Impact of Technology

Society and Technology

Has the rise of social media platforms changed social interactions and relationships?
Technology is the application of scientific knowledge to the practical aims of human life or,
as it is sometimes phrased, to the change and manipulation of the human environment.
Technology has had a profound impact on society, both good and bad. On the one hand,
technology has made our lives easier and more convenient in many ways. On the other
hand, technology has also created new problems and challenges. In the past few decades,
technology has evolved. The use of technology has also increased drastically. It changes the
way people learn, think, and communicate. It plays a major role in society, and now it is very
tough to imagine life without technology. Both technology and society are co-related, co-
dependent, co-influence with each other. Technology impacts society, including the potential
for society to progress or decline, in both good and bad manner. Our society is shaped by
technology, which has been beneficial but has harmful consequences.
Social media platforms, messaging apps, and other digital tools have become integral to
communication and interaction. However, as technology continues to shape how we
connect, it raises a question: Does digital media strengthen or weaken human connections?
Digital connectivity, despite its numerous advantages, presents an infinite mystery. It can
close gaps created by physical distance, yet it constructs invisible walls that hamper the
development of deep, meaningful connections. At the heart of this contradiction is the
influence of digital distractions, a relentless flow of information and interactions that maintain
a facade of connectivity while undermining our ability to take part in the rich, focused
dialogues essential for forging robust, lasting bonds. The daily barrage of digital overload
imposes a hefty cognitive toll, eroding empathy, reflection, and genuine emotional
engagement. Consequently, our relationships have broadened in scope yet diminished in
depth.
According to estimates, the total number of social media users reached 4.2 billion in January
2021. In 2021, Facebook had some 2.74 billion accounts, followed by YouTube and
WhatsApp with roughly 2.3 billion and 2 billion users respectively.
Over 82% of the U.S. population has a social network profile. A report on social media usage
released in 2019 shows that in America, younger online audiences were more likely to use
social networks than older generations. Social media users in the United States use different
social networks for various purposes. In a February 2019 survey, Instagram was the top
social network for viewing photos whereas Facebook was more popular for sharing content.

83% of Americans report using YouTube, which makes it the most widely used online
platform in the US. 68% of Americans say they use Facebook, while 47% say they use
Instagram. TikTok’s user base has grown since 2021 as 33% of the American population,
uses TikTok.
According to the IMF's World Economic Outlook Report, Brazil is still considered a
developing country. With the restrictive laws on the importation of hardware in Brazil, the
prices of computers are about twice the price in the US. Surprisingly, however, there is a
technology boom going on in Sao Paulo, Brazil The reason lies in software for Web and
mobile development. Brazil has the 5th largest number of mobile phone and Internet users in
the world. According to an article by Claudionor Coelho in the EE Times, there are 189
million mobile phones, 200 million tech-savvy consumers, and an exploding demand for
PCs, leading to an increase in Internet usage in Brazil. With the world's third-largest stock
exchange, there is no question that multinational companies have increased their
investments in Brazil's high-tech business sector. Elected officials of Brazil are pushing the
development of technology centers throughout the country. With one of the top Computer
Science undergraduate and graduate programs in Brazil, Universidade Federal de Minas
Gerais (UFMG) is an exemplary model of world-class educational infrastructure. UFMG
staffs professors from Stanford, Princeton, Oxford, UCLA, and other prestigious universities
around the world. The effects of focusing on the development of educational infrastructure
have had a tremendous impact, as new tech-based companies are created. For instance,
the first Brazilian-run semiconductor manufacturing facility is in production and multinational
companies are investing in Brazil.
Uganda has made reasonable technological strides, but the analysis notes that it still
lags with a phone penetration rate of 69.2% of the population, far below the average of 84%
for Africa. There are gender and geographical gaps in access as 46% of female adults
have access to mobile phones compared to 58% of male adults. Similarly, adults in urban
areas are more likely to own mobile phones and have access to the Internet compared to
adults in rural areas. In urban areas, 70% of adults own phones and 25% have access to the
internet. In rural areas, 46% own phones and only 5% have internet access.
The economic update makes several recommendations for the economy
and ICT sector, including implementing supportive policies and regulations, reviewing
taxation in the digital economy, leveraging technology to support the health sector and
economic recovery through increased digitalization of agribusiness and manufacturing,
expansion of social safety nets, and transparency and accountability of government’s
response to COVID-19. It also recommends the development of a coherent strategy of
ecosystem support and catalyzing regional and global integration of Uganda’s digital
economy.
India has been using technology to transform its economy, boosting its ability to grow faster
than other major economies. The country’s use of technology has also positively impacted
society and helped reduce emissions. Technology has also changed how capital markets
function and the opportunities they provide. Only one in 25 Indians had formal identification
and one in four had a bank account in 2008. India’s unique identity system, Aadhaar,
launched in 2010, was the first digital system designed for individual identity. More than 1.2
billion Indians now have a unique digital identity, and the system is used to authenticate
identity for more than 1.6 billion transactions. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is an
online system of tax return filing where the back end ensures correct tax credits. This system
has moved the frequency of tax filings from quarterly to monthly basis giving the government
a predictable and stable cash flow. A study by the National Council of Applied Economic
Research suggested that the implementation of GST has the potential to increase India’s
GDP growth rate by 1% to 1.7%. The vibrant start-up ecosystem in India has attracted
strong private equity flows in the last decade. These funds have been able to exit through
various modes including IPOs. At the last count, India has produced 108 unicorns with a
combined valuation of more than US$354 billion. The listed new-age tech-enabled
companies are parts of different sectors such as finance, consumer discretionary, retail,
communication services, defense, and even utilities. Incumbents have also adopted
technology to grow and retain market share. The stock market has benefited from a re-rating
of existing businesses and new listings as the breadth of options to invest has increased.
Share prices reflect the earnings growth due to the mentioned structural and macroeconomic
changes. India has been a strong performer across periods when compared to other
markets, individually or as a basket. India has historically traded at higher valuations
compared to other emerging markets most of the time but has different
characteristics. Although the Indian equity market can be volatile and may look expensive
when compared to other markets, it has delivered superior returns over periods. India is a
large and deep equity market with a wide range of stock opportunities.
Traditionally being known all around for agriculture, Haryana is today acquiring a new
identity of being an IT hub and fast showing the way to others in implementing Prime
Minister Modi government’s favorite program Digital India. To integrate the use of IT in public
life and governance itself, the State e-Mission Team is playing a vital role. The e-mission
team plays an advisory role while ensuring that there is no duplication of efforts in a
multitude of departments while implementing IT goals in the Haryana government, according
to Munish Chandan, Head of State e-governance Mission Team (SEMT) in Haryana. The
Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of Haryana, has
mandated the involvement of the State e-Mission Team in the core tasks of the
conceptualization of e-governance initiatives, business process re-engineering, preparation
of DPRs, bid Process Management, Programme Management, Technology Management,
and Change Management. Haryana is the first state in the country to implement the PULL
mechanism for accessing documents in DigiLocker for 16 certificate-based services,” said
Chandan. Every citizen gets 1 GB of cloud space just based on the Aadhaar number where
the citizen can keep all important documents like Driving License, Marksheets, certificates,
etc. pertinent to the individual. Thousands of people are learning about the initiatives through
the activities of the van that sees Pre-buzz- to mobilize the people for the campaign,
Communicator explains the objectives of the campaign and its benefits and invites the
audience to see the launch of the Digital India video. A Skit is conducted by the Nukkad
Natak team, the audience engaged with audio-visual content, quiz sessions are conducted
and gifts and pamphlets are distributed even as government officials share information on
respective services.