What is Technology?

Technology can be hard to understand, hard to use, and it changes every day. So what exactly is it?  

By definition, technology is using scientific knowledge in order to get a practical result. It can also be used to refer to the machinery or equipment created as a result of applying scientific knowledge.  

Technology, based off the definition, is not confined to only our iPhones or our Macbooks. As a matter of fact, there is technology in every industry being applied to make processes more practical. Landscapers may utilize technology such as a forklift to move heavy trees, while chefs use technology in the form of a probe thermometer.

Technology is all around us. Not only that, but the purpose of technology is to make things more practical! If technology is hard, it is defeating the purpose of its own existence. Technology is there to be a practical tool, and once the user becomes familiar with it, efficiency will skyrocket.

We also know that technology changes. Not to worry, though: many evolutions are subtle and easy to understand. However, these evolutions happen quickly. If too many updates happen over a short amount of time, it becomes difficult for the user to follow. For example, consider a novel. If you read each chapter in order, the story is very clear and easy to follow. However, if you skip chapters and start somewhere in the middle, it may be hard to understand what is happening in the book.

Technology, just like the novel, always has something preceding it. An example of this is to look at a simple lemonade stand. The children may track their sales simply by tallying up the cups sold on a piece of paper, then manually adding their profit together by hand. However, if they were to use a calculator (simple technology), they have a practical solution to adding numbers faster. If they want an even more practical solution, they could use Microsoft Excel. This combines the elements of tracking on paper and using a calculator into one simple tool, which they could use to automatically calculate their profits and even track profits over the course of a week. Simply put, one technological development leads to the next, so it is fundamental to know the roots of modern technology in order to best use and understand it.

Next time you run errands or clean the house, consider the technology which helps the practicality of your situation. I live on the 13th floor of my building, so the elevator is a much more practical way to getting to the lobby than taking the stairs. When I wash all of my cups and plates by hand, I dream that my next apartment will come with a dishwasher to do the work for me.  

If there is one thing to take away from this post, it is this:

Technology is using knowledge to improve practicality.

Good technology doesn’t make your life more complicated, it is a tool to improve efficiency (like the elevator!).