We’ve lived with technology our entire lives, so much so that we can’t comprehend how things were like before technology. But once upon a time, there was no internet, television, or any other modern forms of entertainment. Things weren’t as simple as they are today. When people needed something, such as food and shelter, they had to work for it. They had to pick fruits from trees and hunt for meat to survive. All because there wasn’t any form of technology that could make their jobs easier. Let’s take a look at what society would be like without technology.
World’s Population Would Be Smaller
The world’s population is currently 7.7 billion, which may seem like a lot of people. However, in the absence of technology, this number could be much smaller — perhaps even less than 1 billion. For instance, nearly all technological advancements such as the printing press and the harnessing of electricity have been used to spread information about techniques that improve farming and food storage and distribution.
Without these technologies, food would not be as plentiful or accessible, leading to higher rates of malnutrition and therefore lower life expectancy. Also without technology such as vaccines being widely available, diseases would run rampant throughout society and kill off many more than they do today. As a result, life expectancies would drop drastically without technology since fewer people would survive past infancy or childhood.
Slower Communication
If you’re reading this, it’s a safe bet that you’ve used a computer to communicate with someone. However, if technology had never been invented, the only way to communicate with people would be through letters. The main drawback of this is that it takes much longer for letters to get to the person they were written for compared to an email or text message.
Let’s say your friend lives in another state and wants you to visit her for her birthday in two weeks. With today’s technology, your friend could send you a text message or email asking when you will arrive. You could reply immediately saying that you can make it on her birthday and she could respond saying what time she expects you there. If technology did not exist, however, your friend would have had to write out a letter at least three days in advance so that it could reach its destination by mail in time for your visit.
Medicine Would Be Less Advanced
Medicine, as a field, would not be anywhere near as advanced without technology. Relying on primitive resources and processes, you wouldn’t have access to many medications and treatments that are used today. Without even rudimentary advances like the thermometer, you would have to rely on physical exams and guesswork to diagnose ailments. Even then, it wouldn’t be possible for everyone in the population to receive proper medical attention due to limited resources and services. Many people would die of illnesses or injuries that are now easily curable if they don’t receive an immediate diagnosis or treatment plan.
Even after receiving treatment, you may suffer from side effects that could easily be prevented with modern medications or practices. Acupuncture is one such example — while it can relieve minor aches and pains, it’s also known to cause additional pain while the procedure is being performed.
Less Prejudice and Violence
In a world without technology, people would be forced to focus more on their immediate environment, their loved ones, and those around them. They would have no choice but to interact with those in person and in real-time. This could potentially reduce prejudice and violence as people get to know each other outside of the Internet.
By removing these tools that allow us to project an idea of ourselves outward or isolate ourselves completely from others, maybe we will be forced to become more tolerant of our fellow humans. Maybe it is a technology that is contributing to many of our current problems because it allows us to hide behind false identities or hide physically from others while allowing our prejudices to grow. The answer seems simple enough: put down your devices, get out there, and use your words (and not the cruel kind).
People Would Have Stronger Relationships
You would rely on face-to-face communication more than ever. If you wanted to get a message to someone, you would have to talk to them in person or write them a letter. You wouldn’t be able to text them or send them an email.
Without social media, people would have to get creative with how they spend their time. They might do the things they used to do before there was so much technology around. They could go outside and play a sport with their neighbors or read books instead of watching television shows.
Without technology distracting them from what is going on around them, people may become more grateful for the things that they do have in life. They would appreciate the simple things like being able to sit down with their family and have dinner together.
Life Would Be Much Simpler
Life would be much simpler without technology, but we wouldn’t have many of the modern-day conveniences we rely on. To live a simpler life, you can turn off your phone and social media for a day or even a week. It will give you more time to spend with family and friends. You could get back to nature for the weekend or go camping for a few days. These things will help you de-stress and recharge so that you can continue being productive in your daily life.
Technology is a wonderful thing and it helps us stay connected with our family and friends all over the world. However, it’s important to remember that there are downsides as well as benefits from using these new forms of communication every day such as texting instead of talking face-to-face or video calling someone instead of writing them letters by hand (which takes longer but makes people feel more special). Technology has changed how we interact with others so much in less than two decades!
Conclusion
In summary, technology profoundly impacts the world. In turn, it changes the type of people that populate our society. Should we be worried about artificial intelligence? If you look at both sides of the argument, you can certainly make an argument for either side. While you cannot stop progress, progress can still be questioned. Technology will affect our future more than we know and though there is no turning back from that, we should all be wary of what these new technologies will bring about.
