The Impact of Technology on Lifestyle

There are three significant areas within the household that have been affected by the rise of technology. Each having an impact on the interpersonal relationships within the family. These areas are:

• Household Technology

• Information and communication technology

• Entertainment technology

Brainstorm all the different pieces of technology you have in your home. 

Eg// 3 x MacBooks , 2 x smart TVs, 5 x iPhones, 1 x Play Station 4

Do you think technology has improved the interpersonal relationships in your family?

Household technology refers to technology that reduces time spent on housework, food preparation, child care, shopping and household management. 

Examples include: 

• Cleaning Technology - Dishwasher, Vacuum Cleaner etc..

• Cooking Technology - Oven, Air Fryer, Mix Master etc..

• Household Management - Smart Technology, online shopping

The technologies of labour-saving appliances, specialised cleaning products, easy-care clothing, home shopping have each had an impact on interpersonal relationships.

The lifestyle of individuals today is arguably much easier than that of their predecessors, however it is balanced with the added responsibilities that are often taken on as a result of this newfound “free-time”.

Impact on wellbeing within a family:

• Household technology satisfies the specific needs of Adequate Standard of Living and Safety and Security which will in turn significantly benefit the wellbeing of a family. These are all part of Physical and Emotional Factors that affect wellbeing.

Impact on interpersonal relationships within a family:

• Increased quality time with family members allows for genuine and meaningful relationships to be formed.

• However, this time could be used away form the family, which in turn decreases the interpersonal relationships.

Information and communication technology refers to all communication technologies, including the internet, wireless networks, mobile phones, computers, software and social networking .

This technology allows new information, education, entertainment and business services to be delivered directly to homes, and also link homes to each other and to public institutions.

Mobile phones, FaceTime, the internet and social networks have altered the face of the social environment and the way we make and maintain contact with friends and family.

Interactive sites that allow family members to communicate with other individuals and groups, purchase goods online & seek info have made technology a valuable family asset.

Impact on wellbeing within a family:

• ICT satisfies the specific needs of Sense of Identity and Health (emotional) by having increased access in order to communicate with family members. These are all part of Emotional Factors that affect well being.

Impact on interpersonal relationships within a family:

• Increased ICT may improve communication within families who are separated across the country or world.

• However, the development of ICT has decreased the amount of face-to-face communication within the family.

The results of a 2015 study from the School of Psychology at Deakin University stated:

"Parents within the context of family based treatments felt that prolonged exposure to social media exposed their already vulnerable child to additional stressors and risks. The thematic analysis uncovered a sense of parental despair and lack of control, which is consistent with their perception of social media and the Internet as relentless and threatening to their parental authority and family cohesion."

With reference to the above timeline:

1. Discuss how various forms of social media impact on an individual’s sense of self, wellbeing and their relationships with others.

Should responsible social media use be taught at school and at home?

Entertainment technology refers to those experiences made possible by the advent of computer-generated digital technologies. Examples include:

• Multi-player or online games

• Specialised venues and theme parks

• Immersive display environments (virtual reality)

• Surround Sound

• Wearable computing for entertainment purposes

Statistics (Digital Australia Report 2018):

• 97% of homes with children have computer games. 

• 60% of households have five or more screens. 

• 89 Minutes is the average daily total of all gameplay 

• 60% of parents play with their children in the same room 

Impact on wellbeing within a family:

• Entertainment technologies can satisfy the specific need of Sense of Identity by having increased connection to family or peers. These are all part of Emotional Factors that affect wellbeing.

Impact on interpersonal relationships within a family:

• Entertainment technologies often have negative effects on interpersonal relationships in the family; they sometimes serve only to dislocate or fracture relationships.

How does technology in this area contribute to productive communities?

• Technology makes learning more individual, powerful, accessible & immediate - E.g// CANVAS

• It makes acquiring knowledge more accessible and equitable to all people, regardless of their situation.

• It provides opportunities for students with disabilities to access learning devices – E.g// voice recognition computers

Impact on community Health and wellbeing:

• Technology advancements in education and training allow easier access to learning for secondary and tertiary education via online learning platforms (CANVAS etc..) - This in turn satisfies the need for Education and Employment

How does technology in this area contribute to productive communities?

