Is technology truly necessary for the average person to live a regular life? The simple answer is no; people do not need a cellphone or television to live a regular life. After all, people have been living without the internet for millennia. The internet has only been around since the '80s and human civilization has always thrived.

On the other hand, because we have the internet, humans have reached even higher heights of life. Ever since the introduction of the internet in 1983, technology has been revolutionizing the lives of humans around the world. The average person has the entire world's knowledge at their fingertips just by having a cellphone and access to the internet. If you wanted to know something, it would take maybe 30 seconds to find what you want. The advancement of technology gave access to a world of knowledge to people without access to a library.

Communication is so readily available to everyone with a cellphone. Let's say that there is a crumbling bridge in your neighborhood; someone could take a picture, post it on social media, and everyone in that area would be aware of the danger and avoid the structure altogether.
Technology may not be necessary to live a normal life but even just the tiny screen in your back pocket revolutionizes a way of life - a life of ease.

The advancement of common technology is having an impact on the environment because companies need physical materials to produce these gadgets. To make the screens, companies need a specific type of sand to be made into glass. To make the casing, companies need carbon, special metals, and various plastics. Overproduction of these gadgets puts a strain on the material sources; the places where Earth can make and provide these materials to us. Part of the reason companies make so many is because we are not advanced enough to make a device that everyone can have that would not break or wear out over time. The other reason is corporate greed. Apple is notorious for launching models of new iPhones and releasing updates to hinder the performance of pre-existing models, forcing the consumer to buy the newer model.

On the other hand, we use technology to better the environment. We have created the commercial use of solar panels to convert the sun's rays into electricity - effectively lowering the amount of coal electric companies have to burn for energy every year. We've also innovated the electric car. Just by switching from an only gas car to a hybrid (gas and electric), you are making a huge difference; massively reducing the impact on the amount of fossil fuel carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. Even looking up ways you can reduce your carbon footprint on the internet helps because you are educating yourself on how you can be better for the environment - all you have to do is act on that knowledge.

I believe that technology is a need in today's society. Having any sort of technology started with wanting it; as such with the introduction of television but in the time we are living in now, just having access to the internet is a must-have. Knowledge is power, and it spreads extremely fast; if you do not have access to the internet, you will be left behind in a matter of weeks.

References

Allen, M. (2019, October 28). Technological influence on society. BCTV. Retrieved February 18,
2022, from https://www.bctv.org/2019/11/07/technol … fluence-on-
society/#:~:text=Technology%20affects%20the%20way%20individuals,other%20on%20a%20daily%20basis.&text=It's%20made%20learning%20more%20interactive,learning%20and%20have%20trouble%20with.

Austin, D., & Macauley, M. K. (2016, July 28). Cutting through environmental issues:
Technology as a double-edged sword. Brookings. Retrieved February 18, 2022, from
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/cutt … ology-as-a-
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Great post!