Page 28 - Campus Chronicles Technical Magazine 2021

Advances in
Technology in
Today's World
By Ms. Rangaraju Keerthana,
B. Tech (CSE)- 19UP1A05E0
Over the years, technology has revolutionized
our world and daily lives. Additionally,
technology for seniors has created amazing
tools and resources, putting useful information
at our fingertips.
• It is evident that technology is the
backbone of the industrial revolution
process that has occurred over the years
and leads to a total overhaul from crude
systems to modern efficient machinery.
With this in mind, we cannot overlook the
role that technology has played on the
social and economic fronts of many
societies hence the need to have a deeper
insight and research on this particular topic.
The transformation brought about by
technological advancement has helped
many societies in Africa and the world at
large to alleviate poverty and improve their
standards of living through the increased
food supply and significant growth in the
economy and this integrates with the
research question: Is technology
liberating?
• The three academic disciplines from which
this research has drawn insight from
include: agriculture, sociology and
communication sectors.
Agricultural Sector:
In the ancient world, the main source of power
was human labor obtained mainly from slaves.
In North America for example, during the early
17th century, most whites purchased slaves as
a chief source of labor to work on their farms
but with the emancipation proclamation by
President Abraham Lincoln during the civil war
of 1863 that declared all slaves to be set free
from bondage, their masters had no choice but
to source for another alternative source of
labor.
This act spearheaded the advancement of the
agricultural revolution, which was also boosted
by the industrial revolution that led to the
development of more efficient agricultural
machinery that required very few workers and
resulted in higher farm production. Examples
of some of the medieval technologies used in
the ancient world included: water wheel, four-
field crop rotation system, the horse collar and
selective breeding of livestock with good traits.
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Social Aspects:
These developments made it easier for people
to move around hence positively impacting on
their social lives by enhancing communication,
trade, and farming. This indirectly led to
improved living standards as a result of the
increased food supply by farmers and the
development of business firms. Farmers could
now effectively carry their farm inputs and
fertilizers to the farm and farm products to the
market without difficulties. Businesses also
thrived because of the efficient transport
system and in no time firms began proliferating
from every sector of the economy. This enabled
them to diversify their economic activities as
they no longer depended on the agricultural
sector for their daily provision but also
ventured into the business sector within the
community.
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Technical Magazine
With the recent development in infrastructure,
it paved the way to the development of social
amenities as schools, hospitals, public toilets,
shops and market centers that increased in
number as more and more investors joined the
market. These amenities played a critical role
in the development of the economy and
elevating the living standards of the people in
the community as they could now easily access
all the essential resources. Hence technology
played a vital role in liberating the lives of many
from the bondage of hunger and scarcity to a
point of abundance and stable food supply.
Communication Sector:
During the ancient period, people used to
communicate through messages carved on
stone pillars but this type of communication
had limitations as the recipients had to travel
miles to receive them and the message could
only be read within a certain reading range.
Others like the American Indians used smoke
to convey a particular message to the
community while others used bonfires lit on
hilltops but such signals were limited to
conveying specific information like looming
danger, war or victory.