Digital technologies are electronic tools designed to generate, store and process data. Well-known examples of digital technology are social media, multimedia, mobile phones, online games, eBooks, video streaming, websites, etc.
Digital technology not only comes with advantages as there is a famous saying “most good things comes with bad thing.”
There are many advantages and disadvantages of digital technology that have a greater impact on our daily lives. Through cloud computing, we all can access data instantly in the system in front of us.
In this article below, we’ll discuss the advantages of digital technology where the impact on small businesses to biotechnology is mentioned.
Talking about the disadvantages of digital technology, the impact on society along with the addiction, complexity, and depersonalized warfare are among its demerits.
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Digital Technology
Digital means in binary form, and information means data. Data is not just a number of words; and it includes photos, audio, and video. It enables a large amount of information compressed on small storage devices to be effortlessly stored and transported.
Digitalization quickens or fastens the transmission speed of data. This digitalized information is recorded in binary codes combined with the digits 0 and 1, also known as bits resembling words and images.
Digital technology has made it an easier way for us to communicate, learn and work. It has also transformed the way where media can get researched, created, distributed, and viewed.
History Of Digital Technology
Digital Revolution is also known as the third industrial revolution, a shift from mechanical and analog electronic technology to digital electronics.
In the half of the 20th century, people started adopting digital computers and digital record keeping till the present day.
Over half of the Americans began to own personal computers. The population of the internet rose to 1 billion. On the other hand, the digital revolution diversified the rest of the developing world.
The revolution began with digital transformations. Around the 2010s, the digitalization of analog and manual systems was almost complete. People started using digital transformations to drive new business programs.
In 2019, most of the companies’ 40% technology spending will go for digital transformation. Tech expending has exceeded by 3 Trillion, globally.
The ability to create digitally transformed products, services, and experiences has increased drastically. In the current scenario, half of the companies have been replaced in S&P 500 with digital transformation.
The prevalence of apps, payments, bots, and other digital technologies has been embedded in our everyday lives. People’s day-to-day activities with technology giants like Google, Facebook, Tencent, and Amazon have increased daily.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Digital Technology
The futuristic technologies are advancing with interrelated overlap to some extent. They are enhanced according to the users’ requirements, by companies like apple, google, and so on.
Yet, many giant companies are working to diminish the negative impacts on the users, like smartphones with screen modifications that do not harm your eyes.
There are many advantages and disadvantages of digital technology where the positive effect on the biotechnical sector are enormous; on the other hand, mental health and socialization are deprived.
Advantages of Digital Technology
The user-friendly environment with advanced technology and engineering is one of the most promising advantages of digital technology.
“The number one benefit of information technology is that it empowers people to do what they want. It lets people be creative. It allows people to be productive. It lets people learn things they didn’t think they could know before, and so in a sense, it is all about potential.” — Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft
Digital technology has an enormous impact on various sectors, such as the huge operating machines in the factory, doing critical experiments in regenerative medicine, biotechnology, and so on.
Let’s have a look at some advantages of digital technology.
1. Access to Information
Digital technology has made our lives convenient, as it helps us access information from the internet without any hassle. Information all around the world is available on the internet.
With digital technology, the path to get that information is simple. From news to movies to eBooks, digital technology has helped to have direct access. You can get to read books, watch insightful movies with no hustle while staying on the bed.
Convenience has dominated the hard work that we used to require to get these sources of information. Thanks to digital technology!
2. Advanced Automation
The industrial revolutionization of the factory with digital technology involves the automation of the machines. The efficiency and growth of the product avoiding the risk of an accidental mishap with the worker gained its popularity.
Employees could do their work remotely from the internet at a time of their choosing. In some cases, machines no longer need humans to operate them, preventing repetitive and boring tasks for workers.
The optimization of the workers and mass production benefits not only the company but also the consumers with the quality product and decrementation in price.
From the customers’ point of view, automation helped them book holiday tickets directly through the internet without going through the intermediary.
