Modern technological innovations have been hailed for improving the living standards and improving efficiency. Out of this realization, modern technologies have infiltrated almost every aspect of human life today from communication to production of food to security. For most people, living without technology is unimaginable and staying with an old technology is regarded as not being “cool. At the same time, technology has been blamed or a great deal of negative impacts. For one, technology is believed to have increased insecurity in the world, increased health risks, led to wars among other things. Nevertheless, a critical look into the developments in technology sends the message that it is a friend and not a foe. Education is one sector of social life that has greatly benefitted from the advancements in technology.
The Internet has allowed for convenience in learning through availing educative opportunities of sharing resources, in areas rather than the class, site, or building to a different classroom through the employment Of video, omputer, audio, multimedia, or even a merger of these With the ancient methods of delivery (Wang et al. , 2007). Today, education is not only a means providing knowledge but should act to promote the value of the knowledge gained (Wang et al. , 2007). In this regard, modern education is closely linked to the modern economy, and the two should go hand in hand.
Any discrepancy in the two leads to the devaluation of education. The advancement and use of Internet resources has permitted the e-learning sector to rapidly develop into a revolution. Schools and colleges are exhausting opportunities for the aims of targeting and taking full advantage f this evolution. Online learning has allowed for the proliferation of new educational programs such as distance learning which is considered an important e-learning tool and employed in leveraging the capital expertise of commercial and institutions of learning.
Learning institutions have enhanced the value of education by introducing or incorporating a wide variety of contents, inventions, and services for education, students, and academics (Wang et al. , 2007). The current technology paves the way to development, and the Internet has stood out as the better option for learning institutions nd students. Satellites are some of the most commonly used and advanced technologies Of recent times. They are space-based radio systems that have been used for various purposes. It orbits the Earth and function to provide 24-hour coverage of the Earth.
Perhaps the most known use of satellites has been in the communication sector. It has been used for a long time. Steeliest have aided telephone communication by connecting people from remote parts of the world. Fix-point telephone system has been used to relay telephone communication to Earth stations without the net of wired connection (Walter, 1990). Besides, satellites are currently used for radio and television transmission through direct broadcast satellites and fixed service satellite (Walter, 1990). Today, satellites are used to monitor weather patterns by providing pictures necessary to study state of the atmosphere.
For example, today, hurricanes are observed and detected before they ambush people living along the coasts. Scientists have also used satellites for observing the activities on the Earth such as the extent of global warming in various parts of the world forest cover and the nature of agriculture in the world. From all these observations, it can be said that satellite technology has been beneficial to mankind and the current technological developments would not have been available without satellite technology.
Technologies such as genetic engineering are promising to save the world from the menace of hunger. Of all human activities that impacts on the environment, agriculture is the most important. The importance of agriculture rises from the fact that humans must feed, and the food must be produced from agricultural activities. Currently, 38 percent of the Earth is under agriculture, et hunger remains prevalent in various parts of the world (David, 2008).
In the decades to come, the proportion Of the Earth under agriculture is certain to increase given the rate at which the global population is growing. Africa, for example, has gone through little advancement in abating food insecurity and malnutrition. About one third of the children falling under the age of five years are stunted and about five to 15 percent are wasted (David, 2008). Lack of the micronutrients, more so the deficiency of vitamin A, iodine, and iron pose an impact on the children and women and give rise to some of the reatest rates of child death across the globe.
The origins of food insecurity are sophisticated and include socio-economic, demographic, and the agro- ecological attributes of the sub-region. However, developments in gene technology are promising to change the situations. Genetic engineering, for example, solves the problems of unpredictable weather conditions that destroy crops in the fields. Crop failures also results from natural environmental conditions such as unpredictable weather conditions. In cold regions, frost is a major threat to plantation crops.
Similarly, in hot regions, droughts can easily wipe out crops in farms. Genetic engineering can be used to alter the genes of crops and make them resistant to drought conditions. With this technology, the world can be guaranteed of constant supply of food, and hunger can be a thing of the past. Technology has enhanced trade and development throughout the world. People no longer need to be physically present to conclude business deals. Following the furtherance in the levels of online technologies, it has been possible for e-commerce to prosper through the Internet.
