BLOG POST 3 RESEARCH  

Hi! In this blog post, I am going to be doing research for my story project. To be more specific, the first half of the plot outline. This includes exposition, point of attack, and rising action. This section of my story focuses on the advantages and disadvantages of digital technology and how it affects day-to-day life. I will also be researching how life is expected to change in the future as this is when my story is set.  

Definition  

First, to define digital technology, ” We refer to digital technology as tools, systems and devices that can generate, create, store or process data.” (1). This is important for my story because the act of taking away technology is what the plot revolves around. This would be taking away technology such as, smartphones, the interenet or anything in that realm, not the idea of technological advancements in the world  

Positive aspects of technology 

In my story, I will talk about the many positive aspects of technology and how it affects lives. These pieces of information demonstrate the ways it impacts people, which will make me consider all of these facts when I write my story.  

1. Security: “Experts say that burglary happens every 25.7 seconds.No one deserves to not feel safe even in their own home. Luckily, technology can also help make your home feel safer. These days, there are countless devices that can keep an eye on both outside and inside of your home.” (2) 

2. Accessing information: “Probably one of the best things that technology can do is provide easy access. Before delivering work from other places seems impossible as it wasn’t easy to take piles of physical files with you. Access to information was also limited as you have to go to the library to search for a book or file that you need.” (2) 

3. Communication: “Before technological advancements, communication was limited to local areas and text-based messaging wasn’t available. These improvements also benefit businesses and emergency services. Businesses can reach international markets and emergency responders can quickly communicate critical information for life-saving actions.” (2) 

4. Healthcare: “The healthcare sector is also getting revolutionized with the help of technology. Things like enhanced diagnostics and improved access to healthcare treatment are all because of technology.  Pioneering technology is making diseases easy to diagnose and availing the best treatment.” (2) 

5. Education: “For example, educational videos can help children better understand a topic. Technology and coding classes, such as those at Engineering For Kids^®, allow children to learn valuable skills. With these uses, kids can increase their knowledge and prepare for their future.” (3) 

6. Revenue: Technology creates new revenue opportunities for businesses through ecommerce platforms, digital marketing, and mobile apps. This helps expand their reach and offer innovative products and services to increase revenue streams. (4) 

Negative effects of technology  

With this section of research, I can properly demonstrate how a loss of digital technology could improve lives. This offers an interesting dynamic between the good and bad sides of technology and how it changes our lives.  

1. Bad for physical health: “Advancements in technology within business and entertainment have led to more sedentary time. Without balancing this sitting time with physical activity, our health can suffer negative effects. (5) 

2. Bad for mental health “The use of technology has been linked to a range of mental health issues, including anxiety, depression and sleep disorders. The constant barrage of notifications and the pressure to stay connected can lead us to feel overwhelmed and burned out.” (5)  

3. Social isolation “Spending more time on social media interactions and less time on in-person connections can lead to feelings of isolation, which can impact mental well-being.” (6)  

4. Attention span: “Electronics, like smartphones and tablets, make it harder for people to concentrate and easier for people to be distracted by constant sounds and notifications. According to a research study in Canada, since technology use increased (around the year 2000) the average attention span has decreased from 12 seconds to eight seconds” (7) 

5. High screen time: “Statistics show that most kids aged eight and up spend 4-6 hours on a screen daily. That number increases as they hit their teen years. The average screen time for teens is 9 hours a day.” (3) 

Life in the future 

While this section is mostly based on opinions, it gives an outside perspective of what many believe the future will look like. It gives me pieces to think about when I’m writing about the future especially in the part that touches on the possibility of dystopia as that is the outcome that ends up happening in my story.

1. AI dependency: “Today, we rarely think about how AI is there in the background when we make Google searches, pick movies to watch on Netflix or make online banking transactions. Tomorrow, we won’t think about it as it drives our cars, keeps us healthy, and helps us work more productively” (8)  

2. AI replacing workers: “Meanwhile, reports by groups such as McKinsey suggest that 800 million people could lose their jobs to automation by 2030,” (8) 

3. Possibility of dystopian society: “As well as the technology itself, the impact of that technology on society will be all around us. Does that mean a utopia where no one works and an AI workforce generates everything we need? Or a dystopia where humans are largely redundant, and wealth is increasingly concentrated in the hands of the technologically enabled elite?” (9) 

4. Climate: “A third of the world’s population could live in a climate similar to the Sahara in just 50 years, according to a study published in PNAS in 2020. That means 3.5 billion people could live with average temperatures in the mid-80s, “outside of humanity’s comfort zone” by 2070.” (10) 

Digital technology used in daily life 

In this part of my research, I went more in-depth about what digital technology is exactly used in day-to-day life. This is besides the obvious, phones, internet, laptops ect. I wanted to know the scale of how much digital technology is integrated into society. This will help me understand the extremities of the situation and how life would change without these things being available.  

1. GPS: “GPS is a feature in many devices, such as smartwatches and larger tracking systems used by corporations and governments. It is also vital in applications like fleet management and asset tracking.” (11) 

2. Vehicles: “Vehicle technology has improved how engines run, the safety features within vehicles, such as airbags, and the entertainment options available in a car.”(11) 

3. Flight “Flight technology has become safer and more efficient over time due to innovations in materials, aerodynamics and engineering. We use flight technology in several ways—from the construction of planes to navigation equipment on an aircraft. Due to improvements in flight technology, such as advancements in GPS, navigation systems, and radar systems, there is increased precision in flight routes and safe take-offs and landings.” (11) 

4. Solar panels: “Solar panels harness sunlight to generate electricity. People use these panels to power buildings, homes, outdoor lighting systems, water heating systems and more. Solar panels are a form of renewable energy, which is becoming a more popular form of energy generation due to its lack of carbon emissions.”(11) 

5. Manufacturing “Manufacturing technology aims to produce goods faster and in a more cost-effective manner. A popular example of manufacturing technology is an assembly line, which greatly improved the speed of production processes” (11) 

Bibliography  

1. https://digitalchild.org.au/defining-digital-technology/  

2. https://itchronicles.com/technology/how-technology-makes-life-easier-and-safer/ 

3. https://www.engineeringforkids.com/about/news/2022/december/a-force-for-good-the-positive-effects-of-technol/  

4. https://webandcrafts.com/blog/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-technology  

5. https://www.uagrantham.edu/blog/technology-the-good-the-bad-the-ugly/ 

6. https://citizenadvocates.net/blog/the-impact-of-technology-on-mental-health-balancing-connection-and-screen-time/ 

7. https://www.nu.edu/blog/negative-effects-of-technology-on-children-what-can-you-do/ 

8. https://www.un.org/en/un75/impact-digital-technologies 

9. https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2024/02/12/the-biggest-technology-trends-in-the-next-10-years/  

10. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/climate-change-predictions-2070 

11. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/types-of-technology