What Is the Impact of Technology on the Development of Societal Patterns Among Students?

1. Introduction

Technology is fast sweeping the way social and cultural interactions and communication occur in modern society. Through advanced tools like artificial intelligence and machine learning, human behaviors, needs, and personalities are shared across social media networks, making the technology tools more compelling to be adopted in societal dimensions. Children as young as those in pre-k schools are exposed to digital educational broadcasting channels through programs on media sites like YouTube. The outcome of such exposure is an imbalance between the values of society and the standards raised by technological innovations. Conceptually, a child aged two can identify a Cocomelon cartoon on YouTube before knowing how to talk correctly. With the increased influence of technology, mannerisms such as sociocultural developments in language formation, value adaptation, and progressivism of family ties compared to the older generation become opposed to the younger counterparts. Scholars have published that cases of isolation and disconnect occur among children due to the propensity of technology usage (Mangal and Uma 33; Huang et al. 92). The younger children who spend much time with their devices often find it challenging to make or form associations as opposed to the earlier days. Moreover, the level of distraction reported among senior-level students concerning technology use proves that socialization and cultural inclusion development could be higher in areas where policy adherence needs to be deeply rooted (Mangal and Uma 72; Weinberger 19; Simon 29). However, indications of positive outcomes of technology on the students refer to creativity, agility, and motivation as learners adopt and integrate into societal operations.

Various aspects of society make up the cultural pattern it adopts. Aspects such as language, religion, education, politics, and policies surrounding the correlation of these aspects make up the culture upon which a student grows and adopts. Broadly, these aspects comprise the sociology of the communities from which students descend. At the same time, social life remains responsible for outlining the values, beliefs, and principles shared within a community and its conglomerates. On the personal development of learners, technology and affiliate sites like social media play on neurological vulnerabilities of the users such that loss of time, addictiveness, and cyber abuse take rise (Graber 27). The ability of the learner to distinguish between what is good and evil therefore makes the difference even when operating in the presence of newer technological innovations (Weinberger 21). A review of the empirical literature on how technology impacts the development of learners, as provided in this study, will provide the solution required for the research paper. The study adopts a descriptive review of literature from secondary sources to ascertain the significance of the research topic and the question. The study also uses theoretical frameworks that lean towards Erikson’s psychosocial development and technological dynamism as the leading constructs of how society and technology impact students. The paper flows from the introduction, literature review, discussions, and conclusion.

1.1 Research Question

What is the impact of technology on the social and cultural development of a student?

1.2 Research Objectives

To identify the impacts of technology on the social and cultural development of a student.

To determine the extent to which society and technology changes can be reconfigured towards advancing the development of students.

2. Literature Review

2.1 Theoretical Framework

Learners develop through stages as they approach adolescence, as revealed by the theory of psychosocial development. According to Erikson’s psychosocial stages of development, these stages are particularly impactful in the type of people these learners become later in life. The theory describes the essence of social relationships in shaping personalities (Darling-Fisher 433). Technology in this context, however, challenges the very fabric of Erikson’s postulate. Utilizing the theory of Erikson’s psychosocial development in this paper integrates the need for social collaboration among the child as they traverse the community to become members of society even while faced with increased technology issues. Through stages like preschool, early school, and adolescence, learners are particularly affected by technology systems rolled out in every school they attend. The listed stages of the theory also contribute to the long-term impacts on society (Samsanovich 8). They mark when peer influence and societal assertions like the cultural aspects manifest broadly. The stages, in theory, when analyzed within this paper, portray a predictable impact of technology on both the social and cultural developmental patterns of the students.

Technological dynamism deals with instrumenting the approaches that will lead to social control of the technology changes. While the theory recognizes that technology is fast changing the status quo of the communities and human society, it also provides leeway to making the technology serve the interest of the users (Hao et al. 441). Contextually, this theory depicts that even with the atrocities that technology impacts on the development of students, whether cognitively, physically, or academically, positive directions of the same can be maintained to manifest into desirable life-changing outcomes. Electronic learning platforms, also known as e-learning systems, are products of technology that enable thousands and more students to complete their education in distance and open learning systems (Mangal and Uma 107). E-learning is also a significant pivot against which many students boost their innovative skills. Such positively predictable outcomes provide affirmative perspectives captured in most of the reviewed literature in the sections above. Therefore, the theory of technological dynamism is instrumental in generating policies that stir the correct usage of technology and informational systems in ways that progress the debate about the positive outcomes on student development.

