How Does Technology Influence Our Social And Biological Evolution?

Effects of Technology
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How Does Technology Influence Our Social and Biological Evolution?
How Does Technology Influence Our Social and Biological Evolution?
Technology has indeed revolutionized the world and its effects, both good and bad, can be felt in every aspect of society. Some of life’s problems have been replaced with some of the most efficient systems while others have been permanently dealt with. At every turn or with each passing day, people are expectant of new developments which will further ease their lives. However, unbeknownst to many is the fact that technology has also negatively influenced some of life’s aspects. The truth is, the positive side of technology by far surpasses its bad side. However, neglect of the small but significant negatives can indeed lead to lasting effects. Over the years, the evolution of man and his transformation has been considered positively and so far, much has been accomplished and more is yet to come. But at what expense are these developments and the advancements in technology? Is man playing a losing game and how much is be evolving or changing? These are hard questions. However, the truth is, technology subtly influences man and oblivious to man, his social and biological evolution has been greatly impacted. The above statement forms, the premise of this article and a detailed elucidation is set to follow.
First of all, technology has greatly changed how people interact and this has completely destabilized the social interaction construct. Initially, human interaction was face-to-face and a request to meet for “coffee” was a perfect example of how people connected. However, advancements in technology have completely changed the modes and means of interaction. Currently, people believe they are and feel “closer” to their friends and family after chatting with them on the several online social networking platforms. According to Konnikova (2014), technology changes “the nature of human interaction. What Facebook does and why it’s been so successful in so many ways is it allows you to keep track of people who would otherwise effectively disappear.” Physical presence is gradually being replaced with a few minutes on Facebook or WhatsApp. Slowly, face-to-face meetings have become obsolete as people find social networks easy to work with and to be involved in many people’s lives at the same time. What many fail to realize, however, is the reduction in resource allocation towards all the friendships and relationships. Additionally, the essence of touch and show of affection have also lost meaning with people more comfortable conversing through their devices. The brain is also affected in the process because it is forced to adjust to the changes. According to Restak (2003), the...