Technology Brands Companies and Modern Life - How Do They
Impact Our Lives...?
Technology brands companies and modern life have changed
drastically over the last decade and they will continue to do so in the next
one, as well. Technology brands companies and modern life have impacted our
lives in more ways than we realize, at least consciously. We interact with
technology brands companies and modern life every day of our lives but most
often we don’t think about how they impact us or what they mean to us on an
unconscious level. For example, how does technology brands companies and modern
life impact the way we think about ourselves? How has it impacted how we view
others?
7 things we should know about social media
Social media is pervasive in our lives. According to
eMarketer, 72% of U.S. Internet users were on Facebook as of January 2017—and
that percentage continues to grow. In fact, 43% of social media users said they
planned to spend more time on social media platforms in 2017, according to
Nielsen data from mid-2016. Social media use is both increasing in popularity
as well as becoming more ingrained into our daily lives, but how does it
actually impact us? While there’s no shortage of research about how social media
impacts people's behavior in different ways, one thing remains clear: We should
be conscious about how we’re using these networks and not just jump onto them
without thinking critically about their role in our own lives.
The Internet is where we get our news
Just think about how much time you spend on social media
sites like Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest. In fact, a study found that 63% of
people prefer to get their news from social media than they do from newspapers.
Technology is where we get our entertainment: YouTube is popular with everyone
(with over 1 billion users), but what about other web-based apps like Hulu or
Netflix? Many consumers are watching TV programming online now, which means
television advertising dollars are declining.
Cyberbullying can be deadly
When parents hear about cyberbullying, they often think that
it is relatively harmless, a minor annoyance at worst. But research suggests
that cyberbullying can have serious consequences, including depression and
suicide. In 2014 alone, two teenage girls were found dead after posting
messages on Ask.fm saying they planned to kill themselves as a result of being
bullied on the site. We must all come together to prevent cyberbullying before
more children are harmed or killed by it.
We spend too much time on our phones
Mobile phones are making our lives more complicated by
encouraging us to check them at all times. The average American smartphone user
checks their phone about 85 times a day. Each time we feel tempted to check our
phone, we’re giving in to another urge that robs us of time we could be
spending doing something meaningful with someone else.
What does this mean for us?
It means that technology is evolving at an exponential rate,
so it will become difficult to keep up with what is going on in modern life. It
also means that companies will be competing for your attention, which will make
it hard to focus on things you need to get done. The only thing we can do is
slow down our pace of technology use and simplify our lives. We have to take
time away from technology use every once in a while just so we can think about
our priorities as individuals and societies.
Smartphones are making us stupid
According to Psychology Today, phones are making us stupid.
There have been many studies on how technology impacts brain development in
teenagers. A report by The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that
smartphones are making teens stupid. Smartphones can be distracting, addicting,
and can disrupt social activity. Having a smartphone can be distracting at work
or school because it is so easy to check your phone when you need a distraction
from boredom or stress.
Online privacy in jeopardy
Just think of what you do online every day. From checking
your email to posting on social media, surfing Amazon to completing work
assignments from home, there’s no question that we live in a
digitally-dependent world. But even if you are careful about what data you
share with whom (and at which sites), chances are that Big Data is tracking
your online activity more than you might think.
Social media outlets need us more than we need them
Technology brands companies and modern life. With all these
great new things in our lives we tend to forget about how much of an impact it
really has on us. Many people get caught up in a nice car, house, phone, but
not everyone realizes that a lot of these things are just material possessions
that won’t matter when your gone. We need to sit back and understand that money
can’t buy happiness, in fact most times it makes us more stressed than anything
else.
What you expect from tech world
While we sometimes like to think of our relationship with
technology as two-way, it’s actually a little more complex than that. Tech
companies don’t care about us; they care about generating revenue, boosting
share prices, innovating products and services or other factors that are far
removed from real human concerns. If it means bringing in extra cash, many will
be ready to sell you out if necessary.
How technology taking control of your needs
You no longer have to leave your home for purchases.
Technology brands allow us to shop from home using a computer or smartphone.
Customer service has evolved with technology brands too. Now you can simply
email or contact companies on social media if you have any questions, rather
than spending time trying to find someone in a store who might not even be
available at that moment. This same concept applies when it comes to reading
product reviews before buying something.