2.2 Impacts of Technology on the Development of Students

This section describes the impacts of technology on the development of students from the perspectives of academics, societal constructs, and individualistic underpinnings. It also analyzes and interprets different literature sources for the significance of creating a response to the research question and objectives. Ideas expressed about the societal constructs, and their permeability in technology adoption include mundane events of social justice, sexual orientations, politics, and academics.

Overreliance on technology has shifted the way students traditionally relied on the setup of family communication. Traditional family communication styles involved quality time during meals, fun, and general family activity. The publication by Huang et al. establishes that technological innovation through the use of devices like smartphones, iPads, and virtual realities tools increasingly glues students and adults alike to their activities as opposed to the traditional purview (Huang et al. 81). Therefore, centrality, in this case, is diminishing quality time that families previously spent. Moreover, a study depicts that a modern average teen spends seven hours on their phone daily instead of the least expected two hours. In addition to the eight-hour school timeframe, more than fifteen hours are used by technology and academics. It leaves only a limited timeframe for family discussions without considering the duration it takes for the parents and caregivers to leave work. Comparatively, the culture of family ties, which falls under the lens of sociocultural norms, becomes eroded such that complex social relations remain (Graber 89). In a nutshell, to reduce the attrition caused by technology, the theory of technological dynamism supports forming the culture of communication, which requires a deep-set analysis of the effects of devices on familial relations, such as against the costs of allowing technology proliferation in a household.

Technology allows students to become better-informed members of society. The ideas about the politics, racism, and social atrocities that occur in a country are privy to the students through the use of the technology tools like Google search engines. Accordingly, research reveals that millennials are the generation that uses technology tools to solve most problems. On the one hand, their teachers use technology to improve teaching methods for those tasked with maintaining the best results (Mangal and Uma 201). Others use it for accountability for public integrity and assuring humanity values are adhered to. Additionally, technology is given the permanence of sustaining how the students will respond to future needs (Huang et al. 95). For example, current college courses such as information technology and computer science biotechnology were advanced from the interaction of technology with other disciplines in human society. Other significant examples that depict technology impacting the future of students is how learning systems integrate information to be used in virtual educational contexts (Huang et al. 96). For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many learning institutions adopted the virtual learning approaches as opposed to the traditional classroom setup. The long-term effect of that necessitates an informed approach where work culture follows suit. Therefore, current technology trends gear the students towards the much desired and containable future.

Technology has been responsible for the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics STEM courses hence creating an advanced focus on the entry levels and distinctions for learners across countries. In other words, the educational quality assurance bodies and employment industry recognizes the positive impacts of technology to the point that careers are specified to begin from their provision. Students pursuing STEM causes are reported to appreciate the use of augmented realities (Shatunova et al. 133). Using such technology concepts makes achieving goals in medicine, security, production, and marketing more relatable as they weave the events occurring in the community as part of the general discourses that must be resolved using technology. Consequently, the roles of technology in the development of students appreciate all sides of the growth that comes to the learner. Comparatively, as learners develop and grow through Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development, their choice for different subjects are guided by their peers and the cycle they keep. The type of subjects, teaching methods implied, and technology resources they choose are additionally reinforced by their interests as they interact with peers and teachers (Mangal and Uma 231). In other words, career professionals collectively analyze the needs of society before determining the ways to advance the courses that will provide solutions to the identified needs. Therefore, society and its constant needs shape the way students adopt technology usage.

Digital technologies are providing occupational opportunities for many young people worldwide. Work is equated to the moral and vocational purpose of humans according to the religious teachings, especially in Christianity. Consequently, young people are diversifying how work is done on social media (Muninger et al. 121). While others have become ambassadorial campaign managers for corporate societies, others have established opportunities out of habits recorded and posted on social media. As an example, YouTube has become a leading digital platform where channel owners are paid for as simple as airing their lifestyles, habits and daily activities for viewers (Fisher 61). The impacting ideology is luring such that most youth opt for creating content as the best option towards work. While social media platforms enhance relationships with existing companies whose products are advertised, the challenge remains on the shoulders of content creators whose incomes are determined by the value of what they bring to users (Muninger et al. 118). The society must triumph to teach the young people, particularly students, about the values such as consistency, devotion, and hard work as they advance their perspective on life as a whole. The way work is analyzed in the modern context is different from the traditional prospects. Therefore, instilling morals values and skills about work on the younger generation develops how use technology for to their advantage.

