Satisfaction Guaranteed

Science and Technology

The impact of science and technology along with social systems is not really that hard to discern. We have been repeatedly told that science and technology currently rule our world and that is not entirely wrong either. We cannot imagine a life without our Internet, telephone, television, cars, mobile sets etc. That is all science and technology. But how does it actually alter our approach towards life and our meaning of life in particular. It is one thing to talk endlessly about the various things we cannot live without today, it is totally another to ascertain the actual social, emotional and physical impact of these things along with the social structures that dictate many of our actions.

In the book, Satisfaction Guaranteed, the author talks about inner peace and satisfaction that comes with following the right path and seeking righteousness in this world. That is very interesting and true because science and technology have taken us away from the simple pleasures of life and they have had a negative impact on our spiritual awareness to a large extent too. We have lost social contacts and personal touch with friends and neighbors because emailing and calling on the phone appear so much easier and save time too. Most people feel that they are now more in touch since they can chat on the Internet more often and can call their friends anytime they wish but the personal visits, the outings with friends and the simple face-to-face meetings have been largely ignored. But their importance cannot be denied and they cannot be truly replaced with technological methods. It is said that the closer you are to your social circle, the greater are your chances of living longer and healthier. According to an article by Emma Young in New scientists (2005), the author cites a study which concluded that: "It is possible that close connections with friends might have a positive physiological effect on the body, in contrast to the negative effect caused by stress." But these close connections cannot be developed over the phone alone. It is important that a person stays in close personal contact with friends and family by visiting them often.

Science and technology have not only affected our daily lives, they have significantly altered our social systems as well. We are not investing in our societies and communities as our forefathers used to. For example, if we have a disabled person living in the neighborhood, we would be all too happy to have social services take care of him, instead of visiting him and checking on him personally. But there are studies that would argue against this claim. There are some new researches that came to the conclusion that with increased use of Internet and technologies, social contacts increased and social circle expanded for most people. "Because interpersonal communication dominates Internet use, using the Internet could have positive social impact on people's social engagement and on its psychological benefits" (Kraut, 2003) We need to understand that researches will always come up with conflicting results therefore the important thing is to maintain a balance between the use of technology and old fashioned ways of connecting. It is not a bad idea to send emails and chat online, but it is equally important to visit these people in person and enjoy their physical company. In order to not remain a lonely soul, we need to use science and technology in moderation. Anything that exceeds moderation is bad and can negatively affect our lives, the same goes for science and technology too. The world is in a new era because of these inventions and discoveries but it must not take us away from things that really matter especially human contact.