Technology is the application of conceptual knowledge to organised tasks involving people and machines to meet sustainable goals. It encompasses the invention of new tools, as well as their design, development and use in the workplace and home. It also refers to the technologies that shape our interactions with each other and with the natural world.
Technological tools are powerful and versatile, but the best way to harness their potential is to ensure that they are used for productive purposes. The most useful of these are those that allow us to create, project and solve – not just consume other people’s products (which is fine too).
When a technology becomes popular it implicitly endorses its own route and ends over others. This prioritization often means that other pathways are deprioritized and rendered obsolete. For example, when digital cameras became widespread, they deprioritized the traditional pathway of film and darkrooms.
As a result, it is important to understand the implications of any technological tool before using it. This is particularly true for those tools that are designed to shape our interactions with each other and the natural world, such as video games. It is also essential to consider the implications of those tools that have the power to automate tasks and replace human labour, such as artificial intelligence. The future of these types of tools is very uncertain, and it will be up to humans to decide whether they are beneficial or harmful.