In today’s world we literally can’t survive without technology because it has been so much integrated into our day to day life. It’s however important to note that it’s only technologies that meet a certain criteria that have been able to truly transform and better our life as we know it.
In this article we are going to look at the 5 key characteristics of technology that make it so valuable be it in production, manufacturing, decision making,and education, and so on.
1 Technology as an extension of human capability
Technology should never be seen as something that is here to replace humans or jobs done by humans, instead, it should be seen as an extension of human capability. Revolutionary technologies are those that have been able to enhance human physical and sensory abilities. Such include things like telescopes, microscopes,planes, cars, and many other hardware and software.
2 Technology is meant to improve outcomes
Whether in business, health, education or whatever industry, technology doesn’t in itself lead to an outcome but rather, it improves outcomes. For instance, in the health sector, technology will not treat patients but instead it will help doctors diagnose better or operate better. In finance, analytics software doesn’t determine financial outcomes but assist experts in determining better outcomes.
3 Technology should be a socially embedded activity
Most technologies are ultimately designed to influence very specific social outcomes for man therefore they shouldn’t be seen as foreign concepts but rather an extension of human social activities. A keen observation of technology will reveal that it’s always designed for various cultural, ideological or political contexts, ad these are all social aspects of humanity.
4 Technology is meant to be functional and practical
All technology is meant to achieve very specific outcomes that have been well thought out therefore before any piece of technology is designed, it has to be conceptualized and refined and once deemed feasible, it’s then designed, tested and rolled out. It’s only after it’s proven to be functional and practical that it will get to the market.
5 Technology will always lead to unexpected results
Whereas most technologies that are developed are meant to be for the betterment of humanity, in some cases some types of technologies end up resulting in unexpected outcomes. For instance, advancement in robotics for large manufacturing industries has resulted into massive job losses because human labor has become redundant, among many other unexpected results.
Whether you are a developer of technology or consumer of technology, it’s always important for you to learn how to evaluate each piece of technology before you adopt it to ensure that it meets the criteria for what it’s intended for. As long as it meets the above characteristics then you can be assured that it’s a good piece of technology.
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