Analyzing the Impact of Technology Reliance in the Workforce

This essay examines the pervasive influence of technology on the modern workforce, arguing that individuals are increasingly reliant on it. The essay begins by establishing the historical evolution of technology and its impact on the standard of living, highlighting examples such as the internet, mobile phones, and various online platforms. It then explores the positive and negative impacts of technology, including entertainment, social connectivity, and travel convenience, while also addressing health issues and potential over-reliance. The essay provides specific examples of technological dependence, such as the use of calculators, online shopping, and e-books, and discusses how technology affects creativity, communication, and business operations. Finally, the essay looks at future technological advancements, such as holographic images and Li-Fi, and their potential implications for the workforce. This essay provides a comprehensive overview of the topic, examining the multifaceted relationship between technology and the modern workplace.

RUNNING HEAD: People are Reliant on Technology in Workforce 1
People are Reliant on Technology in Workforce
(Student Name)
9/24/2018

People are Reliant on Technology in Workforce 2
In the current scenario, individuals cannot imagine their life without technology. Surrounding
with different kind of technologies are helping people to live their lives in luxury. Technology
has developed many products and services and as time is passing, it is improving at a faster pace
(Dawes, S86). The term technology has evolved significantly over the last few centuries. It
became more prominent in 20th century when we had seen second Industrial Revolution.
Technology has improved the standard of living of the individuals; it has made life of humans
easier and more convenient (Lo 387). Yes, this statement is correct but not some extent as
humans have evolved technologies over past few centuries which help them to raise their
standard of living by doing the same task in more efficient manner and effectively. Technology
is the application of information to create equipment’s and devices that can be utilized in various
different ways. Technology has become a part of everyday life. For Instance –refrigerator, bike,
laptop, phone, Internet connection etc. All of these and many more things are powered by
technology (Mitchell and Brynjolfsson 290). While it has made individuals life easier, there are
certain negative impacts which cannot be overlooked. It would be discussed in detail about
technology, its effects and signs that Individuals are too dependent on technology.
With the evolution of technology, society has changed dramatically. Before the technology was
introduced life was burdensome and consumed a lot of time in doing the small task as well. Huge
opportunities are being produced by the evolution of technologies which play an important role
in human evolution. It is present in each and every aspect of life such as education, medicine,
industrial, transportation, Automobile and so on (Colbert 731). As per World Internet stats
report of 2015 states that 313 million Africans are internet users out of 1.16 billion of population
of the continent. To see this in different aspect; it is about 27 percent of total population (Pick
and Sarkar 83).

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Education is the base of learning anything and we have ample amount of schooling that runs the
old traditions of using chalks and blackboards as a medium to teach children and where exams
are written by pen. None of the children is taught to be dependent on technology or internet; it all
depends on the surrounding in which children have been rising. The common term for
dependency or in layman understanding is being controlled by others or someone else. Most of
the people use internet for surfing, chatting and researching a bit. If any individual is doing so or
using this doesn’t make him dependent on technology.
At times, people try to get solutions over internet and actually get disappointed. Everybody loves
to spend their time on internet but that doesn’t state that they are dependent on internet and
technology. Everyone has to understand that time is moving forward and so do we, we need to
adopt the changes which are happening around us and act accordingly. The people should not be
stopping the usage of technology instead they should be channelizing that in more good use.
Technology brought us machines, computers, cars, Boat, Rockets and airplanes.
Technology is not the problem. It is the way that we use it. Over usage of anything over can
create a trouble and problems. Everyone knows and has seen that life without technology was
difficult and time-consuming. Technology has made life lot easier. Below are the few effects
which technologies have (Winner 48): -
Entertainment – There are different ways in which one can be entertained and most of the times
individuals have to seek something outside their homes but after technology has come they don’t
have to step out of their house there are various activities which an individual can do in their
home only for instance – Video games, PC, laptop, TV and much more.