Given this fact, it has become apparent to owners of businesses and entrepreneurs that the Internet is an enormous system of ommunication where they can grow and advance their businesses, attract more customers, and increase the efficiency of their businesses (Jehangir & Khan, 201 1). Shopping online is no longer restricted to a few people but has become a norm. Online shopping is not only fast but also convenient (Jehangir & Khan, 201 1). Therefore, the emergence of websites provided a significant foundation for the development of e-commerce and for business owners to exploit new opportunities for their businesses.
Today, it is almost suicidal for a business to ignore the importance of claiming their share of the eb. One of the major benefits of e-commerce is that users are in a position to access them at a place and make their orders and purchases at any time of the day Uehangir & Khan, 2011 The e-commerce websites have also worked in enhancing the experience of the customers, with the aid of rapid help, easier reach to the larger stores, getting the products, and making specification comparisons among other benefits.
This means that businesses are able to analyse the trends of their customers and make amends should the need arise. Technology has also facilitated and improved security in the world. Governments throughout the world have relied on surveillance video and images from closed circuit television (CCTV). CCTV is a surveillance technology used for various activities and in various environments. While most CCTV systems are complex in their natures, having motion detection or bullet-proof casing, most of them are vestigial.
For the purposes of crime prevention, CCTV systems have cameras that capture images of individuals, in public places, and relay them to a display. Many cities in the world have resorted to use CCTV surveillance in monitoring criminal activities in public laces such as railway terminals, phone booths, and parking lots among other public places. CCTV systems are important in criminal justice because they assist in identification and arrest of offenders. This mechanism of crime prevention requires police officers to respond to any illegal activity captured in the surveillance system.
Because of the identification mechanism of CCTV, it helps to discourage potential offenders from committing crimes based on the notion that they will be identified and prosecuted (Wilson, 2005). Besides, images from the CCTV can be used to identify individuals who can act as itnesses in a court case that would otherwise go without a witness (Wilson, 2005). Besides, CCW surveillance is helpful in gathering information on known public offences such as shop lifting (Wilson, 2005). From the images captured on CCTV footages, law enforcement officers can identify the faces of the offenders.
The same CCTV cameras can be used to monitor the activities of such offenders. For example, from CCTV surveillance systems, security officers can be able to gather intelligence on the behavior Of individuals selling narcotics in the streets. The remote intelligence gathered from CCTV ameras enables the police to interdict offenders in a coordinated and organized manner (Wilson, 2005). While CCTV’ cameras have been criticized as being a threat to civil liberties, its use appears to have more benefits, particularly with regard to intelligence gathering.
One of the many tools that technology has made possible for forensic evidence analysis is the powerful yet controversial examination of the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), the genetic material in most organisms (National Institute for Justice, 2001). DNA analysis also referred to as DNA proofing or DNA typing analyses the DNA found in hysical evidence such as semen, hair, and blood, and ascertains whether it can match a DNA taken from a suspected individual. The analysis of DNA for evidence in criminal trials has become very common in recent times.
It has also been applied in civil litigations, especially in cases involving the finding of identity or paternity. Another benefit of DNA is the concrete similarities realized in genetic analysis of children and parents. This is greatly beneficial because the genetic makeup of children is half of the mother’s genetic information and half of the father’s information. This, therefore, means that he genetic fingerprint of children match the bands of both their mothers and fathers, making it possible and easy to establish maternity and paternity tests.
DNA can be applied In all human samples that contain cells with mitochondrion and nuclei such as sweat, saliva, hair, urine, or semen. This allows for evidence to be collected from a broad range of surfaces, therefore increasing the credibility of forensic evidence results (National Research Council, 2007). Besides, the DNA analysis techniques such as PCR and STR are highly sensitive and can be used for cells that are too small to be analyzed by other serological tests. The foregoing discussion has provided enough evidence that technology is a friend and not a foe.
There are various things that people are enjoying today because of the developments in technology. Take, for example, the satellite that has ensured that the entire world is connected and communication is possible even in the remotest parts of the world. The advent of the Internet has made things that were initially impossible possible. Today, we can chat with friend, stay in contact with family, share media, and purchase things at the comfort of our homes. Technologies such as genetic engineering have ensured that food production s not interrupted with circumstances such as changing weather patterns and pest attack.
