The engineers and effect of digital technology

As we already knew that the science and information technology have brought tremendous benefits for the human civilization. The world is improving better than expectation. People in the world are becoming healthier, wealthier, better educated, more peaceful, increasingly connected, and living longer. Of course, science and information technology provide many answers to the global challenges, but development of science and technological also has the negative effect to our civilization, especially changing to how we teach our children.

Technology advances show people a more efficient way to do things, and these processes get results. For example, education has been greatly advanced by the technological advances of computers and gadget. Students are able to learn on a global scale without ever leaving their classrooms. Agricultural processes that once required dozens upon dozens of human workers can now be automated, thanks to advances in technology, which means cost-efficiency for farmers. Medical discoveries occur at a much more rapid rate, thanks to machines and computers that aid in the research process and allow for more intense educational research into medical matters.

There are many advantages that have come since the introduction of digital technology and gadget within classrooms of all education levels. Each advantage and disadvantage can be argued and debated over whether or not they are correct. A common consensus for this debate is that the quality of education is not dependent on the technology in the classroom but rather on the teacher who is able to take the needs and abilities of their students into account when using any form of technology in the classroom. Although there are many advantages to digital technology in the classroom there have been arguments as to whether the computer and gadget are what are doing all the work and not the students. Because information can be accessed quickly and displayed through multiple mediums there are fears that children and students might not remember information because they can now look it up elsewhere. There are also people who argue that children are losing basic knowledge and reading skills because of their use of technology.

There are arguments that because of all the new technology and gadget that there is a loss of communication skills and the ability for people to interact with each other. Since a fairly large amount of the new technology is made for an independent uses there are valid concerns about the loss of interpersonal and cooperation skills that children and students usually develop within a classroom setting. Even though gadgets such as smart phones, i Pads, tablet, etc., with the social media and networking incredibly useful and fun time killers, but they can change of teenager life completely. These digital technologies can influence the relationship with friends and family. These are real issues in parenting in the digital age. As engineers in informatics, we need to act to solve these issues. Engineers have to research, when is a good time to introduce the children to the gadget and Internet beside research what happens if our children is addicted to the Internet, gadget or the mobile device?

BEnfano Soewito