People are Reliant on Technology in Workforce 4
Social – The term social was earlier used when few individuals/friends were meeting up and
having some chat physically. Only friend s or relatives who reside in the same region can only
meet up but now with the help of technology, individuals can meet their friends virtually and
they need not worry for the distance as they can connect on different platforms such as
Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram etc. With the help of social network, one can increase their
business opportunities at a wider scale as the cost at minimum and connectivity with customers
became easier.
Travel – With the help of technology Travelling has become easier, earlier individuals need
maps and use sunlight and compass to see the directions but now they can use the GPS system
which helps them to freely roam around the world easily.
Queries – Previously individuals have to read a lot of books to solve any particular query but
now a day with the help of technology and search engines or sources such as Google, YouTube
and so on which helps individuals to solve the quires at a faster pace.
Health Issue – Overusing the technology creates health issues for the employees as they have to
log in for a high number of hours who at times became unbearable for certain employees.
Employees are getting Headache, Back pain, Eyes irritation and so on.
Technology is one of the best things and we are currently living in the age of technological
advancements. It should not be surprised that most of the life aspects are associated with the
technology and by using the same in regular interval makes it a dependent one (Alfaki, 600).
Below are a few points which have been highlighted: -

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No Internet, No Work – Most of the business is reliant on the internet services today and if
internet service provider is down for the day individuals cannot work for the day as they are
doing a virtual work which cannot be done physically or manually. To survive this situation
business need to take two or more network providers so that if one line is down they may utilize
other. But for small businesses, it is not possible only a big business does this.
Usage of calculators – Employees do have the habit of using the calculators frequently as they
have become lazy and monotonous in their work. Everyone wants to try to finish their task as
early as possible which makes them dependent on this technology. This is one of the basic
technologies which every individual is using on daily basis. While using it on regular basis it has
been observed that simple calculations are also done in calculators for instance 80*20. By doing
this chances of getting mathematical errors are high.
Online shopping – It is one of the technologies which every employee used for business as well
as for personal purpose. With help of technology one can purchase the clothes online and at the
time it has been observed that quality of products is not so good as It looks due to which
individuals are resending the products to buyers which can become a complex process with will
involve Time and money.
E-books – E-books is one by which individuals can read the books virtually or digitally. Now a
day’s individuals are not getting time due to a hectic schedule. If an employee wants to do some
research, then they can find a number of books present in front of him at a nominal cost and it
would be accessible easily.
Not enjoying the present – Since technology is getting advance employees are engaged in
different gadgets or devices that colleagues are not interacting that much as they should to which

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they are not able to know their colleagues very well. Continuous working or engaged in some
activities at times has been observed that employees forget to enjoy the living they can have with
their family and friends.
Mobile Phone enslavement – Usage of the mobile phone in today’s world have increased
drastically, everyone is using smartphones which have internet connectivity which makes the
employees engaged more in their phones as compared to what they should be done. Earlier
phones were used for calling and messaging purpose but now a day, employees are doing
internet surfing, socializing via multiple apps, such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc.
Forgot Phone numbers- Earlier Employees use to remember the number and these days people
are just saving the numbers in their phones and just looking for the names which have made
dependency of the names.
Many Simulations – Simulation games are the one which we play virtually. Simulation games
are fun to play, for instance - racing Simulation, Plane Simulation, Tank Simulation, Biking
Simulation etc. These games create a loop wherein employees engage themselves in such a
manner that at times we have seen that this has become the addiction.
Reduced Creativity – By using the technology employees become dependent for that and due to
which employees are not able to think new ideas or methods which they should increase the
productivity. Creativity is one of the most unique tasks which an employee does which can
enhance his skill set for different opportunists which business will about to carry in the future.
By using technology employees become dependent on them which make them lazy which at
times kill the creativity factor.

