Emerging technologies: current trends and applications

¶ … Technologies

Change is largely inevitable. Experience has taught me that the world is in a constant state of change -- be it from a climatological, political, technological, or even economic perspective. In that regard, therefore, a paper that describes what the future might bring as far as emerging technologies are concerned is both relevant and timely.

To begin with, in addition to altering the way we access and store information, technology has also effectively changed the way we communicate with each other. Thanks to technology, communication has become cheaper and more convenient. However, the introduction of new technologies on this front is likely to have a negative impact on interpersonal communication and socialization. Already, applications like WhatsApp allow us to communicate and even interact with others without the need to meet them physically or even talk to them. Short text messages have effectively replaced voice or face-to-face chats. In the words of Seaward (2013, p. 185), many people today "communicate using short messages and spend more time looking at various screens than using face-to-face interpersonal communications." The situation is likely to worsen with emerging technologies. As the new trends in communication take shape, it is likely that our relations with those closest to us (i.e. family members) will suffer as we seek to satisfy that urge to keep in touch with hundreds of our virtual 'friends.' Going forward, I expect my socialization with close associates such as classmates, workmates, and family members to be less frequent.

Emerging technologies are also likely to have a negative impact on our health. Today, unlike was the case a few decades ago, we have adopted a more sedentary lifestyle as we elect to make use of the available technology to make work easier. This trend is likely to continue, thanks to emerging technologies. In the words of Owen et al. (2010) "from an evolutionary perspective, humans were designed to move -- to locomote and engage in all manner of manual labor throughout the day." Today, we can bank, order for a pizza, contact a friend, and even trade stocks without having to move from the comfort of a couch. Going forward, it is likely that the next generation mobile phone applications will incorporate more capabilities, thus allowing us to do much more without having to expend any energy moving around. As a result, we are likely to become more obese going forward. We are also likely to develop other health complications associated with lack of physical exercise.