Technology provides increased classroom engagement through interactivity hence student motivation. Because learning becomes monotonous over time, technology provides a seamless break from that norm, making the acquisition of complex issues more relatable and sustaining the morale of learners (Mangal and Uma 68). As learning incorporates technology with rationales such as appealing to the sense of learners with graphic, sound, and multifaceted appeals, the level of participation and engagement has been transferred into other areas of life within the school (Simon 156). Accessibility of learning materials is among the tech advantages that continue to make the aspects like e-learning more promotional to the young ones (Mangal and Uma 72). Society, however, was used to the traditional times when learning was mainly utilized through brick-and-mortar or in-house technology. Additionally, modern school systems optimize their functions by incorporating technology tools due to the trends that emanate from society (Mangal and Uma 187). Therefore, with double efforts on how easy these systems work for the institutions, learners adopt the same rapport and relationships in their lives. Generally, the solutions they acquire when making changes manifest into advantages.

A discussion on technological dynamism brings ups issues that detail ethical concerns students are more exposed to technology and its tools. Value dynamism in using technology weaves various perspectives of looking at what is right, wrong, acceptable, and detestable (Plowman et al. 39). The magnitude of influence that comes from using technology tools, mainly social media sites, divides the users across values that serve as the pinnacle of what the social development becomes in students (Plowman et al. 44; Graber 21). Aspects such as same-sex marriage, among many more, are mainly advocated for as a right while also frowned upon by many citizens across the United States as a country. The perpetuity of sexual orientations is widespread through the use of digital technologies. When society accepts these issues, so do the students acclimatize with them. The kind of curriculum and technology software adopted for schools must reinforce these societal constructs (Frank et al. 29). technology is at the center of the formulation of school curricula based on the values that society constructs as beneficial to all members across generations. Therefore, everything weaved to serve as the guiding syllabi for learners appreciates that changes will occur, although they must align with societal expectations. Therefore, the advancement of research into the technology discourses appreciates the societal integration into domains that remain significant for the future of education.

The modern world is impacted by new technology innovations that threaten to topple the human workforce. Ideally, competitive corporations are adopting machine learning and artificial intelligence for efficiency and increased competitiveness. Artificial intelligence impacts all sectors of the digital economy making students to be similarly swept under the commonality of their users (Chen et al. 75265). For instance, fashion and apparel industry uses machine learning to develop prototypes of products that meet and exceed the expectations of consumers. The amount of time the machines take to produce the products are relatively shorter than the human labor. Therefore, the modern trends in technology such as machine learning and artificial intelligence prepare the students to think without limitations to save the future jobs (Chen et al. 75266). Furthermore, taking part in building robotics advance their level of understanding and control of the issues surrounding innovation (Chen et al. 75267). As students take part in robotics and the other technological innovations, their grasp of subjects, including mathematics and sciences, correspond to acculturating with programming and coding skills early in life. The future can then be determined as certain when the learners are prepared on the effects of present trends. In a nutshell, school teachers and parents have increased roles to play to allow their students to become part of the progressive technological innovations.

3. Discussion

From the literature review section above, the underlying perspective about technology is that positive and negative impacts occur although the negative impacts can be addressed to become desirable. Society is responsible for what happens to the students. In the case of advancing technologies emanating from society, students become victims of these changes and, therefore, must align with them to find their base (Kissinger et al. 8). For instance, career professionals and job industries that are responsible for guiding and absorbing the college graduates can influence inception of science, technology, engineering, and mathematical subjects through the use of artificial intelligence to predict the future trends. Phil Simon connotates this as an opportunity from chaos (Simon 101). In this case, Henry Kissinger and co-authors express that students find themselves in pre-determined career setups if they aim to penetrate and leave marks in the job industries they opt for (Kissinger et al. 32). In many other cases, the development of educational curriculum which essentially borrows from the values and aspects of the social impacts students more directly with the latter almost having no direct involvement. Therefore, the larger picture, in this case, shows that while technology impacts a more significant portion of society, society on its impacts the students’ cognitive, physical, and academic development.

