The term ‘ Technology ‘ is quite broad and everyone may interpret this meaning differently. However, we can define technology as a body of knowledge for creating and processing tools and, as a result, producing products according to our needs.

Growing by Benefiting from Technology

Technology is also a scientific application used to solve problems . However, it is quite important to know that technology and science are different subjects that work together to accomplish certain tasks or solve problems.

Technology has a dynamic structure and continues to develop all the time. Because our needs and demands for technology continue to change over time.

We have evolved from the industrial age to the information and innovative age. In the industrial age, companies with large amounts of capital had the potential to use expensive technological tools to gain competitive advantage.

Small businesses had less potential because they could not afford expensive production or processing technology tools.

However, advancement in technology has created a new economic environment dependent on information, and we call it the “Information Age” . The information age has provided a different working environment and helped small businesses take part in competitive markets.

Let’s take a simple example and see how technology evolves:

An example of the evolution of technology; The pen was one of the first technologies that made it easier for people to record their previous thoughts and actions in writing and to reference them for others after them. This technology later made great progress with the development of the printing press.

By making it easier to mass produce the written word with the printing press, human beings were able to convey information to larger audiences. In addition to the printing press, typewriters were created over time, which paved the way for everyone to make their own documents.

Over time, with the emergence of the computer, all previous technologies have significantly improved in terms of editing, writing and sharing.

Note: Smartphones can also be considered another evolution of technology. It allows us to write and share from anywhere in the world by allowing us to have a computer in our pocket, not just a device to rig with.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Technology

The use of technology is extremely good because it simplifies the way we do things in our daily lives, but if technology is applied incorrectly and beyond it’s limits, it can be harmful in many ways.

Technology has been developed by humans to accomplish almost every task; in another sense, it has been developed to make the impossible possible for humans.

However, today we can give a very clear and clean example to help you understand the Advantages and Disadvantages of technology; While means of transportation such as planes, trains and ships enable people to travel long distances easily, people are killed by mass weapons using nuclear technology.

Below, we briefly touched upon the Advantages and Disadvantages of technology in the business world, as an example:

What are the Advantages of Technology?

INCREASES PRODUCTION:

Technology helps businesses automate most tasks, resulting in greater production and efficiency. For example, ovens can automate the temperature chamber using temperature sensors to detect a temperature drop or temperature increase.

TECHNOLOGY HELPS SMALL BUSINESSES TO GAIN A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE:

If business technology is implemented well in our daily life, it can help small businesses take part in a competitive market. Some of the ways small businesses use technology to gain a good position in the market and scale;

These can be listed as improving customer services through internet technologies such as social networks and e-mail, and creating new products and services tailored to customer needs and requests.

SAVES TIME:

However, most of the activities in the business are automated due to the technology, most of the time is saved during the process. Computers can also be used to perform a variety of business tasks; for example, a computer can be used to save data, make calculations and a remote site can be connected via videoconference, etc.

TECHNOLOGY ACCELERATES INNOVATION:

The only one way that small businesses can be successful in today’s competitive world is to use technology to create new products or services.

Small businesses can use internet technology to gather important information about targeted consumers so they can understand well their needs and wants; This information can be used when adapting the new products or services.

IMPOVES INFORMATION SHARING:

Many businesses use internal networks to facilitate the best flow of information within the organization. This internal network can help transfer information between different departments in the business. Additionally, employees can share different technologies, such as printers, fax machines, and the Internet, over an internal network. This easy flow of information also increases the speed at which decisions are made in a business.

IMPROVES DATA STORAGE:

Keeping business data safe is crucial as a workplace could strike and you could lose all important information. The use of databases and remote storage facilities ensures that business information and data are secure and accessible from anywhere.

TECHNOLOGY SIMPLIES BUSINESS COMMUNICATION:

Every business survives on communication; You need to communicate with your suppliers, partners and employees, so technology will simplify all of this.

Many businesses use communication technologies such as mobile phones devices, video conferencing applications such as Skype, text messaging services and E-mail to exchange most important business information.

What Are the Disadvantages of Technology?

