Technology has been widely accessible since the early 2000s and has since exploded to become a social norm. This is true not only in relationships, but businesses have become heavily dependent on social media to help their businesses thrive. Technology has played a vital role in shaping society in various ways. Throughout history, technological advances have changed everything from the way people dress and eat to the way we communicate and connect as a society. Examining the influence of technology on society demonstrates both how technology influences culture and society, and how society can influence future technology. This can be verified by examining some of the major technological innovations in human history, followed by a look at new technologies and how they can shape the future of society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayOne of the most evolving technological innovations in life is the microwave oven. The microwave oven, invented by mistake in 1946 by Dr. Percy LeBaron Spencer, was initially poorly received like many other new forms of technology. Some of the concerns that many people had when this technology was released were the fear that microwave radiation could escape during use, or that it would ruin the art of cooking. However, the microwave oven has become commonplace in kitchens around the world thanks to years of refinement. While concerns about people abandoning traditional cooking methods have proven unfounded, microwaves have proven to be a valuable tool used by everyone from young children to expert chefs. Furthermore, based on the ability to quickly prepare food, a completely new food service industry was created. Frozen foods and microwave popcorn are just some of the items we take for granted today and can attribute their existence to the invention of the microwave. The cell phone is another company transforming technological innovation. The way the world interacts and functions has literally changed thanks to this device. If you stop to think about all the things you do daily on your smartphone and try to imagine other ways to complete those tasks nowadays, it would seem overwhelming.. At the very least, you might just need to take the road to finding a pay phone to make a quick call or find a vending machine to check an email or website. These tend to be simple tasks, but the cell phone's ability to perform them saves endless amounts of time. In just a few minutes human communication is now possible all over the world. Not only that, but events can be updated to keep millions of people up to date on breaking news, weather and sporting events. Society as a whole has come to expect this immediate access to the point where many of us have felt momentarily lost when that ability is taken away. Due to the sheer amount of things we now rely on in our daily lives, it's difficult to analyze all the changes this device has brought to the world in such a short span of time. Perhaps the most recognizable technological advance of my generation is the personal computer (PC). I remember growing up with only a few computers to run basic educational programs for an entire class. Thirty years forward and now I, and many others like me, are emerging from the comfort of our homes. A PC provides the consumer with access to virtuallyall the knowledge imaginable, from recipes to world history, how to treat poison oak or the number of the local automotive shop. With the PC you no longer need telephone books, encyclopedias or even objects such as stereo systems or DVD players. All this and more can be found with the click of a mouse. Like the cell phone above, the way we communicate has also been profoundly changed by PCs. There's no need to write letters to grandma anymore when you can send an email or use video chat software to actually have a direct conversation. All of the technological innovations mentioned above have been around long enough to see the effects they have had on society. While they continue to change, they have existed long enough to give us the ability to see their effects. The effects of new technologies on society are more difficult to predict due to the effects they have on us and vice versa. Take virtual reality (VR) technology for example. While this technology has been around for some time, it is only now starting to be marketed to the general public at an affordable price. Virtual reality will most likely have a profound effect on many sectors of society. Some notable areas include playing computer games, training surgeons or pilots, or watching movies. The gaming industry has really pushed the development of virtual reality to create the most realistic gaming experience. One would expect these games to only become more realistic and refined with time. Training costs could be drastically reduced with the use of virtual reality instead of spending long hours on airplanes. It will be interesting to see how these predictions develop, along with the many other possible impacts that virtual reality could have on society. It's amazing how everyone's lives are changing thanks to the virtual hands of technology. “Technology by definition means the branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical means and their interrelationship with life, society and the environment, drawing on subjects such as the industrial arts, engineering, applied sciences and pure science". Today people use various types of technology such as: cell phones, iPods, laptops, mp3s and all devices that create comfort and convenience for every individual. As technology changes every day, it affects people's lives every second and changes the pace of everything relevant to people's behaviors. The way everyone communicates is one of the biggest things that technology has affected. Technologies build more powerful and effective communication channels. Individuals are getting used to a new way of being alone that makes them feel as if they aren't alone. The total quantity and quality of conversation is starting to decline as technology replaces human interaction. Studies have shown how technology distracts people without realizing the price they pay and how technology has a huge impact on people's interaction. Technology and communication are constantly changing, evolving and developing. People communicate through various means: radio, television, the Internet and now especially through social media. Major social networks like Twitter and Facebook have redefined how we build and maintain relationships. Nowadays people carry their phones with them to connect with others through social media anytime, anywhere. Facebook is largely accessed via mobile devices, with 751 million users accessing it from a mobile device. More than half of its 1.11 billion users and a 54% increase coming from mobile users alone,as noted in March 2012. Not only do people