3. Impact on the entertainment industry
The advantages of digital technology include the revolution in the entertainment industry. The impact of digital technology abruptly took over the traditional entertainment industry.
The entire industry has moved its focus to the digital platform. Even the TV channels and shows are being broadcast on various platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.
The audience is provided with various platforms to surf their favorite shows, music, video, games, and other entertainment available 24/7 with just a click.
The entertainment industry includes books, audio, and interviews. At the same time, these genres are uploaded straight to the cloud, making them feasible worldwide.
Even the artist and the movies are being launched online on the digital platform, maintaining their profile and communicating through social media.
Digital technology has revolutionized the gaming industry with high-end graphic effects, a real-like game experience with oculus rift along with advanced consoles and games for Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and Google Stadia, etc.
4. Time-saving
The revolution of digital technology has a huge impact on our lives. The mode of paying credit cards, internet banking to the washing machine to do our laundry, and automated car driving have saved us lots of time.
The patient can consult their doctor’s thousands of miles away. Many critical decisions need to be taken, an agreement has to be signed, and a digital signature has made it possible from a device.
5. Editing
One of the great advantages of digital technology over the traditional approach is that the data can be stored to edit instantly in no time.
In case of any modification in the rules and regulations, the company can perform editing efficiently and convey the update to all branches through digital media.
Complex video editing, which used to require a lot of money or equipment, is replaced by cloud rendering sitting on a couch on a laptop.
6. Efficiency of device and machine
Many devices and machines now function much more efficiently with the use of less power. The machines are turned off instantly if they sense over-heating or turn off if not in use automatically.
The durability of the machine has increased as the companies are focused on improving pre-existing technology. The more time passes, we are going to see much more efficient technology.
The use of green energy has been adopted by many companies and is running on solar panels and wind turbines. Advanced digital technology is helping to keep the environment clean.
7. Cost Efficiency
The main objective of technology is to produce things that will be affordable and reasonable to general people. Therefore, people go for cost efficiency due to technology these days.
Beneficial machinery is available for less price than we think. With the help of technology, we can compare prices across the world. Also, incorporating digital technology into the business can cut off half of the operating expenses.
Instead, digital technology reduces cost and increases productivity.
8. Better Means of Communication
The replacement of old technology with modern technology has made our lives easier to communicate with people worldwide. In the past, letters were the most popular means of communication.
It used to take more than a month to get the reply letter. Whereas nowadays, it takes a few seconds to receive replies. Nowadays, who thinks of writing a letter instead of video calling?
9. Transportation
Most of the rails, trains, airplanes rely on digital technology. It has made our lives more convenient as we can book our tickets online. There are lots of websites representing flight tracking, route tracking, and maps.
All these can pave an easy path for traveling. Also, these days’ passports contain digital chips that have all the information of an individual. It enables self-service machines to fasten the process of checking in and passing through customs.
Digital technology has redefined the meaning, purpose, and services of transportation. These advanced technologies are implemented and researches are being carried out by the giant organization.
10. Banking
Digitalization has also touched upon the revolution in the financial sector. Online banking has become common these days, and you can use your laptops, mobile phones, tablets.
Users can track their cash inflow outflow through online banking. You can also arrange money transfers and bills payment from it. These days, you can buy and sell shares online.
Apart from banking, there is still another way of managing the financials of an individual and business. Information technology has made it much easier for business corporations. There are many benefits of information technology in business.
Disadvantages of Digital Technology
Talking about the disadvantages of digital technology, the complex issues regarding the system, the security protocol of the information, and lack of socialization are at the top of the list.
The impacts and development of the new advanced technologies are not easy to comprehend, and they are still part of an ongoing process.
“It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.” –Albert Einstein, The Theoretical Physicist
Overuse any substance or material is harmful, so you need to be fully aware of the problems and decide if using these devices is helpful or head-aching.
Here are some disadvantages of digital technology.
1. Complexity
The technology is updating itself every second. Along with the updates, many bugs and loopholes in the system are detected years after release.