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Employees have become more reliant on emails as this is the only and foremost tool for any
business to interact within the department and across departments. Every day employees got to
their work and check and work on emails which are already on their to-do list (Chesley 591).
Due to technology advancement emails are the primary source of communication in the business.
Emails over the past time have evolved so much that they are easy to use and everyone can track
of their work, meetings, and schedules over it and we can set reminders. There are other
methods also in which employees do interact or communicate: -
# as the business is driven by its customers, Customer relation Management use Text and voice
apps
#, when files are big and cannot be shared on emails employees, use Dropbox, Google docs, and
sheets by using such tools employees can share the data in a more convenient manner.
There are numerous things which are going on in terms of technology improvements some of the
features which can be viewed in our near future are as follows (Alkhatib 68):
Holographic Images – This is one of the technologies which is under test for a couple of years
and can be out soon wherein employees have to wear helmets in conference calls and people
sitting at other offices or locations can be felt sitting next to us. Business can save the cost of
traveling to other locations. This technology will not be for everyone as it will be expensive in
the first stage and big firms will purchase the same. People might see this technology in the next
10-12 years.
Li-Fi - It is one of the new technology on which researches are working upon. Currently,
everyone is using WIFI technology which is unchanged for a couple of years. There are a couple

People are Reliant on Technology in Workforce 8
of issues associated with WIFI so to overcome LIFI is introduced. Light Fidelity uses light waves
to transmit the information or data and can be installed in any location that uses lighting. The
only limitation to this technology is that light doesn’t travel through walls but the speed is a
hundred times faster. People might see this technology in the next 8-10 years.
Technology has become an integral part of employees or individuals who have made them be
dependent on the technology that individuals are using. As all the employees want to live life in
an easier and comfortable manner, therefore, they can utilize their efforts somewhere else. Using
Technology is not harm everyone is doing it but having an addiction creates the dependency.
There are numerous effects of the technology in various fields of life such as social,
entertainment, Travel, Query etc. By overusing the technology health of the employees are also
compromised as they have to use the computers or mobile for a high number of hours. In above
discussion, it explored the many facts of technological development which are firmly embedded
in most aspects of modern life, and some analysts have strived to analyze how the effects of
these developments are detrimental on society. It maintains that the ramifications of our reliance
on new medicine, social media, and technology in education, commerce and communication are
a disservice to society. While other individuals think that these bindings are detrimental, the
discussion does not support a complete disconnection from them. It concludes with the fact that
while there are indeed benefits to be had from these advancements, but as a society should learn
to harness the useful ones, instead of allowing them all to run individuals lives.
References
Alfaki, Ibrahim M. Abdalla. "Assessment and dynamic modeling of the size of technology
transfer." Journal of the Knowledge Economy 7.2 (2016): 600-612.

People are Reliant on Technology in Workforce 9
Alkhatib, Hasan, et al. "What will 2022 look like? The IEEE CS 2022 report." Computer 48.3
(2015): 68-76.
Chesley, Noelle. "Information and communication technology use, work intensification and
employee strain and distress." Work, employment and society 28.4 (2014): 589-610.
Colbert, Amy, Nick Yee, and Gerard George. "The digital workforce and the workplace of the
future." (2016): 731-739.
Dawes, Sharon S. "The evolution and continuing challenges of e‐governance." Public
Administration Review 68 (2008): S86-S102.
Goldin, Claudia, and Lawrence F. Katz. "The race between education and
technology." Inequality in the 21st Century. Routledge, 2018. 49-54.
Lo, Janice. "The information technology workforce: A review and assessment of voluntary
turnover research." Information Systems Frontiers 17.2 (2015): 387-411.
Mitchell, Tom, and Erik Brynjolfsson. "Track how technology is transforming work." Nature
News 544.7650 (2017): 290.
Pick, James B., and Avijit Sarkar. "The Global Digital Divide." The Global Digital Divides.
Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2015. 83-111.
Winner, Langdon. "Technologies as forms of life." Ethics and emerging technologies. Palgrave
Macmillan, London, 2014. 48-60.