use Facebook to communicate, but the amount of time they spend on it takes away from the time they spend interacting. face to face. A survey conducted by Forbes stated that time spent on social media sites ranges from 20 to 28 hours per week with an average of 275 personal connections among all. Furthermore, only 11% of respondents physically and regularly see their social connections. We're all guilty of constantly looking at our phones trying to fill the void of awkward silence or simply make the time pass faster. We become oblivious to notifications. We find ourselves scrolling through an endless list of emails, reminders, and checking the likes we receive on our latest Instagram post. We get caught up and lose track of precious time because we are so absorbed in things that should matter little to us. It's no secret that technology has become a vital role in everyday life, with social media dominating every aspect. Technology has become ubiquitous and many people have become highly dependent without realizing it. While social media was not created to intentionally take over our lives, it has become so deeply integrated that many are blinded by the effects the technology has already produced. Technology, through social media, has shaped the way businesses target the consumer market, the way relationships survive and thrive according to social norms in the modern era, and the way people function in their daily life. In most cases, technology should make our lives easier. However, easier does not mean better. Many couples are starting to blur the lines between work and home life, causing an unhealthy imbalance between the two. The use of technology gives users a “license to feel together when they are alone,” creating a rift between communicator and receiver, which only increases the false sense of security they rely on. As time passes, this false sense of security begins to develop. The rift becomes more and more evident and then the real issues at hand are brought to light. Therefore, many people are no longer able to handle face-to-face interactions than phone calls. Many people refuse to take time out of their busy schedules to have a single decent conversation. Their priorities are out of whack and they don't want to waste time caring about something they don't care about. The more we are connected to our phones, the more self-centered we become in our needs and begin to ignore everyone around us. Sooner or later we will risk having underdeveloped relationships because we will not know how to communicate effectively. Technology has impacted people, businesses and society as a whole. The role that technology has played in communication, business and education has been more than influential. As the power of computers continues to increase with the help of databases, social networks and businesses, it adds to the increase in office productivity compared to the use of typewriters and filing cabinets. While there are many positive aspects of technology, how we use it determines whether its impact is positive or negative on society. As modern technology continues to grow and advance, the future effects on our lives and society also increase. The impact of technology on communication activities and education has been broad and largely positive by helping people stay connected. However, the impact of technology on communication and society also has numerous aspectsnegative. Technology has helped businesses function by providing data management through documents, servers and storage devices. The technology offers businesses ways to manage businesses using remote locations and digital apps with mobile devices. There have been several ways in which technology has helped scale businesses from local outliers to regional and international markets. Advertising through social media is a way to attract consumers' attention by offering followers information about the latest products. Another factor that helped the business through social media was discounts and promotions for consumers who are familiar with the business. Faster feedback from consumers and customer service is another prominent factor provided by technology that has improved businesses overall. Today, new technologies are reducing the number of productive jobs for people. With the rapid development of technology, the demand for rather skilled or unskilled workers decreases for cost reduction. Companies now have a higher production speed thanks to technology, but many are left without jobs as they are replaced by robots. The use of technology in this form demonstrates that it may be possible for computers and technology to replace humanity. Technology has also improved education and the overall learning process in numerous ways. Many schools have begun integrating educational technologies into their schools with the grand goal of improving the way students learn. Digital Addition Classroom learning tools help support both teaching and learning by providing students with access to all the information needed to complete activities/assignments. By supporting the use of technology in the classroom, it helps students prepare for future careers, helps students learn, gives them greater access to teachers, and supports a more personalized learning experience. Devices such as cell phones, iPads, projectors, and the Internet are used in classrooms to enhance learning around the world. YouTube and blogs help you use visual media to share information interactively. Technology is becoming more and more popular and has proven to be the best method of learning in many subjects such as mathematics, physics, geography, economics and much more. The business community has invested money in various technologies related to educational purposes. With applications like Goggle Drive, One Drive, and other cloud-based apps, teachers can store documents, presentations, and other items needed for classroom activities in cloud storage to access them later. With new gadgets and programs, the use of technology for learning fosters higher thinking, basic skills, and children's ability to evaluate, analyze, and synthesize ideas. As much as technology has helped us as a people to progress dramatically, in the same sense it is responsible for some social harm. People use text messaging to communicate in short sentences that lack immediacy and completely remove the contextual information provided by tone of voice and body language. People who connect with others primarily through technology may find it difficult to engage in normal conversation. They may have trouble understanding nonverbal cues due to lack of practice in face-to-face interaction that cannot be paused, modified, or filtered. Communicating through technology creates a barrier between people that isn't there when speaking face to face. In some classrooms, technology can be overused..