In today’s world, it is not uncommon to see people with their mobile phones, laptops, and other gadgets. Smartphones and tablets have made it easier for people to stay connected with each other. This is just one example how technology has impacted our way of life. Technology obviously has a significant impact on various aspects of culture; however, there are some negative effects as well. Here are the positive and negative impact of technology on culture:
Positive
- Promotes cultural awareness, diversity, and understanding. Through technology, people have greater access to cultural experiences and perspectives as they can now easily connect with others from different cultures and learn about their traditions, language, art, etc. People develop more cultural awareness brought by media globalization, an effect of digital technologies.
- Preserve and promote cultural heritage. The restoration and preservation of cultural heritage have become more efficient and effective with the aid of technology, especially through information technology.
- Increase creativity and artistic expression. Technology has increased creativity and artistic expression as artists can create immersive and interactive art pieces that were not possible before. Technology has also opened up new opportunities for artists as they are now more able to express themselves creatively and reach wider audiences.
- Enhance cultural exchange and understanding. People from different cultures can now easily connect and share their experiences, beliefs, and traditions through digital technologies. This increase in cultural exchange has lead to a greater understanding and appreciation of our diversity.
Negative
- Less face-to-face interaction and community building. As people use more technology, the lesser face-to-face interaction and community building happens. The overuse of technology has led to increased isolation and reduced social interaction and social skills.
- Less physical engagement with the world. There are concerns regarding the future well-being of people as technology seem to cause more isolation and less social interaction.
- Proliferation of cultural stereotypes and misrepresentations. Mass media, including social media, have perpetuated negative stereotypes of ethnic, cultural, and religious identities.
- Decreased attention span. Collective global attention span is narrowing due to technology. as its use can affect cognition.
Technology has both positive and negative impact on culture. It is important to be aware of the benefits and drawbacks of technology so as to make informed decisions about its use in our lives.
Sources:
Baic.Org. “Impact of Technology on Culture, Tradition, and Social Values.” Last modified July 26, 2022. https://www.baic.org/impacts-of-technology-on-culture-tradition-and-social-values/.
Chukwuemeka, Edeh Samuel. “Impact of Technology on Culture, Tradition, and Social Values.” Last modified June 14, 2022. https://bscholarly.com/impact-of-technology-on-culture-tradition-and-social-values/.
Media, Culture, and Society. “Does Technology Impact Culture?” Last modified January 29, 2013. https://mediaculturesociety.org/2013/01/29/does-technology-impact-culture/.
Hubvela. “The Positive and Negative Impact of Digital Technology.” Last modified June 20, 2023. https://hubvela.com/hub/technology/positive-negative-impacts/digital-technology/