of antibiotics is far more positive than negative. Although antibiotic resistance is a major issue that needs to be addressed, it is clear that billions of human lives were saved by the given scientific discovery.
Science and Technology in a Multicultural World
High-tech research of westernized medical treatment is precise and effective. In other words, such an approach yields result in a short period of time, and there is a clear knowledge of the mechanism behind the functional aspect of the treatments. Thus, the advantage of this approach is adherence to the scientific method of solving issues. However, it lacks a long-term vision of the ultimate goal of health preservation, and it also may not fully be aware of dangerous side effects. It is stated that westernized medicine’s advantage is it is evidence-based focus, but disadvantage is lack of experience (Efferth, Xu, & Lee, 2019). Such an example can be seen in an opioid epidemic in the United States, where pain medications made people addicted to heroin.
Traditional medicine is the most popular one, and it is used in all countries of the world. However, due to the fact that such a method of treatment is becoming more and more expensive, and doctors still do not find a panacea for some diseases, patients begin to lose confidence in clinics, modern equipment, and qualified doctors. At the same time, it is indisputable that many are cured of a wide variety of diseases by drug treatment. Traditional medicine’s advantage is the fact that it primarily uses natural organic sources, which means that there is a lower chance for side effects and overdoses. The advantage of traditional is experience, but disadvantage is lack of scientific basis (Efferth et al., 2019). There is a lack of knowledge of the compatibility of certain medicinal herbs with each other, which can lead to the emergence of new diseases, and often death.
Combining traditional medicine with westernized high-tech ones can be useful if their advantages are properly utilized. This combination can make treatment both precise and effective, as well as organic and natural. It is stated that benefit of such combination is that herbal mixture would undergo pre-clincal and clinical testing, whereas western medicine will become less synthetic (Efferth et al., 2019). In addition, healthcare will seek long-term improvements and will be reluctant to use short-term solutions with major side effects. However, there are also certain challenges associated with the combination process. The key challenge is ensuring that the existing herbal mixture’s proclaimed benefits are based on evidence (Efferth et al., 2019). For example, it will be difficult to integrate traditional medicine treatments into the current westernized system because they will require extensive research.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is evident that science and technology are the most critical part of society. The most important technologies are internet, GPS, smartphone, and PC. They have their undesirable aspects, but their overall benefit is prominent. In addition, it is important to combine high-tech westernized medicine with traditional version, because they possess overlapping advantages. Some challenges can appear during the merging process, but they can be overcome through deliberate control and planning.
References
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Efferth, T., Xu, A. L., & Lee, D. Y. W. (2019). Combining the wisdoms of traditional medicine with cutting-edge science and technology at the forefront of medical sciences. Phytomedicine, 64, 1-5. Web.
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Samaha, M., & Hawi, N. S. (2016). Relationships among smartphone addiction, stress, academic performance, and satisfaction with life. Computers in Human Behavior, 57, 321-325. Web.
Trefil, J., & Hazen, R. M. (2016). The sciences: An integrated approach. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.