Research Paper

THE EFFECTS OF BEING DEPENDENT ON TECHNOLOGY

A Research Paper Presented to

The English Resource Center

School of Multimedia and Arts

Asia Pacific College

Magallanes, Makati City

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements of the Course

ERESWRT-Research Writing

Nahz John R. Sales

August 2014

Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

Technology improved our means of communication. Today, we already came up with such fascinating inventions like smartphones, iPads, computers and many more. These things can be used not only in communicating but also as a form of entertainment. Before these things are being created, our ancestors used smoke and animals as a form of communication. They started with fire, then the smoke serves as a signal to whoever they wanted to communicate. It looks hard, but it went very effective to them. Years later, they thought sending animals with messages attached to it may be a convenient way. It also went well. After a few generations, things are being developed. Scientists and other technology enthusiasts are helping out to create a better and faster way to talk to people. That's why we have phones with us today.

In the article "Impact of Technology on Communication" by Hemangi Harankhedkar from the site www.buzzle.com, people today are very dependent with technology in terms of communicating with people. Obviously this big world transformed and became like one small village. We can really feel it by having conversations with people internationally. It ain't hard to talk to people on different countries, right? We can even have a group call at the same time, how cool is that? There are no barriers and no limitations, we can still contact people regardless the distance between time and distance. Relationships are strengthen, distance isn't a hidrance now, and that is very helpful for peope with long distance relationships. Better solutions, we don't need to read several books to have access to something, we can exchange thoughts and ideas through networks. Then we came up with better ideas. 

According to  Hemangi, "Technology has bettered our communication process. It changed the way we think." (http://www.buzzle.com/articles/impact-of-technology-on-communication.html)

We have not only improved our ways to communicate. We also came up with an idea to put games into phones. Teens and kids are enjoying games and other forms of entertainment made by technology. Again, if we compare it to the past, children can be found outside playing with friends. They were socially active and interact with friends more. Today, kids want to stay home rather than playing outside. Technology fascinates kids and teens. With it's realistic graphics and great scenarios, they are loving it and get addicted to it. Play stations, Xbox, consoles and etc., these are some examples of inventions that we have today. And as a teen, I can say, it is quite entertaining.

In the article "Technology Affecting Modern Teenagers" by Kristen Berry from the site www.everydaylife.globalpost.com, we have all-in-one device, everyone wants that. Inspite of its advantages, ce on the article, the most addictive device as a teenager is the cellphone. Except for it's ability to keep in touch with people, cellphones can also have games, applications that gives you access to different kinds of entertainment. 

According to Kristen Berry, "Technology is an integral part of nearly every teenager's life. They are really into it now." (http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/technologies-affecting-modern-teenagers-14264.html)

Due to these latest products, we are experiencing health risks. So, this time, doctors consulted technology experts. They team up and created new devices that can prolong life. These devices can detect any disease and also can monitor your health everyday. Also, they made new medicines and vitamins. All the supplements we need can be only found in just a small pill. Clever, right? It is also possible to have access of different kinds of medication in just pressing buttons. Through today's digital innovations, it's not necessary to consult a doctor. We can have different devices at home to maintain a healthy life.

In the article "How Technology is Transforming Healthcare" by Eric Topol from the site www.health.usnews.com, through today's digital innovations we can monitor a human body. It made us possible to have portable devices that access any medical information. To diagnose and find early prevention for any symptoms we sense. We the help of these advanced inventions, we are able to take tests at home and do multiple tasks. We can also monitor each heartbeat, do blood pressure readings, body temperature and glucose. 

According to Eric Topol, "Digital innovations have now made it possible for consumers to use portable devices to access their medical information, monitor their vital signs, take tests at home and carry out a wide range of tasks." (http://health.usnews.com/health-news/hospital-of-tomorrow/articles/2013/07/12/how-technology-is-transforming-health-care)

Through our curiosity and strong desire to have better devices. We already came up with human-like machines, and these are called Robots. These machines are made to help us finish works in a short time. Without getting exhausted and exerting a lot of effort, Robots do their job in a glimpse of time. This is considered as another great invention throughout the history. Robots are manipulated by humans, some are by computers. But unlike humans, robots do not have emotions.