IT IS EXPENSIVE:

Technology has a price, not every small business manages to use technology. After purchasing the technology and integrating it into the company, you have to pay another cost to maintain this technology, monthly maintenance is recommended and this can be expensive.

NOT SAFE:

Technology may not be secure; With internet technology, it is very easy to lose business data. Hackers can easily access your remote database and use your business data for their own needs.

SOCIAL / WORKPLACE DISCONNECT:

Over-reliance on technology has disrupted workplace relationships, with employees and business managers communicating via email, phone, text messages and video conferences; This situation kills face-to-face communication.

Technology’s benefits and losses

Benefits of technology

• Information is accessed very quickly and cheaper.
• Understanding diseases in the field of health can be faster and more reliable. Thanks to technology, treatment methods have improved and diseases can be treated in a shorter time.
• It has increased education and training opportunities. (Interactive Whiteboard, Tablet, Computer applications)
• Transportation process from one place to another has become more faster, easier and comfortable.
• Produced products cost less.
• Communication and communications opportunities have increased.
• Thanks to white goods used that are used at home, people save time and live a more comfortable and calm life.

Harms of Technology

• Gases and wastes that harm the environment have increased.
• It can damage the balance of nature by increasing global warming.
• Unemployment has increased.
• People have started to lose their existing cultural values.
• Television and the internet have broken family communication and led people to loneliness.
• Sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy and unwell diet have increased and obesity has become widespread due to technology.
• And Thanks to the radiations that are emitted, people’s health has begun to be negatively and badly affected and new health problems and disorders have been emerged due to tech.
• Some psychological disorders such as internet addiction have occurred.
• It can make people accustomed to laziness.

Let’s explain the benefits of technology in a few subheadings.

• medical industry

In these months we have spent with the coronavirus pandemic,  we see how much technology and health overlap. Thanks to the new developing technology, there are useful cures for many diseases. Yup, However the Covid-19 vaccine has not been officially released yet, we seem to be hearing the footsteps of the vaccine. Although the coronavirus epidemic comes to our mind when we think of the medical sector due to the situation we are tackling yet, we can get benefits from the blessings of technology in every field of medicine and, moreover, many lives can be saved it’s all thanks to technology. What more!

• Transport

Especially the bleeding wound of big cities is the endless traffic. If it rains, traffic is blocked, if there is a match, traffic is paralyzed. In short, there is always an excuse to get stuck in traffic. However, thanks to technology, we have come a long way in terms of transportation. While we used to struggle with roads, endless maps and locations that took hours, today we can find many addresses at the speed of light. Thanks to navigation technologies, we can now find the address we want with a single click and reach the location we want to go by the shortest and traffic-free route.

• Education

One of the questions that has been occupying the agenda lately is; Will schools be opened, when will schools be opened, will there be make-up education, when will make-up education start? Schools were suspended due to the pandemic and it is not clear whether the new school term will start. Thanks to developing technology, this problem has been eliminated to a great extent because thanks to online education, students can alleviate the negative situation caused by the pandemic to some extent. Thanks to online lessons, children do not fall behind in education. Therefore, we can easily say that technology directly touches education.  

• media industry

Whatever is happening in our country or in the world is immediately available on our mobile phone. We don’t have to wait for the evening news for this. In addition to communicating, technology also provides great benefits in the field of advertising and consumers. Thanks to brands’ effective use of communication channels, many products can now reach us in a short time. It’s hard to understand how we’ve gone from the days of black and white television commercials to vast drone footage, but what we do know is that we’ll continue to be amazed by many more technologies.  

• Security

In fact, we mentioned above that security is always a question mark when talking about the harms of technology. However, one of the areas where technology benefits is security. The world is growing, developing and unfortunately getting polluted. With crime rates are on the rise, vulnerability is always at the forefront of our minds. Thanks to technology, we are experiencing many significant and useful developments in terms of security. As thieves advance their techniques, security measures also become more advanced.

• Industry

Thanks to technological developments in the field of industry, we save a lot of money on time-consuming things such as production, assembly, maintenance and repair. Thanks to the developing industry, time is now an important resource and we embrace the blessings of technology to make good use of it.

