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PEOPLE AND TECHNOLOGY
....... The science behind our uniqueness
ABSTRACT
The story behind human existence is so special. Scientists, philosophers and
religious fanatics have all added their voice to the controversies surrounding
how we came to be. What makes us so unique? They tend to explain; is it our
gene, environment, our attitude or our character? Is it our ideas, technology or
our abilities? In his book “Human: the science behind what makes us unique”
Michael Gazzaniga uses science to explain the uniqueness of human nature and
takes us into an adventure of what set us apart from our predecessors. A few
years ago, there was no internet and global system mobile telecommunication
but the human race survives. Today, we have GSM, internet, and in the nearest
future more technological innovation will surface, like flying cars, trains and
anything you can think of. The truth is, no matter how technical our World will
get, connection will only happen through people. Peter Drucker understands this
that is while he pointed out that in the next society many people will learn to
develop themselves, so human approach to technology is very crucial not only
in adopting technological innovations and ideas but also in understanding and
enhancing maximum usage of technological advances for positive impact.
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INTRODUCTION
Over the years, the advances in technology have save time, save cost and
save lives, the history and development of the human race cannot be complete
without technology. As people strive to be relevant, business process reshaped
and customer experience enhance, there is an underlying statement that
“Technology evolves but human behaviour does not”.
Going historically, it is clear that our own understanding of our history is
unclear, while science point to evolution, religion points to creation but no
matter where you fit in, whether we were created, evolve, revolve, the truth is,
we are all humans at least that is not debatable.
The paradoxes presented by science and religion have furnish us with
many information about our existence, yet one thing is glaring, change is a
Worldwide phenomenon. We are constantly looking at ways to improve our
lives, whether it is a solution to environmental hazard, a research for a cure to a
disease, a drive for connection and much more. Our concern is always on
developing ourselves and things around us to favour our existence as humans.
Unquestionably not a hoax, our quest has always been justified with a
birth of a new technology. This technology has been used to transform live and
business and has given us the power to re-write our history.
The phrase “People and technology” is about helping people to
understand and retain their sense of control over our changing environment.
Over time, as problems, challenges keep arising, we are always on the search
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for breakthrough and we have been able to manipulate different process and
along the line manage to spawn new technology, this technology is shaping our
history and we have no other option that to grow and develop as we keep
changing and discovering new things.
UNDERSTANDING TECHNOLOGY
In some developing countries, technology is viewed as a mystery and this
can make people to feel unsafe when a new technology is announced, it is
important to know that this mystery call technology was invented to refer to
science and knowledge put in practical use to solve problems. While
motivation, problem solving abilities, creativity and competence was at the core
of inventing technology, same is not applicable in usage, because there is
always a user manual, it takes a genius to produce a technology but anyone with
the right attitude and guidance can use any technology.
As technology advances, it is important to make sure that people advance
with it. One of the problems we face is bridging the communication gap. Peter
Drucker made mention of “this society” as a knowledge society where
knowledge workers will be in the centre stage of everything, according to him
“knowledge travel faster than money and knowledge is what is needed to
understand technology.”
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In order to have an educating effect on our society, we must learn to
empower people to know and understand the important of changes in
technology and how it works because without knowing how this technology
works it will be impossible for people to understand and utilize it for good.
My friend won a washing machine in a competition few years ago, we
took it home and a special place was prepare for it in their sitting room, few
years later, the washing machine was still standing at its place because none of
us had use a washing machine before, it took some form of creativity from my
friend and I before we could convince his parent to allow us use it after studying
and understanding the manual.
The number one rule of using anything is understanding, it took us some
time to understand a washing machine before using it. So understanding a
technology is very vital before adopting it.
ADAPTING TO TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES
In adapting to technological changes, the illustration of Peter Drucker
surfaces, for instance in a class, where a class room teacher of forty children
insists that all the children in the class must do an assignment in the same way;
even when most of them may have an idea, not all will be able to follow the
same part like others and may likely fail. Whereas a new technology may have a
beneficial impact on them, which can even enable the merely competent teacher
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to find out which technology or method best fit each children and how to
encourage them to adapt to it.
However, the influx of this technology comes with his own challenges;
that is, the ability to adapt and understand its function. We are often face with
this challenges, for example, when the mobile phone first arrive Nigeria, it took
some people days, weeks, months and even years to adapt to the change that
come with the mobile phone. In some cases, people were even afraid that the
phone will destroy our day to day conversation as humans but along the line,
even with all the negative emotions and feelings, mobile phone has help to
sharpen our communication system.
As in the case of the washing machine, we started using it, after we
understand its function and we never stop there, because we have used it other
people around us where interested in owning it, even though we had electricity
problem then, though not much change has happen since then, people were
happy to have a washing machine.
MANAGING TECHNOLOGY
Many people feared that technological process will come to control our
lives before we learn to control them. While this is true in some cases,
especially in some develop countries were technology is still viewed as magic,
people may tend to worship technology instead of making technology works for
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them, in general, this is not true because people makes technology not the other
way round.
In trying to deny their responsibilities, most parents blame computer and
internet especially if their children fail to do well at school, this has created
problem in many home. In managing oneself , Peter Drucker outline that
relationship matters, according to him “ Very few people work by themselves
and achieve result by themselves, a few great artistes, a few great scientists and
a few great athletes. Most people work with other people and are effective
through other people. To manage oneself therefore requires taking relationship
responsibility”
In order to effectively manage technology to achieve our own goals, we
must adopt what I called “the idea equilibrium” which can be achieved
through: 1. Educating and encouraging ourselves
2. Growing with others
3. Taking responsibility
We have to educate ourselves to be updated with the current trend of things, and
it is very proper that in doing this, we grow with others, not just doing it alone,
we encourage ourselves to encourage others to join us in the quest to develop
ourselves in order to develop our society. Before we can achieve the greatest
good, we must learn to take responsibility of our live and manage our values
and prospect effectively without minding what others will say or do.
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Managing technology extend to monitoring the feedback from the use of
technology, looking for prospects, complains and constantly looking for new
ways and method to improve how we adapt and understand technology. It
entails looking deep into our education system and developing new methods of
passing information to students
Growing with others is very important when considering that technology
will keep changing as long as there are problems to be solved.
CONCLUSION
Technology plays a vital role in the development of the human race. It
facilitates our action, encourage new prospects but does not replace our
emotions or feelings. As we continue to make history by inventing new
technology, it is important to note that people make technology, technology
does not make us. The fear of technology outsmarting us can be stop by proper
understanding and management of technology.
Organizations must focus in developing people not only technology.
People and technology should grow side by side for the common good of all. As
Karl Marx rightly points out, technology can raise the living standard of people.
REFERENCES
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Gazzaniga Michael s (2008) Human: the science behind what makes us unique,
Harper Collins/ Ecco 447p.
Peter Drucker: Managing one self
Peter Drucker: The next society