People are Reliant on Technology in Workforce 10
Annotate Bibliography
1. Dawes, Sharon S. "The evolution and continuing challenges of e‐governance." Public
Administration Review 68 (2008): S86-S102.
The use of information and communication technologies promotes E-governance. The
technology support democratic process, government administration, and public services.
It plays a prominent role in developing a relationship among citizen, the private sector
and civil society. The innovation in technology enhances cost-effective and high-quality
effective government operation.
2. Lo, Janice. "The information technology workforce: A review and assessment of voluntary
turnover research." Information Systems Frontiers 17.2 (2015): 387-411.
The author has focused on the importance of technology in the organization. The
technology guides the organization on how to retain the employee. Various researches
have been conducted by the author by using the same construct that helps them to explore
the impact of the technology on the employee of the organization.
3. Mitchell, Tom, and Erik Brynjolfsson. "Track how technology is transforming work." Nature
News 544.7650 (2017): 290.
In this article, the authors have discussed the prominent role of technology in the life of
every individual. The technology creates a great impact on the life of every individual. It
affects almost every occupation of the individuals. It is the basic need which is required

People are Reliant on Technology in Workforce 11
in the regular life of the people such as mobile phones, internet connection, and vehicle
and so on.
4. Colbert, Amy, Nick Yee, and Gerard George. "The digital workforce and the workplace of the
future." (2016): 731-739.
In the article, the author has focused on the present and past scenario of the technology.
In earlier, there has been made lots of efforts in examining the assumption and effects of
changing workforce. The work was burdensome for every individual in the organization
or in regular life. In recent, technology helps the management and individual to work
more efficiently and effectively.
5. Pick, James B., and Avijit Sarkar. "The Global Digital Divide." The Global Digital Divides.
Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2015. 83-111.
The utilization of technology in the worldwide is the main focus of the author in the
article. It is based on data from 110 nations. It examined and determined the utilization of
technology in the world. Africa has a maximum use of the internet in their country.
6. Winner, Langdon. "Technologies as forms of life." Ethics and emerging technologies.
Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2014. 48-60.
In the article, the Winner has critically focused on the positive and negative aspect or
effects of a technology. Technologies certainly have an impact, but they also can
restructure the physical and social world of the individuals. Winner argues that the
understanding of technologies as “form of life” needs to inform the evaluation and
choices regarding technological innovation and adoption.

People are Reliant on Technology in Workforce 12
7. Alfaki, Ibrahim M. Abdalla. "Assessment and dynamic modeling of the size of technology
transfer." Journal of the Knowledge Economy 7.2 (2016): 600-612.
The author has discussed dependency on technology by the individuals. In the recent
years, individuals depend on the technology in many ways such as usage of the
calculator, work through the internet, usage of mobile phones, shopping through online,
usage of the e-book and so on. These are the factors that increase dependency on the
technology in the workforce.
8. Chesley, Noelle. "Information and communication technology use, work intensification and
employee strain and distress." Work, employment and society 28.4 (2014): 589-610.
In this article, it has been analyzed by the author that the technology of information and
communication use may be significantly altering job conditions in ways that are
indicative of work intensification, which, in turn, contribute to employee strain and
distress. The employees in the organization are more reliant on the emails.
9. Goldin, Claudia, and Lawrence F. Katz. "The race between education and
technology." Inequality in the 21st Century. Routledge, 2018. 49-54.
in the article, the author is considering the importance of technology in the learning phase
of children living in today’s world. The use of modern ways of teaching has been evolved
where the use of computer screens instead of blackboards and chalks. It increases the
high rate of dependency on technology in the field of education.
10. Alkhatib, Hasan, et al. "What will 2022 look like? The IEEE CS 2022
report." Computer 48.3 (2015): 68-76.

People are Reliant on Technology in Workforce 13
In the article, the author has focused on the future scenario of the technology. The
dependency on the technology has increased and will be more increase in the near future.
The society has experienced a revolution in the processing, communication of
information and acquisition. It has transformed the aspect of society through increased
automation and human networking pervasive.