“Technology is amazing!” These words often come to my mind when I watch a video of something working automatically, seemingly without human assistance, or even when I simply discover how to work out a certain function on Microsoft Excel. Indeed, technology–whether we associate it with gadgets and electronics or with processes that make our lives easier–is amazing in terms of how far it has led us toward progress and development.
Technology has made things more convenient and more efficient for us. What used to take days, weeks or even months to obtain can be accessed in seconds. What used to take a ton of effort can take a mere click of a mouse or touch on a screen. For instance, when researching, students need no longer go to wooden drawers to sift through yellowing cards in order to find sources under a specified topic. Now, they can type up key words of their own choice in a search engine and in seconds—or minutes, depending on the Internet speed—they are shown dozens of sources relating to those key words.
It would seem, then, that technology makes us more efficient. Technology saves us time and effort. We can work on things faster, access and take down information faster, and in effect, we get to do more.
But are we, indeed, made more efficient due to technology?
What does it even mean to be efficient? In simple terms, efficiency means maximum productivity at minimum effort. Productivity means achieving significant results. Results are, more often than not, tied to a goal.
Sometimes, it would seem, that in an effort to be more efficient, we get so focused on the process and we end up losing sight of what our goal or our purpose really was. This could possibly stem from a misconception that time is the only key factor in determining efficiency, that it is simply about getting the most done in the least amount of time.
An example of this can be seen in note-taking. Possibly in fear of missing out, people try to take down as much as they possibly can, whether it be from the presentation, the words of the teacher, or both. This tends to be more apparent with those who have devices they can type on, as it is usually faster to type than to write things down by hand. However, sometimes, what ends up happening is that people simply transcribe what is happening without really absorbing or understanding it. This is why, in the classroom setting, some teachers still prefer taking notes by hand, as the limited capacity of the hand forces the student to merely select pieces of information and in turn, process it for better learning.
This does not mean though that we have to turn our backs on technology. After all, it has become so embedded in our lives. Undeniably, it has changed our lives for the better. It has made certain processes faster and more convenient.
I think it is important to go back to what technology really is: Not just the latest gadgets or electronics, but an instrument to use certain processes, systems and structures that realizes valuable goals.
Technology is not the end, but a means to one. It is easy to get overwhelmed by technology, such as with trying to perfect it. There can never really be a perfect process, though. It helps to go back to the goal, to the primary purpose and see what means would be best to use in order to achieve it.
