Social Change and Technology

People should welcome change

People should welcome change because it is unavoidable in the modern society. The necessity for and desire for sociocultural social change has increased as a result of the technological revolution (Tj McCue, 2015). In order to create useful tools or find solutions to issues, a variety of approaches, skills, techniques, and processes are combined to form technology. The technology also involves the use of scientific expertise and information to create technologies that are important in tackling certain challenges. Similar to this, social change refers to any significant change in cultural beliefs, behavior patterns, and social conventions that occurs over a specific period of time. The social change is manifested by sudden changes in social relations, nature as well as social institutions within the community (Abraham, 2016).

Impact of technology on social change

For instance, technological changes across the globe have influenced social change in most communities either positively or negatively. Technology and social change are interlinked in that technology influences the behavior of people (Keirns et al., 2015). For example, the use of cellular phones, internet and computers have impacted the behavior of individuals across the world. People are extensively embracing technology hence changing their way of living and culture. Therefore, this essay will discuss the issue of technology and social change by using three primary sociological perspectives to describe equilibrium model, digital divide as well as cultural lag. Also, it will discuss how technology has influenced social epidemiology, health, and environment and finally explore an emerging form of technology.<\/p>

Modernization and technological advancements

For instance, human life and technology are inseparable. Modernization and technological advancements force people to depend on technology in a daily routine highly. The invention of computers, cellular phones as well as internet has extensively influenced the behaviors individuals in the society as well as has positively or adversely changed their lifestyles (Abraham, 2016). Besides, technology has extensively improved communication process. Mobile phones and computers are widely used for communication across the globe hence positively influencing people’s lifestyles. On the same note, internet facilitates communication across the world as well as it is used for business and learning purposes. Scholars, as well as students, depend on the internet for learning purposes (Ramey, 2012). Similarly, essential ideas are shared through the internet, and people can access the information by use of phones or personal computers. On the other hand, technology has adversely influenced members of the society by creating a gap between the rich and poor. For example, the poor people won’t access or utilize modern technology due to inadequate capital hence creating inequality in the society. Additionally, technology has changed the people’s social life and culture by the fact that individuals adopt different lifestyles while abandoning their culture (Tj McCue, 2015).<\/p>

Sociological perspectives: Equilibrium Model, Cultural Lag, and Digital Divide

Besides, equilibrium model deals with change occurrences in the society as well as how adjustments ought to be made to ensure that balance in the community is achieved. Sociologically, a system is said to be at equilibrium if there exists a dynamic balance among the interdependent parts. Functionalist perspective is used to explain equilibrium model about technology and social change. According to functionalist perspective, each society aspect is interconnected and lead to the functioning of the society as a whole (Lin & Atkin, 2012). Whenever a technological advancement is made in the community, people will embrace the change, and hence there should be a balance between the impacts of the technology and the evolution impacted to the society. Cultural lag refers to a phenomenon that change in culture takes time to correspond to technological innovations and that this delay initiates conflicts and social problems. The situation happens when cultural ideas that regulate social life don’t keep pace with societal social changes (Lin & Atkin, 2012). According to the conflict sociological perspective, the society is ever-changing, and conflicts usually arise due to the sudden changes. For instance, technological advancements cause inequality and injustice especially among the haves and have notes which further result in conflict (Abraham, 2016). Therefore, the equilibrium model comes in place to ensure stability and balance among the members of the society. Digital divide refers to the gap created between regions and demographics that access communication and information technology and those that do not have. It causes social and economic inequality among the members of the society. Based on functionalist, conflict and symbolic interaction sociological perspective, technology creates inequality and social injustices due to social changes among the rich and the needy individuals in the society (Lin & Atkin, 2012).<\/p>

Technology and its impact on social epidemiology, health, and the environment

Nevertheless, technology has to a great extent influenced social epidemiology, health, and environment positively. For instance, social epidemiology centers on the study of effects, causes, and patterns of a disease and health conditions in a particular population. The introduction of cellular phones, computers, and the internet has substantially assisted the scientists and researchers in conducting social surveys on a specific disease (Ramey, 2012). Additionally, the tools have aided the scientists in the expansion of research and obtaining quicker results within a short period (Abraham, 2016). On the same note, technology is used in the health sector for various purposes such as monitoring calories and measuring pulse using mobile applications. Also, doctors and other health officers use technology devices like computers in the filling which aids in the safekeeping of records as well as fast retrieval of patient data. Additionally, technology has helped a lot in preserving the environment through the production of materials that do not pollute the environment. Indeed, the use of technology has reduced environmental pollution across the world (Lin & Atkin, 2012).<\/p>

Emerging forms of technology

Remarkably, there have been various emerging forms of technology across the world. One of the recent and emerging types of technology is liquid biopsies. A liquid biopsy is a non-invasive and straightforward substitute to surgical biopsies. According to Cann (2017), a liquid biopsy enables doctors to ascertain a range of data concerning a tumor by conducting a simple blood sample. The invention marks a substantial achievement in fighting against cancer. The recent technological advancement is advantageous since it can be used in a situation where traditional biopsies based on tissue are impossible as well as they provide a range of information as compared to tissue samples (Cann, 2017). Therefore, this form of technology has a potential benefit to the society especially to people who have cancer.<\/p>

Conclusion

In summary, technology has positively and negatively influenced social change in the modern society (Keirns et al., 2015). For instance, the invention of personal computers, internet as well as cellular phones has widely improved communication across the globe. Also, learning has been made easier by the use of internet in researching by the learners. Remarkably, technology has positively influenced health and social epidemiology by providing technological tools that aid in health sector research. Also, Global marketing has been made easier by the use of the internet. Basing the argument on major sociological perspectives, equilibrium model, cultural lag as well as digital divide can be related to technology and social change. For instance, technology causes imbalances and conflicts through creating a gap between the rich and poor hence the need for establishing an equilibrium (Lin & Atkin, 2012).<\/p>

References

Abraham, T. (2016, October). Five tech solutions revolutionizing social change. Amaphiko. Retrieved from https://amaphiko.redbull.com/en/magazine/the-tech-solutions-revolutionalising-social-change

Cann, O. (2017). These are the top 10 emerging technologies of 2017. Retrieved from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/06/these-are-the-top-10-emerging-technologies-of-2017/

Keirns, N. J., Strayer, E., Griffiths, H., Vyain, S., Bry, J. D., & OpenStax College. (2015). Introduction to sociology.

Lin, C. A., & Atkin, D. J. (2012). Communication technology and social change: Theory and implications. New York: Routledge.

Ramey, K. (2012). Technology and society-Impact of technology on society. Retrieved from https://www.useoftechnology.com/technology-society-impact-technology-society/

Tj McCue. (2015, April). Technology and social change. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/tjmccue/2015/04/29/technology-and-social-change/#36c0c0fa28bc