• Natural disasters

Earthquake is one of the leading natural disasters… We are all always on guard against earthquakes and we continue our lives with its existence. We don’t know when, where and under what conditions we will be hit by an earthquake, but thanks to the new technology, we are taking important steps and opportunities to protect ourselves in the case of an earthquake. Technology can’t prevent the occurrence of an earthquake, but we can say clearly that it is working to overcome this natural event with the least damage.

• Shopping

We all are at home due to coronavirus outbreak. Every day we read dozens of articles saying “stay at home” and take into account the recommendations of experts. In these months when we cannot leave the house, online shopping comes to our rescue. With the advancement of technology, we now enjoy the pleasure of doing our shopping effortlessly from where we sit.  

• Communication

Of course, communication is our hand and foot. In these days when we stay away from our loved ones and live according to  social distance rules,  the most important thing for us is the health of our loved ones. For this reason, communication channels are our everything. Video calls, voice messages, videos, etc., every innovation that develops brings goodness to our lives. The fact that workplaces are closed and most of us have to work from home in a home office increases the need for communication. Thanks to programs such as Zoom, we can hold our meetings online. 

Harms and Benefits of Technology | For kids

Technology: It is the set of knowledge, skills, methods and techniques required to produce tools and equipment for people’s needs. Based on this definition, we may think that we should focus on the benefits of technology , but when it is not used consciously, we are faced with the harms of technology !

What are the benefits and harms of technology? With the answers to these questions, it is possible to design the technology use experience correctly.

When we talk about unconsciousness, the first thing that comes to our mind is children . While we can call an adult’s use of technology in a harmful way “unconsciousness”, we can also call it “choice”. But we cannot say it is a “choice” for children. Because children are not aware of the harm they do to themselves when they use technological products in harmful ways.

For this very reason, we would like to give some reminders to adults about the benefits and harms of technology . With these reminders, you will be able to find your own answers to the questions of what are the benefits and harms of technology. Be sure to read this informative article until the end!

The first question we need to consider is: “What is technology?” not; “What is technology or what does it mean for children?” should be.

The answer is simple : Computers, tablets, phones, televisions, advanced toys and similar, all technological products that will be of interest to children. This is what technology is all about for children.

Therefore, when evaluating the issue from the perspective of children; We do not need to talk about industrial machines, medical devices, war materials, and the benefits and harms of all these – for now. Let’s directly consider the technological content consumed by children:

For kids;

Harms of Technology

1- Disorder in Mental Skills:

Spending too much time in front of technological devices (in front of the screen) such as computers, phones and tablets causes problems such as distraction and poor concentration. This situation negatively affects the child’s academic success, reducing his success at school and in classes.

Of course, this problem should not be attributed to technology. It should not be forgotten that technological developments aim to benefit people. Using the right technology in the right amount is of course not harmful , but beneficial .

2- Disorder in Social Skills:

A child who plays too many games on the computer loses his social skills during this period when he is disconnected from real life. The child, who does not communicate, interact and share sufficiently with his environment, tries to meet all these needs in the virtual environment.

For example, children can see the seniority they have achieved in a game and the level they have reached as an element of respect, and they can try to gain respect with these features in their circle of friends. However, these titles, which have no importance in real life, should be replaced by skills such as respect, love, sharing and communication . The child needs to gain respect with these skills.

3- Anger and Fear:

Children may be exposed to scary elements like Momo in the videos, cartoons or games they play . Children who are not old enough to fully understand the difference between reality and fantasy may experience negative situations such as fear of being alone, having nightmares at night, and not being able to go to the toilet alone.

Similarly, they can turn into angry children when they consume videos or games containing violent elements.

4- Technology Addiction:

Again, technology addiction resulting from excessive use is a situation that causes a person to feel deprived and therefore uneasy when he cannot access the technological product.

A child who is addicted to technology; He will feel unhappy every moment he is not watching videos on the internet, every moment he is not playing games on the computer, every moment he is not fiddling with his tablet.