In the article "Fast building inspection from the air: Quiet flying robots do the work" by Christian Eschmann from the site www.sciencedaily.com, In germany, several buildings need to be renovated. Why? Some of the reasons are because these buildings are getting old, painted walls are starting to get cracked, some parts of the structures are rusty. These are the results of the environmental influences. Since they technology came, workers came up with the idea of inventing something that might help them. They thought that they need something to make them exert lesser effort in maintaining the structures in a good state, inspect every corner with less danger and hazard. With the help of researchers, they created the Aerial Robot.

According to Christian Eschmann, "In the future, flying inspection robots will be able to accelerate and simplify inspections, thus reducing the safety risk." (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140709104855.htm)

Technology is good and has a lot of benefits. It helps us to make our work easier and a lot faster. However, people usually don't notice that they are already being dependent to technology. Some people even think that these are the solution to each problem. Of course, some don't. Technology is the reason why people today are getting prone to different kinds of diseases. Exposed to gadgets means that they are also being exposed to radiation. However, users still ignore these warnings.

Therefore, this research was made to inform every reader on how technology affects a person when being used. How harmful it could be and what could we get when we depend on it. The focus of this paper is to expand a person's knowledge regarding the effects of extensive usage of technology.

B. Statement of the Problem

               

                  This study aims to answer this question:

1.) What are the negative consequences of extensive usage of technology?

C. Significance of the Study

Teenagers - The research paper will help teenagers to understand how technology affects their health without them noticing it. Also, it will help them to realize that they should lessen the usage of it.

Parents - The parents will know how technology can affect their child's growth progress. Information in this paper will help them in parenting their kids if technology is involved in their kid's growth.

People using technology - This study can help the people who use technology in their everyday routine can bring different health risks. Also, this will help them to be knowledgeable about everything in terms of technology.

Future Researchers - This papers are very helpful to those people who will do the same researches. Some researchers fail to persuade the readers because they lack from information. I guarantee that they will learn a lot from this work.

D. Scope and Delimitation


This study is about how technology can affect a human mind regardless of the age. People today don't notice how this devices and inventions can harm and can be dangerous to their health. Some people are already effected with this kind of routine. Also, this emphasizes why people are getting dependent to such things in this generation.

Due to lack of time this study will no longer talking about how technology is being developed. However, this will further discuss and emphasize the effects in one's lifestyle.

E. Materials and Methods

The information within this study were gathered from various online resources. The researcher used this resources to gather data and to summarize it to make this study more understandable.

This can make a person realize how today's generation of inventions can be helpful and harmful

F. Definition of Terms

1.) Consoles - devices used to operate a computer.

2.) Robot - human-like machines that has no emotions. Manipulated by humans or computers

3.) Smartphone - mobile phone with advanced computing ability and features than the ordinary phone.

4.) Technology - tools, devices and machines used by humans.

Chapter 2

DISCUSSION

What are the negative consequences of extensive usage of technology?

I. Technology's Benefits

Definition of Technology

Technology is our key to the future. Some say this is our way to access anything in this world. But what  is technology? Technology is the advancement of tools or machines that is operated by a certain person to help him finish a work in a quick and easy way. These are the latest products like computers and smartphones. It helps us to communicate to people we wish to talk to despite the distance. Workers in the fields or even factories would not get exhausted with the help of it. Because of one's curiousity and endless desire to discover new things, Scientists and Researchers are helping each other out to conduct experiments and help them improve today's technology. 

II. Negative Consequences of Extensive Usage

Technology helps us a lot and brings so much benefits. Things in this world always have their negative side. Therefore, technology is not exempted. As technology develops, a lot of issues also develop. We should think of it because this might be the end of us.

A. Health issues

Technology may had a lot of benefits and contribution regarding medications and helping people to overcome diseases, but a lot of us don't know that technology is starting to rage on us. Due to extensive usage, various health risks are now mainstream. The most common is Obesity. Since technology just need some few clicks to finish work, a lot of people is now becoming dependent on it. People now are getting lazy, and obviously lack from physical activities. Sits and sleeps all day and not thinking that getting work done is a problem. Some other suffer from neck and head pain due to postures when using their phones and computers. Technology also cause a person to have neurosis. That causes emotional disturbance such as anxiety and delusions. All gadgets emit radiation, which means exposure to gadgets is exposure to radiation. Users usually don't think that they might get affected by it. They don't know that these thing are killing them softly.

In the article "25 Negative Effects of Technology" written by Sheri Hosale from the site www.roogirl.com, there are several negative consequences we could get from technology.

