Wednesday, January 4, 2012

'The benefits of technology are mostly enjoyed by the rich.' Do you agree?

When we hear the term technology, devices in sophisticated looks and designs, which are highly expensive to buy comes in our mind. This definition of technology in our imagination is incomplete. The technology not only aims at improving the performance and design but also at reducing its cost. In general the sleek designs and beautification are the factors which multiply the cost of such devices. Therefore, technology is viable and within the reach of poor and middle class people.

Technology, itself aims at reducing cost. The credit of increasing in the agricultural production of India goes to technology. Due to the use of technology in farming the agricultural production of India has been multiplied up to ten times since its independence making the country self-dependant. With the growth in production the cereals and vegetables have become cheaper in India. Had the country not used the technology, the Indians would have to pay high price for the food that would otherwise be imported from other countries.

The scope of technology is not limited to electronic gadgets and agriculture but to all the areas of human concern. From pens and copies we use to the designs of bridges and mega structures, technology has its strong influence on almost everything. The pen which can write smoothly and last for quite a long time can be bought in just 5 Rupees. However, if we try to make it manually it would be very costly and time consuming and still the pen would not be as comfortable as it is with the 5 Rupees pen. The introduction of machines and factories to drastically improve the quality and lower the cost of things which are required in our day to day life is a technology. Are the poor deprived of using such goods?

The zinc sheets used in constructing the roofs of the houses are very thin and cheap as well. However, they are strong, durable and reliable too. They are strong not because they are made out of metals but because of the zigzag shape. They have made it easy to roof the houses in the villages and rural areas. This technology is very useful for poor and middle class people and hence, they use it whenever roofing is necessary.

Technology saves the cost of replacing something by making them less prone to damage. The electronic devices can be totally damaged by lightning. However, with the use of an additional wire to ground the excessive charges prevents the device from this terrible disaster. Here, the cost involved is at the time of research only which might have been high but its usefulness and the protection of the electronic devices and important data stored in them is many times worthier than the cost involved in research. And most importantly we do not have to bear that cost directly.

Finally the introduction of digital technology recently has revolutionized everything. Kollywood film industry is an example. Despite the decreasing number of spectators of Nepali movies, the production of movies has not decreased. The digital technology has reduced the cost of the production. This has even inspired the minorities and backward groups to produce their own movies in their local language. Who are benefitted by this technology? No answer to the technology.

Therefore, I prefer to say that technology is targeted for poor ones. The rich people, on the other hand, simply have more options and alternatives to pick up the items which best fit their desire. Though the poor ones have to consider economy while choosing the stuffs of their need and desire they do not have to compromise their wants just because of technology. In fact, fulfilling their desires has become possible only because of technology.

1 comment:

  1. Would it be correct to tackle the essay by exploring the applications of technology in different areas, i. e., healthcare, education, construction, etc... and then, in the same paragraph, showing how the poor as well as the rich have benefited from it?
    I can see here that only the poor were taken into consideration.
    Thank you.