The non-tech customers will have a major issue operating the interface, such as minor laptop glitches, complicated phone bugs, and devices used in vehicles and home appliances.
If a customer faces any of these problems, they will certainly be disappointed with the purchase they made. The complexity of the program is one of the major disadvantages of digital technology.
2. Work Overload
As we all know, digital technology has fastened the completion of work. Whereas to increase productivity, employees get lots of work to deal with every day.
Workers from all around the world have to manage data, emails, information which, can be hectic.
Analyzing a large amount of data requires extra effort, dedication, attention creating isolation and distress to employees.
3. Losing Job Opportunities
With the help of digital technology, people can do their work on the internet. You don’t have to be physically present to do a particular job unless it can’t get performed through the internet.
The internet allows employees to do the same task at minimum wages. The situation will diminish the job opportunities for workers. Their job opportunities will get replaced by digital technology.
When more digital equipment gets into the working area, less will be job opportunities.
4. Security of Information
Digital technology allows for the storage of data. However, getting concerned about the security of those collected data is another essential thing.
These data are the collection of public as well as private information of individuals or organizations. As easy it’s to store, the risk for the breach is minimal but high, and the whole company is affected.
Criminals, hackers, terrorists, foreign enemies can get access to this data. So, safety regarding that information is a crucial factor. The security protocol is one of the major disadvantages of digital technology.
5. Lack of Socialization
With the development of digital technology, face-to-face conversations, socialization is rare these days. The situation will lead to social isolation and depression in each individual.
People can call, communicate, look at each other through the internet, due to which they can avoid face-to-face interactions.
As studies have shown that, lack of face-to-face communication, people can suffer from mental health problems. People start to find comfort without talking to people as well.
6. Privacy Issues
Not only on the larger scale, but the threat also remains for the individual’s privacy. It feels easy to communicate and be lost in the digital world, where we share our private information to be entertained.
Financial details, personal photos, videos, internet account access can severely harm someone’s reputation and individual identities with the wrong intention. The disadvantages of digital technology include privacy issues.
7. Digital Media Manipulation
Other disadvantages of digital technology are media manipulation. The technology made it easier to manipulate photographs, video, and audio available on the internet.
Many media use editing tools to alter and edit the information gathered regarding the current issue to gain attention. The media is considered the eyes and voice of the public.
8. Depersonalized Warfare
The weapons and the military task can be carried out for mass destruction without deploying any humans. They will lock targets from thousands of miles away using satellites.
The use of drones in warfare has turned into a computer game. Digital technology has various disadvantages regarding conflict.
9. Longevity
The gadgets and systems in digital technology have a short life span and become obsolete relatively quickly. The tech giants are 24/7 working on the next breakthroughs once they find one.
Devices and drivers are updated with each new version, and it won’t be very easy to find a compatible pair for your system. It will be very expensive for users to upgrade a few years after purchase.
The loss in efficiency, as older devices are discarded when no longer useful. This generates a lack of sustainability which counts as disadvantages of digital technology.
10. Addiction
Addiction to social media, computer games, messaging, and dating websites can be hazardous. Many health issues worldwide taking the lives of the users have been published time and again.
Online sites and gaming platforms interact with their users to bring in advertising money. The user ends up losing money and goes into depression in the long term cause of addiction.
11. Secondhand Living
The real-life events are directly broadcasted on online platforms, or you can purchase anything online sitting on the couch. Many people no longer experience the feeling of social responsibility.
All the events are filmed and videoed on various platforms, and people enjoy these events with popcorn and coffee—this ignorance and naivety of an individual lead to secondhand living.
In conclusion, digital technology is revolutionizing itself with automated and inbuilt analysis systems. There are both advantages and disadvantages to every advancement made, and it’s difficult to verify digital technology as good or bad.
Known as the double-edged sword, we need to adapt to all this new technology and find out about its merits and demerits. Thus, there are many advantages and disadvantages of digital technology if handled properly.
