For centuries, the world has been constantly evolving for the better. New people are constantly making improvements to enhance the quality of human life mentally, physically and socially. Technology has made it possible for so many things. Now your cousin who loses a limb while fighting for their country can have it replaced with a prosthetic, or you can finally talk to your best friend from grade school who lives 500 miles away via Skype or FaceTime, or a loved one who has cancer is able to spend an extra couple of years with you because new medicine can hold off the cancer cells for longer. Without technology, none of that would be remotely possible. Also, now there are so many possible solutions for everyday problems at the touch of a finger due to the newest mobile devices. Many people of older generations believe that the increase in usage of cell phones has negatively affected the youth but really, they just use it differently than the older generations(Wu). The advancements in technology have had a positive impact on the continuing development of todays society.

In the world today, many people believe that it isn't necessarily what you know, but who you know. Using things like email, text messaging, instant messaging, video chatting and even networking websites, people are able to communicate and carry on a business relationship without ever meeting someone face-to-face. This promotes a faster and thus more efficient way of business. It also aids people seeking employment. For almost any company that has a website, they will have an option to apply for a job there. People have the ability to submit a resume along with the rest of their personal information to as many employers as they choose. Not only is this efficient in the sense that people seeking employment can do so without having to spend most of their day traveling from place to place, but it also helps the employers filter out candidates so instead of having to interview 100 people and realizing that 90 are not qualified, they can weed out the 10 that are actually qualified. According to ABC news, it is estimated that in 2014, about 80% of jobs were landed through networking(Recruitingblogs). Monster.com, Indeed.com, Dice.com, CareerBuilder.com, and other job boards were among those that employment seekers spent a majority of their time on. Although looking for jobs online requires a lot of persistence and time commitment, if done right it will almost always lead to success. Studies have also showed that technology has created a whole new wave of jobs(Allen). These studies suggest that the increase in technology has increased the spending power leading to a demand of new jobs(Allen). These jobs are not just some boring average joe job, another study conducted proved that the number of hard, dangerous and dull jobs has declined due to the fact that most of them are able to substitute people with technology(Allen). While the hard and dangerous jobs are decreasing, the "caring" job have increased. Between 1992 and 2014 there was a 580% increase in teaching and educational support assistants, 183% increase in welfare, housing, youth and community workers, and a 168% increase in care workers and home carers(Allen). While these significant professions increase in employees, the dull jobs have had a decrease. Between 1992 and 2014 there was a drop of 79% in weavers and knitters, 57% in typists and a 50% drop in company secretaries(Allen). Overall, technology has improved opportunity to acquire a job while also improving the quality of the workplace.

Medication is a huge part of human life and a complete necessity to the well-being of any living society. Technological breakthroughs are revolutionizing the way healthcare is being delivered(Banova). Before even looking at the medicine itself, just switching to electronic health care records alone has allowed people to save a significant amount of money while also improving the patients health and safety(Banova). Technology has allowed for non-invasive procedures. Numerous methods of imaging, such as MRIs, have allowed technicians and physicians to examine a patient without having to do an invasive procedure to form a diagnosis(Banova). The ability to use things such as x-rays and MRIs have also made diagnostics much easier and more accurate. The advancement of procedural instruments has also aided doctors and other medical professionals, thus making minimally invasive procedures much more common since they were never able to do them before. This type of procedure is used in the cardiovascular and thoracic areas, which are very delicate and require the highest of quality tools. 

One of the biggest forms of research going on in the medical field is cancer research. This research has been going on for over 40 years. Although they haven't quite found a cure, they have definitely made huge steps in the process that wouldn't have been possible without the continual advancements of technology. The cancer death rates in the U.S. have dropped by 22% for men and 14% for women between 1990 and 2007. In 1975, only 50% of people diagnosed with cancer could expect to live for another five years; now nearly 70% do(Park). Among children, the gains are even greater: 80% of youngsters can expect to survive their childhood cancer today, compared with 52% in 1975(Park). The cause of the increase in survival rate is due to scientists better understanding of the disease. Over the past decade, scientists have developed special therapies tailored to specific cancer cells. This will allow people who have cancer to be treated on a case by case basis with a treatment designed to meet solely their needs. As these therapies become more become more routine and refined, physicians will be able to match the right therapies to the right cancer cells. It is the hope that one day, scientists will have developed personalized medication(Park). It is believed that doing so will have the best chance to develop a cure for this disease. 

Without a strong military, a country puts itself at risk to potentially lose everything if attacked. The military is always fighting somewhere it seems like. Not only does this mean that there is never world peace, but soldiers are risking their lives everyday so we can get the freedom that we have today. Recent advancements in technology have allowed soldiers fighting overseas to be more efficient and safer during battle. An essay written based on the Singapore Armed Forces exemplifies how technology can aid an army and make up for not having as many soldiers. The Singapore armed forces are small so they have to rely on their intelligence for success. The Singapore army recruits less men, but more men that are smarter rather than those who can meet the physical demands(Yuanxin). This also allows for the army to have the right man for the right job, thus increasing the efficiency of each platoon. The reason for this is they have to learn how to properly utilize the equipment given to them during battle(Yuanxin). Instead of putting a bunch of men into something such as a submarine or a tank, they only put a few men in the tanks and are able to keep most men behind the front lines allowing them to safely compute logistics and rely them to those on board. The reliance on information gathered from computers is beginning to have a lot more importance. Information gathered today is relied upon just as manpower and capital have been so far(Yuanxin). The advances in military technology has also allowed them to customize their weapons for the type of environment they are in. This will allow them to be more efficient when carrying out tasks or objectives. Much of what goes on in the military today relies on intelligence. This is how we do things like find extreme terrorists like Osama Bin Laden. While looking for Bin Laden, government agencies deployed new technologies such as stealth drones, satellites capable of taking high resolution pictures of his compound from space, and phone tracking(Atherton). Without the governments ability to secretly spy on Bin Laden and figure out his whereabouts, arguably the most dangerous terrorist on earth would still be breathing.

