Technological progress has not touched all people in the same way. Some countries have made more use of new technology than others. And technology can have both benefits and harmful effects.
Benefits
Mass production has made more manufactured products available. This has made life easier for more people. Machines have reduced the labor involved in manufacturing. Robots relieve people from boring or dangerous work. Technological advances have also resulted in better medical care. This enables people to live longer and healthier lives. Improvements in agriculture have increased food supplies.
Improvements in transportation allow people to travel farther and faster than ever. Improvements in communications enable people to speak across thousands of miles. Ideas and information instantly spread around the world.
Harmful Effects
Harmful effects often accompany developments in technology. For example, the automobile has allowed faster transportation. But it has also led to many highway deaths.
Mass production and automation have eliminated jobs for many people. New jobs in high-tech industries require complex new skills. Workers without these skills must be retrained. Or they must be satisfied with lower-paying jobs.
Other changes in technology have harmed the environment. Automobiles and airplanes pollute the air. Manufacturing pollutes the air and water. Mass production uses up natural resources. And mass consumption has created huge amounts of trash.
But technology can also help solve these problems. For example, materials can be recycled. This preserves natural resources. Technology can also provide better ways to limit pollution. The challenge is to make sure that the benefits outweigh the harmful effects.
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