Technology as a Driving Force Behind Social Change, Human Health, & Well-being

Our technological progress is deeply linked to our social and cultural progress. As a species we are driven to provide first for our basic needs such as food, water, shelter, & the survival of our species. When our technological development was in its infancy most of our time was consumed providing for these basic needs. From our humble beginnings as a species, an ability to work together effectively in social groups greatly benefited survival. The better we became at communicating with each other, the more easily we could meet our basic needs. Our spoken and written languages were born out of this recognition, and over time, our capacity to think and conceptualize in new and novel ways improved. Our natural curiosity and drive to more easily and effectively meet our basic needs began the first technological revolution – the use of simple tools. As our tools improved, and our needs were more easily met, we had more time to express ourselves in ways not purely dedicated to survival alone. Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs is a good example of how we are motivated to fulfill basic needs before moving on to other, more advanced needs.

Our technology has progressed to a point where our basic needs can be met in very little time at all, but we have less direct control over the creation process. In our early tribal societies we could gather the required components and create our own spears, stone axes, bows, etc without having to rely on another party to produce them for us. Today, our more advanced technologies are produced in factories with specialized equipment and multi-layered creation processes. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution we have seen an increase in general affluence and health, as economies of scale and products became cheaper, and easier to manufacture.

As better communications technology has developed with the advent of personal computers, the internet, satellites, and smart phones, we’ve seen a move towards intellectual capital, knowledge, and ideas driving economic growth and prosperity. The internet has been a huge force behind this move. Individuals anywhere on the planet can collaborate and share ideas in ways not possible even 10 or 20 years ago. As national borders break down, there has been a shift towards the globalization of culture and identity.

One of the major problems we face now is that these complex multi-layered processes for the production of modern technologies have yet to reach many of those in the developing nations. While there are many organisations that are attempting to bridge the gap, the availability of technologies that improve health and well-being are still out of reach for many.

In the later half of this century as the effects of economic and cultural globalization push on, we'll see a new post-industrial era of technological development that transcends national borders, as the basic resources needed for prosperity are available universally. Our increasing ability to manipulate and reconfigure matter at smaller and smaller scales with nanotechnology, and advances in artificial intelligence will play a big part in reducing world poverty as the costs of production reduce, and the power to build, create and innovate is shifted from the few back to the many. 3D printers, robot hotels, robot builders etc, are an early example of how advances in nanotechnology and AI could be applied, transforming the average consumer's ability to directly control the products and services they desire.

The social instability and unrest we face today due to the unequal distribution of economic resources should then drop significantly. We may no longer need to “work” in the conventional sense of the word, but be free to pursue our interests, whatever they may be. Where may this then lead us? A new age of prosperity and well-being may be just around the corner.