To nurture cultures of creativity and innovation, students must triumph to adopt the trends of technology changes even though it is revealed that the attention of humans diminishes many times throughout the day. Adam Alter describes in his book that human attention is affected by many external factors making concentration a problem, particularly for the younger generation (Alter 27). From twelve seconds in 2000 to eight seconds in 2013, Adam Alter describes that creating a culture of attention is continuous and must be constructed over time (Alter 33). The global impacts of COVID-19 on education have further revealed that the introduction of the blended mode of learning through electronic learning platforms not only boosts the morale of learners but also incentivizes the way resources are made available for learners operating from the confines of any environment. Therefore, technology is the answer to the need for more attention. The swift shift caused by the pandemic reveals the technology’s rooted benefits on learners when analyzed alongside working social backgrounds such as family support.

Societal patterns include the activities, social movements, and impacts they leave on the community members, including the students. Technology equips students of all ages to become cognizant of issues as they develop social, emotional, and psychological attitudes about them (Rinn 32). For instance, through technology, students know the need to vote during electoral processes. They are also aware of social detriments, such as the impacts of cyberbullying across races (Lewis 21). For young students from minority groups, technology-led movements like Twitter’s #METOO movements radicalize how they seek help. Whether society is adequately aligned towards solving its problems or creating the same, technology stores, spreads, and enhances how information is used (Rinn 101). Issues of social justice, environmental protection, and immigration polarize the United States as one of the leading destinations for asylum and economic seekers (Dubois 51). Therefore, technology makes access to crucial information to learners more accessible. The effectiveness of such revelations is having a generation of learners equipped with versatile knowledge that defines their culture and gives them options of what to do when there is a need to act (Graber 26). Consequently, it is viewed as the solution for future challenges across many industries.

Parents and teachers have immense responsibility to nurture the learners into positively adopting modern technological trends. While the majority of the youth throng social media networks due to the addiction rates, information sourcing and communication are traversed without clear difference (Fisher 57). However, modeling the learners to use digital technologies for the good remains a challenge. For example, Google provides comparatively cheaper courses on programming that can be accessed by many online users worldwide. Students also have the chance to use data mining and learning analytics to advance how digitization of education works for them (Chen et al.75268). However, the need to concentrate attention to do much of what is positively impactful remains a tussle for many young learners. Learning about coding and programming encourages a culture of innovation and creativity. The skills manifest into the ability to cope in a world where robotics and machine learning are fast threatening to replace the mundane jobs (Lewis 61). While teachers do much to point learners into the direction of a better future, the magnitude role rests on the shoulders of the parents as their children use their devices at more than in schools (Fisher 53). The apparent conceptuality herein is that developing individuals in readiness to meet the needs of society while meeting the interests of professional qualifications require discipline. It is the type of disciple only discernible through values the children are taught at home.

4. Conclusion

Technology is the leading driver for competitiveness in all sectors of the American economy. The modern education incorporates education in a manner that essentially provides convenience in learning outcomes. However, the trends in technology usage from online surfing to communication to content creation require parents, teachers and guardians to instill societal values to guarantee positive outcomes. Unlike using social media to troll and create digital controversy like bullying, most youth are turning the platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok into money making machines. There is a difference in how work is viewed as changes from technology encourage diversification in thoughts. Therefore, the new spectrum of analyzing productivity, profit-making and competitiveness require adults to be the center of developing values that assist the young ones in pursuit of their ideas. Even while software tools like artificial intelligence and machine learning invade the modern innovative practices, students can still tap into their ingenuity to be ahead of how these tools functions. In a nutshell, the impacts of technology changes spread fast among the students and the necessity on guidance is paramount if advantages are to be derived.

Students are motivated to perform exemplarily through the incorporation of technology. Technology breaks the norm of traditional learning by availing the course materials learning conveniently within them. Continuous research on the criteria utilized for subject selection that lead to careers depicts findings supporting technological innovations in education. Through the tools like virtual learning and augmented reality, the system of education becomes a competitive edge for which many countries like the United States, Japan, Korea, and those Europe embody positive societal changes in the lives of the students. In other words, technology allows the students to investigate, debate, and align with issues in the immediate societies from which they come. Aspects such as sexual orientations, minority racial polarization of inmates from given ethnic groups, gun violence, socioeconomic incomes, and social movements, among many others, are understood in how they affect the students. They are also analyzed from the perspectives in which they are spread on the internet. The advantages of using technology also help to develop the way students approach personal skills. Skills such as innovation and creativity assist them in making career choices. In summary, the detriments of technology on family relations can be dealt with by creating a culture that supports the eminence of good communication, instills moral values, and outstanding guidance all through the stages of psychosocial development.

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