According to Sheri Hosale, "The impact of technology on our social, mental, physical and environmental health can be devastating if we don’t keep ourselves in check. There’s no denying the benefits we have gained from technological advancements, but as with all things in life moderation is key. Being aware of the harmful aspects of the overuse of electronics will help you avoid any unnecessary pitfalls. We have also compiled a list of reading material that delves deeper into this relatively new area of study" (http://roogirl.com/25-negative-effects-of-technology/).

According to the author, technology is full of benefits. However, users abuse it and leads them to several issues regarding with their health. Obviously things are getting worse. As technology develops, more and more diseases are spreading. Not just because of radiation but also other germs and viruses that lived in the devices and eventually reproduced. We should always keep in our minds that anything that is used too much may lead to harmful effects.

B. Education

Students who are overly exposed to technology have a large chance on having different learning problems. Today, we depend on technology when it comes to education. Schools even prefer to use it than books because it is always updated. They have no idea that using the internet as references can sometimes go wrong. Not all sites are reliable in fact that sometimes it could be plagiarized and/or have wrong information enlisted to it. Another thing hst teachers encounter is technical problems. Especially if they are not used to it. It takes away a lot of time. Not all students can focus in learning with technology, in fact they are easily distracted whenever they use it in researches. Instead of studying, they tend to play and browse of social networking sites.

According to an article entitled "Negative Effects of Using Technology in Today's Classroom" by Juia Klaus from the site www.classroom.synonym.com. The author said, "Some negative effects of technology in today's classroom are that it can take away time of valuable learning. In can be overused and it can also turn educational experiences into games for students" (http://classroom.synonym.com/negative-effects-using-technology-todays-classroom-4130.html).

Internet changed the way students think. They tend to procrastinate because they keep in mind that there is technology. They always think that it's easy to get things done. They will just probably copy and paste it from different websites and boom. Instant homework. Some other students tend to plagiarize. This is an act of copying the exact word of a person and then they will claim that it's their work. Another one is addiction, a lot of students today prefer going to internet cafés instead of attending school. They get very addicted to it and loses control. Also, students now lack from social skills. And these could be the no. 1 effect of e-learning. Students rely on the internet and technology that leads to an unsocial life. Another problem is students lack from sleep. They spend all night watching or browsing social networks. Sleep deprivation is another factor for a student to fail his/her grades. Technology will change the way students think. We should be aware of that.

C. Communication

The major reason why people in today's generation don't have the ability to express one's feeling in face-to-face is because of texting and chatting through different people using social medias. They are already used to talk to them without seeing who they're talking to. That's why they have more guts in saying what they want to say when they are using technology. Another disadvantage caused by technology is people today lack non-verbal communication. Well, what are we expecting. They talk like they are behind walls. They lock themselves up and prefer chatting than talking in real life. Even they are near, they still prefer to text or chat them. This is how our generation are already screwed up.

The greatest sector that has been affected the most is the communication. According to the article entitled "Impact of Technology on Communication" written by Hemangi Harankhedkar from the site www.buzzle.com, there are a lot of disadvantages when technology influenced us and the way we communicate. 

People nowadays only meet online. Society are getting boring because of this. People who tend to spend all their time in social networking sites doesn't mean they have a lifestyle. Basically, they are socially unstable. Technology today created a lot of scammers and theft. Since, millions of people are using different social sites. Criminals are now starting to use it too. Hundreds of people today were once a victim. So, we should be aware by that. With the use of social networking sites, users are more prone to depression. Why? Humans lack from physical contact and they tend to overeat and not to exercise. They are easily hypnotized by videos. Today, technology made the world a smaller society and that is not a good thing. This can be the reason to rage war.

According to Hemangi, "The most prominent negative effect of technology - the charm of the good old world is missing. The letters, and lengthy face-to-face conversations have gone away, and have been replaced by texting or chatting" (http://www.buzzle.com/articles/impact-of-technology-on-communication.html).

D. Business

Technology ruined the business relationships. Talking to clients and holding meeting are not so personal anymore. They use skype and other video-chatting applications when they wish to talk to people they want. It has no privacy and not that formal anymore. Also, offices that has a lot of computers distract the employees. Instead of doing their job and finishing tasks that they are asked to do, they tend to slack by playing and browsing online. The main reason why they are getting fired and for some companies to crash. Some other offices also install software that monitors the employees. That can simply lead to make the employee feel that they are not trusted.

Our economy is also influenced by technology, so it is not exempted. It also has a lot of negative effects when the technology came. An article entitled "Technology's Effects on business" by Samantha Hanly from the site www.smallbusiness.chron.com, said that business today are messy. 

