Mohammad Hanief
Nowadays, it is uncommon to come across an electronic gadget or piece of equipment that doesn’t use digital technology in some capacity. Recall a time when communication required sending pigeons or letters, which took days or weeks. Thanks to digital technology, the world has become smaller, and it is now simple to communicate with someone located elsewhere. Because of the centralization and accessibility of data, the digital age has made a wide variety of information available at the touch of a button on your mobile phone.
People now, for instance, rely heavily on computers and mobile devices with internet access, which provide instant answers to any questions you may have. You do not need to sit beside a PC to access the Internet; your phone (or smartwatch) does it all!
The digital technology revolution has had a significant impact on our lives. We have saved a ton of time using credit card payment methods, internet banking, automated cars, health tools, and washing machines for our laundry.
Many miles away, patients can speak with their doctor and get an authorized prescription. A digital signature has made it possible to sign contracts and make other essential decisions using a simple electronic device.
The millennial generation has the option of learning something new every day. Before, learning required searching for relevant information, applying for courses if desired, traveling to the specified location, and devoting a specific amount of time.
The digital generation, however, does not have to endure as much. They only need to click to search for lessons they might be interested in. Once accepted, they can enroll in the program and finish it without leaving their room!
The days of physically visiting a library and borrowing books are long gone. In those times, the alternative was to purchase books, which were typically out of everyone’s price range. Today’s digital generation has free access to almost all educational tools. The free material available in almost every corner of the world accelerates the learning process.
Since the beginning of dial-up, internet speeds have multiplied. Large data files can now be sent almost instantly across the web thanks to ever-faster broadband, making it possible to access data from nearly anywhere in the world and watch video and audio in real-time.
With the proliferation of digital tools that enable us to send messages to one another in various formats instantly, digitalization has fundamentally changed how we communicate.
Technological digitalization has also improved our communication ability and sped up the spread of new ideas. Anyone can now communicate their ideas; they are no longer limited to society’s wealthiest and most influential people.
Because of the Internet’s ability to allow for offshore outsourcing, digitalization has created a new world of job opportunities and digital learning. There are now entirely new job roles, such as internet technical experts, and anyone can start their own online business, which is a fantastic new benefit.
We can now complete many jobs without complexity from tens or even hundreds of miles away. Many other flexible working arrangements are now possible without requiring all workers to be in the same building.
Machines are becoming more intelligent as a result of digital technology. In some cases, devices no longer require humans to operate, liberating employees from repetitive jobs to pursue more exciting opportunities.
In other cases, more intelligent computers mean higher safety standards or an enhanced user experience. Products and services become less expensive and more widely available as technology advances. Many tasks, such as booking a vacation, can now be completed directly by customers rather than through a mediator, even with moderate technology skills.
Without a second thought, digital technology is one of our crucial aspects today. However, it has had its own set of drawbacks that are not always considered. The Internet is fertile ground for nefarious operations with its globalized nature, vast scale, and users’ relative privacy.
While technology eliminates human error, it is not resistant to failure, so we potentially lose control of our assets if we rely on something that is not 100% dependable. Giving up control also exposes us to digital crime, such as hackers, who have unidentified destructive capabilities.
Personal privacy is challenging to keep in the digital age, especially given the risks of your personal information being accessed, stolen, and sold. In public locations, digital cameras can monitor and record our movement patterns.
Furthermore, data security is vulnerable to breaches as hackers develop new methods and viruses to infiltrate people’s computer systems and cell phones. Social networking sites like Facebook, Wechat, and Instagram are intended to bring humans together. Still, they may have the inverse result in some cases because they are primarily active on social media platforms.
People prefer to mingle and communicate through digital platforms rather than in person. It causes a sense of disconnect and exclusion. Many people suffer from depression and other forms of social anxiety and mental illness due to a lack of real-life communication.
The performance of a task has increased exponentially with modern technology, which is frequently used to justify why technology may be capable of replacing humans soon. A rise in digital technology ensures that machines and technology can now complete tasks that humans could previously perform. As a result, there will be a labor shortage.
Companies nowadays prefer technology that can perform tasks more accurately than humans. As technology advances, humans are increasingly being replaced by algorithms and robotic systems.
Another harmful impact of digital technology on the societal structure is its addictive nature, which has harmed performance. Too many people nowadays waste hours on the Internet for no explicable reason.
Students and workers alike have grown so accustomed to playing online games, placing bets, and interacting in virtual chat sites that they have forgotten to attend to more critical activities. People will spend hours consuming and listening to movies and musical shows on Netflix, YouTube, or TikTok. Otherwise, constructive person hours are being squandered.
The digital generation is the most misled and swayed by digital media. Digital media manipulate people into buying items they do not need, causing them to splurge more and more cash unreasonably.
Technology enables people to remain anonymous, hide behind a mask, or assume the authenticity of someone else to spread hatred and other unjust objectives. The interaction with these people has an impact on the mental well-being of the digital generation.
Conventional ways of life have been subverted due to significant overreliance on gadgets. For instance, our reliance on digital gadgets such as laptops, smartphones, smartwatches, social media, and the like implies that we are progressively wandering away from our biological environment.
The bad influences of digital technology partly cause the deterioration of social values we see all around us. When young people are exposed to explicit images, pornographic material, and an infinite number of films that glamorize crime and violence, the future of society is jeopardized.
It is no surprise that digital is sweeping the globe; things are being digitized everywhere we look! The pace of technological advancement is not going to slow down. It is getting faster by the day. Because of the introduction of new technologies, the way we work, shop, and spend our leisure time differs vastly from a decade ago.
Today, we hope to have revisited both sides of what digital technology brings to our daily life and that digitization is a two-edged sword that we can wield in either direction.
(The author can be mailed at m.hanief@gmail.com)