Education is one of the biggest foundations of America. Without a properly educated youth, we would be a lot more subject to weaken as a country in the upcoming generations. With the help of advanced technology, we are able to help educate the youth of America. Technology has allowed students to expand their audience exponentially. Back in the 1980s, the only audience was the teacher because there wasn't the power of the internet(Educationworld). In the 21st century, our audience is the world. Students have the ability to reach out to anyone or search anything to expand their knowledge. Technology has also helped the convenience of students. Instead of them having to carry around all their books, they can carry around a light computer tablet that has all of their books and necessities stored inside(Stanberry). Students also have an easier time communicating with one another. Since everything is connected online on the school's platform, they can all communicate for assistance or whatever they may need, whereas 30 years ago if you forgot your homework, you were in trouble. Technology can now also assist children with learning disabilities. This assistance can vary from helping kids with cognitive problems to physical impairment(Stanberry). This assistive technology allows the student to reach their full potential by helping them capitalize on their points of strength and bypass their areas of difficulty(Stanberry). For example, if a student is a poor reader and is a more auditory learner, the assistive technology will allow them to listen to the audiobook. Research has shown that assistive technology can improve certain skill deficits such as reading, listening, math, organization, memory, and writing(Stanberry). The assistive technology also helps boost the sense of self reliance and self independence of students with disabilities. Around 6 million kids receive some form of special education(Stanberry). With the help of assistive technology and other educational aids, those children are now able to work along side their class mates and not have the sense of feeling left out. 

With advancements in technology, come new ways to store money as well as new ways to acquire it. On Wall Street, is located the New York Stock Exchange. Monday through Friday, from 9:30am until 4pm, stock brokers are rapidly selling shares for all different corporations. There once was a time, that during these hours, stock brokers would be yelling out orders to each other in a raucous din(Johnston). Due to the advancements in technology, trading goes on quietly and can be done online giving efficient ways to research and purchase stocks. Researching stocks has become a whole different game now. You can find any stock prices, company earning reports, and any breaking news within seconds. Advisors can also forward current developments to their clients as well as track the stock in current time(Johnston). Computer systems have also made a huge impact in the category of stock trade. Investors can know their price and other details within seconds due to the computer systems ability to process it so fast. Electronic trading has also allowed for high frequency trading. This is where investors buy and sell stocks in the same day, and they are able to accomplish the whole buy and sell cycle within minutes(Johnston). This high frequency trading can spark a buying or selling frenzy among other investors who desire to participate when they see a trend developing among a particular stock(Johnston). This, in turn, is aiding our economy. When things are able to be done faster such as trading, buying and selling, there tends to be more of it. The more money that circulates through out stock market, the stronger our economy can become. Other recent advancements have allowed for electronic banking. Electronic banking ultimately gives you 24-hour access to your money through Automated Teller Machines. These are very convenient because they can be placed at various places as well as they never close. Before access to ATMs, people would have to wait until the morning or make a trip to the bank that day if they knew they were going to need access to cash at some point. 

Technology has lead to many advances and positive impacts in the society of the United States, as well as around the world. But, with the advances in technology, there are people who believe that this will lead to our demise. The Oji-Cree tribe of about thirty thousand people, who inhabited the Hudson Bay, exemplify how an increase of technology can be bad. Their weather conditions were brutal in the winter and hot in the summer. In the beginning of the 20th century, the Oji-Cree tribe lived very simple lives as nomads. They would live out of their tents in the summer and stay in cabins in the winter. They got places using snow shoes, dog sleds and canoes as well as hunting rabbit, moose and fish for food. Foreigners were impressed with their vigor and strength. The Oji-Cree had been in touch with European settlers for centuries but it wasn't until about the 1960s that they were exposed to the newer technologies. They were receiving things from electricity to internal combustion engines. The Oji-Cree went through an extremely rapid revolution, transforming hundreds of years in just a few decades. Since the technologies arrived, the Oji-Cree tribe has experienced a major downfall. They have had a massive increase in morbid obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes(Wu). They have also experienced an access of alcoholism and drug addiction(Wu). People see how much new technology affected this tribe and believe that this could happen to us. There are many reasons it cannot. First, the Oji-Cree went from nothing to everything. They didn't have the continuous advancements just the final product. This affects them because they didn't know how improper use or reliance of the new technology can hurt them. When new technology is released, it has not reached its full potential therefore we can lead it in the direction where it becomes beneficial to us. The Oji-Cree were not acclimated with the technology thus making them a poor example about how technology affects society. Many people also believe that the youth has become too dependent on their cell phones, thus negatively affecting their social interactions. Studies have proved that people of different generations simply use their phones for different purposes, thus hindering their ability to view the use from the standpoint of someone of a different generation. Lastly, people believe that the increase in the use of texting among teens has lead to more texting and driving accidents. While this is true, the increased use of text messaging is not to blame, the improper education of driving safety is. 

The advancements in technology does, and will, continue to have positive impacts on our society as a whole. From all aspects of the grid (economic, social, educational, personal, professional, and health) technology is further bettering our understanding and quality of human life. When you look back at history at civilizations such as the romans, it is apparent that the society that is the most advanced tends to be the most dominant and successful. Some people take technology to be a corruption to society, but it s evident that is not the case. In order to maintain the wealth and well being of this country, continuing to utilize and advance technology is a necessity. I encourage anyone who doesn't understand the true impact of technology to try living without it. You never know what you have until its gone.