Companies do earn a lot from using advance machines, but these machines cause pollution. Factories own by different companies is one of the factors of global warming. They all exert smoke and different kinds of chemical which is not good not only on mother earth but also to us people. These is obviously the main reason why calamities are getting stronger. All of those things require energy and it sad that they consume a lot of power and not thinking about the people who has no power at their home. Their high-voltage regilators causes some of the villages power breakdown. One thing is for sure, companies now don't care what if something bad happens to us and the environment. 

According to Samantha Hanly, "While technology did make business communications faster and easier, it has also made, at times, communication more distracting and less clear" (http://smallbusiness.chron.com/effects-technology-business-communications-23045.html).

III. Conclusions

Technology is very helpful to us but we should be aware lf what this things can be done. Also, we have the right to use it. We just have to keep in mind that all things that are overused leads to negative consequences.

People should not abuse anything. Especially technology, this can harm us in a way we don't notice. We all know that these are helpful but let's discipline ourselves not to overuse it. Being dependent to it may bring you harm in life.

Technology is very dangerous in terms of overusage. We should be aware that this could be the factor of several diseases. Technology brings a lot of help but it also brings danger. It harms not only our health but also the environment we live in.If we still don't know how to handle things, we may lose control to it. These things may be the worst enemy we could have. Don't be afraid to explore and discover new things. But always keep in mind that our future lies in our hands. 

Chapter 3 

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

SUMMARY

This paper attempted to determine the negative consequences regarding the extensive usage of technology.

The research design used in this study is the descriptive research method wherein data from documents and articles found in the internet were used to answer the research question posed. The research finding are the following:

1. Technology changed the way we communicate with people. Today, we can talk to people we wish to, despite the distance. Also, we can talk to several people at the same time without going to places. 

2. We have not only improved our ways to communicate. We also came up with an idea to develop games and other kinds of entertainment. Technology fascinates not only the teenagers today but also the older ones. With its realistic graphics, they are loving it.

3. Doctors team up with technology experts to create devices to prolong life. They also came up with medicines and vitamins to help us maintain a healthy lifestyle. They invented machines to help us monitor our body without going to consult them everytime. 

4. Technology has a lot of benefits. It helps us to do a lot of things without exhaustion. However, it brings harm in our life as well. Extensive usage of technology leads us to deal with negative consequences, it puts our lives in danger. 

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the findings of the study, the following conclusions are drawn:

1. Technology is very helpful to us but we should be aware lf what this things can be done. Also, we have the right to use it. We just have to keep in mind that all things that are overused leads to negative consequences.

2. The only reason why people today are prone to diseases is because they are also exposed to radiation. Extensive usage of technology leads to a higher risk in having diseases.

3. Most people who only spend their time in social networking sites are socially unstable due to the lack of physical and personal interactions. Also, kids who are addicted to games tend to have lower grades because technology serves as a distraction. They play games and browse through social networking sites instead of studying. 

4. The main cause of earth's destruction is the factories that are being made by different companies. These factories release gas and other chemicals that will gradually destroy the planet.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Students who rely on the internet will help them understand why they are having hard times on studying through this research.

2. Generally, all people who uses technology as a part of their everyday routine should discipline and limit theirselves from using it too much. They should keep in mind that all things that are being overused may harm them on the end.

3. To the future researchers, they should be accurate in researching about the effects that are being made by technology. They should research more about the treatment and how to lessen the usage of it too. 

References:

Christian Eschmann; Fast building inspection from the air: Quiet flying robots do the work; http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140709104855.htm

Eric Topol; How Technology is Transforming Healthcare; http://health.usnews.com/health-news/hospital-of-tomorrow/articles/2013/07/12/how-technology-is-transforming-health-care

Hemangi Harankhedkar; Impact of Technology on Communication; http://www.buzzle.com/articles/impact-of-technology-on-communication.html

Julia Klaus; Negative Effects of using Technology Today's in Classroom; http://classroom.synonym.com/negative-effects-using-technology-todays-classroom-4130.htm

Kristen Berry; Technology Affecting Modern Teenagers; http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/technologies-affecting-modern-teenagers-14264.html

Sheri Hosale; 25 Negative Effects of Technology; http://roogirl.com/25-negative-effects-of-technology/

Samantha Hanly; Technology's Effects on Business; http://smallbusiness.chron.com/effects-technology-business-communications-23045.html