Technology has increased safety and efficiency in transport and travel:

• Airport security measures have been stepped up (body scanning, luggage checking).

• Aircrafts and flights are carefully tracked.

• Technology and traffic monitoring allow for smoother traffic flow.

• Commuters are notified of train and bus delays via mobile phones.

Impact on community health and wellbeing:

• Technology advancements in transport and travel allow greater safety on the road (airbags and automatic break systems) as well as in the air (airport security systems) - This in turn satisfies the need for Health and Safety and security.

How does technology in this area contribute to productive communities?

Medical technology encompasses physical equipment, instruments, pharmaceuticals, clinical procedures, knowledge and the support systems. Advancements have allowed for greater access to:

• Remote healthcare systems that allow greater efficiency in this sector - Telehealth or Zoom appointments

• Intricate surgical operations – e.g. prosthetics, rods & pins, skin-grafting, etc.

• Reproductive technologies (IVF) creates new choices and often reshapes family lives.

• Genetic engineering - used to treat genetic disease such as muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis.

Impact on community health and wellbeing:

• Technology advancements in health and medicine allow greater access to procedures that can significantly impact the choices families and individuals can make within the community - This in turn satisfies the specific need of Health.

• However, these advancements have come with significant ethical issues that can divide communities and families. Eg// Abortion and Genetic engineered babies.

Are advancements in reproductive technology a need or want of society?

How does technology in this area contribute to productive communities?

Food Technology aims to produce foods that are healthy & more attractive:

• Functional foods - Providing health benefits beyond sustenance (Vitamin/Protein rich bars)

• Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) - Altering atmosphere within the package to increase shelf life

• Food safety - Providing the ability to safely transport and keep food.

• Agricultural biotechnology – Genetically modified crops to help developing countries

• Changing households = more single packaged meals / microwavable foods

• Tamper-evident, resealable and biodegradable packaging.

Impact on community health and wellbeing:

• Technology advancements in the food industry allow food to be rich in supplements that increase the health benefits of the consumer/ E.g// Protein bars & powder

• Biodegradable packaging has benefits on the community by limiting pollution and carbon footprint.

How does technology in this area contribute to productive communities?

Technology has changed the face of leisure activities:

• For many people, leisure time doesn’t involve ‘real’ social interaction – it’s instead spent accessing social media/chat rooms/online gaming.

• Tech has blurred the lines between leisure & work – most employers expect their workers to put in longer hours.

• Employers, friends & family all expect instant responses to calls & texts, which adds to the stress of living in a technological age & impacts personal leisure time.

Impact on community health and wellbeing:

• The primary aim of leisure is to enhance socioemotional and physical wellbeing, however technology has changed leisure forever - no longer face to face.

• On face value, advancements in leisure and entertainment has provided people with more options for entertainment - in turn enhancing community wellbeing.

Safety in the workplace and the community is essential. Safety technologies can reduce deaths, injuries, reduce exposure to hazards, and improve infrastructure & workplace culture. 

Examples include:

• Wearables - Monitor body temp, heart rate and perspiration to help reduce injury.

• Drones and robots - Used to perform repetitive lifting and high rise inspections.

• Virtual reality - Used in safety training programs so employees can experience real scenarios in a controled environment

This impacts workplace safety

Businesses are investing in ICT to become more reliable, smarter and more efficient and in turn fewer employees are needed. However, greater access to ICT within the community has a direct link to higher income within families of that community.

Examples include:

• Artificial Intelligence - Answering questions and providing information for the consumer.

• ZOOM - Allowing businesses to meet more efficiently and without restriction. 

Negative :

• Direct link to economic instability in families as parents need to work longer hours as well as training to keep up with the new technology being developed. 

• Work/life balance has been significantly impacted due to remote work stations.

Positive – Communication with family working away from home as well as reducing the physical workload of a single parent.

This impacts work/life balance and Career Pathways

Technology has dramatically changed the structure of the workplace in order to provide safe, efficient and productive work environments. 