Naturally, since we cannot always offer technological products to the child and we already know that this is wrong, we have to impose various restrictions. However, because we are late for these restrictions, we cause the child to turn into an unhappy child.

We understand from the addiction clause that the harms of technology can increase exponentially if it is not used consciously and in a controlled manner.

5- Physical Problems:

The harms of technology do not only consist of emotional and mental disorders. There is also a physical dimension to the issue. Watching TV or using a computer or tablet for a long time in an incorrect sitting position brings with it the following negative effects:

• eye-vision problems
• neck pain
• Deterioration in the skeletal structure of the body
• Arm, hand, finger numbness
• Overstrain

In addition to these items, we can also say the following: The physical development of a child who spends the time that should be devoted to activities that support muscle development, such as walking, running, jumping, and playing physical games, in an inactive manner in front of a technological device, slows down. It should not be forgotten that in such cases, children who cannot burn enough calories face the risk of obesity.

6- Bullying, Abuse and Safety Issues:

We have frequently talked about “overuse” until this topic. Among the harms of technology, there are also hidden threats that are not due to excessive use. For example: Cyber ​​Bullying! Considering that the technologies that children are interested in usually have the ability to connect to the internet, we also need to consider external threats.

Children can be exposed to peer bullying in games and applications that feature online communication. They can be exploited by malicious adults. Personal information about the child or his family can also be obtained by malicious adults.

Advantages, Disadvantages and Future of Cloud Technology

With the development and advancements of technology, computers have become an integral and needy part of our daily, social and business lives. As the place of computers in ourlives increases, the size of the data processed has also been increased. The increase in data sizes has brought about some problems for companies. Because it is extremely important for companies to store data / files and perform transactions at any time, anywhere.

At this point, we encounter “Cloud Technology” . Cloud Technology is also named as “Information Technology” or “Cloud Computing” . Cloud Technology enables various computing services such as database, server, storage and software to share data between users via the internet.

Since Cloud Technology is actively used in different areas today, some questions about this subject are frequently asked.

Advantages of Cloud Technology

The first advantage of Cloud Technology that comes to mind is when the memory of technological devices such as computers, tablets or phones that we actively use in daily life is insufficient. At this point, we can save space on our devices by taking advantage of cloud technology. But of course, the advantages of cloud technology are not limited to this.

We can list the advantages of Cloud Technology as follows;

· As long as you have an internet connection, you can access your data in cloud technology 24/7.        

· Your information on cloud platforms cannot be viewed by third parties unless you allow it.        

· Even if your data is deleted from this device as a result of a malfunction in the devices you use, it will not be lost on cloud platforms.        

· Most cloud platforms available in the market are extremely secure.    

Significantly increases in-company efficiency.        

· With cloud technology, you can save significantly on various expense items such as establishing a data center and purchasing hardware and software.        

· Cloud technology is very fast and flexible.        

Cloud technology has many different advantages such as these. However, if you want to benefit from the advantages of cloud technology, it would be better to get professional support.

Disadvantages of Cloud Technology

We can list the disadvantages of Cloud Technology as follows;

· Since cloud technology is used over the internet, it cannot be used in places where there is no internet.        

· Although cloud platforms are extremely secure, major problems may occur if a possible cyber attack occurs. Additionally, if a malfunction occurs in the platform, stored data may be lost.        

· Applications may run slowly for various reasons.        

· You may experience various problems due to system updates.        

In general, the disadvantages of cloud technology are as follows. If you want to get benefits from cloud technology, it would be better for you to make a decision by taking an account to its advantages and disadvantages.

The Future of Cloud Technology

Considering that technology will constantly improve and make progress in the future, these technological developments and innovations will undoubtedly lead to the development of cloud technology. The number of the it’s users has been increased since the moment cloud technology began to be used in lives, and it is also thought that it will Advance in the same way in the future.

Finally, it is thought that the disadvantages and loses of cloud technology will be fully eliminated in the future and the number of it’s users will advance even more. It’s only Time that will tell what effects developing technology will have on cloud technology and also whether these effects will be positive or negative, dark or bright.