"The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology is poised to dramatically reshape the modern workplace, heralding a new era of unprecedented change." (Forbes, 2023)

"The automation of certain tasks could disrupt a staggering 300 million jobs worldwide." (Goldman Sachs, 2023)

These changes have been seen in:

Health and Safety:

Technology has dramatically impacted the workplace, however this must be used within the Safe Work Australia (2012) guidelines -  'Australians deserve healthy, safe and productive working lives'. As such the workplace must be structured around these guidelines in order that employees and employers are safe and secure within their workplace.

Equipment:

Technological development has changed the nature and use of equipment and as such there are significant safety considerations. Within NSW, all workplace electrical equipment must be tested and tagged. Equipment has also been developed with cut-off switches, emergency releases and physical guards. 

Efficiency:

The drive for efficiency and the maintenance of healthy profit margins is paramount, and technology plays a vital role. Within offices, files, orders, stock and sale figures are all carefully entered into a company’s computing system and analysed. On the factory floor, jobs may be threatened by the increased use of robotics, new machinery and Artificial intelligence.

Flexibility:

Refers to the need for employers and employees to take a different approach to traditional ways of working. This includes job design, working hours and location. E.g// FaceTime and Zoom allow employees to work form home in this Post-Covid era. This can be both a positive and negative.

Education and Training:

Technology is always changing and therefore retraining is a priority. This is often completed via online training packages, which is usually less disruptive to the workplace compared to face-to-face training. Government initiatives also work to make training schemes & professional development a right of employees. It is a general trend that younger employees are faster on the uptake of new technology within the workplace.

This impacts work/life balance and Career Pathways

There is no doubt that technology is being widely used within the workplace for a number of reasons and as a result it is extremely important for businesses to successfully introduce technology in order to increase efficiency and compete within their industry. 

The Digital Lives of Australians Report 2022 (AUDA, 2022) This report suggests that workplace automation is a significant emerging technology. Using artificial intelligence, advanced software and robotics to create systems that complete business activities with minimal (or no) direct involvement from humans.

However, digital skills gap looms that may prevent small businesses from harnessing the benefits technology advancements.  

Rights and responsibilities in adopting technology in the workplace:

To help make bringing new technologies into the workplace non-threatening, employers are encouraged to:

• Offer training opportunities for staff to upgrade their skills

• Replace equipment that is not efficient and threatens employee safety/wellbeing

Employees are encouraged to:

• Engage in training programs

• Develop competency to use the new tech

• Be open-minded with respect to new tech

Failure to grasp technology severely limits the ability of a business to succeed.

This impacts Work/life balance and Career Pathways

Example of the introduction of technology in The workplace:

E-commerce has a significant effect on trade and as a result the middleman (the shop front) has been squeezed out, promoting direct trade with consumers.

• Companies that don’t use computers, phones and emails may still operate but face elimination as competition in the market increases.

• Huge amounts of money & time are being invested in the development of consumer services & apps – e.g. self service options.

• Warehouses also benefit – barcodes and scanners allow for immediate stock control. 

Workplace Safety:

• The primary aim of safety technology is to preserve the life of the employees and community. As such, these advancements in technology impact workplace safety dramatically. 

• This technology can also help boost employee morale, reduce turnover and control business insurance costs.

• Overwhelmingly, technology improves the safety of the workplace. 

• Impacts wellbeing - Physical

Work/Life Balance:

• The introduction of ICT has dramatically improved efficiency in the workplace as employees are able meet from different locations. This also allows greater flexibility for working parents.

• It has dispersed the location of offices - COVID has accelerated this trend.

• However, it has placed greater demands on employees as they can be contacted at any moment, rather than the traditional 9am-5pm.

• Impacts wellbeing - Economic + Social

Career Pathways:

• The introduction of technology in the workplace has had a dramatic impact on career pathways and job security.

• The world economic forum predicts that 65% of students entering primary school in 2021 will end up working in entirely new job types that don't exist today.

• Job security has become unstable as technology is being developed that can complete tasks more efficient than human resources. 

• Impacts wellbeing - Economic

Analyse how technology has changed the structure of the workplace and increased work efficiency.

(15 Marks)