By definition, Technology is the collection of techniques, skills, methods, and processes. Equally important, it is used in the production of goods or services or the accomplishment of objectives. Such as scientific investigation, research, and communication. However, for starters, technology has brought both good and bad in society.
Looking back to its genesis, I recall as a countryside kid, all we used to mesmerize and associate with were the better days. Particularly, growing through virtual and rich cultural ties and growth blocks set in generations. The tall trees flickering from side to side with a sideway thicket bush full of flowery fruits of ages.
And where, the likes of Ngugi wa Thiong’o borrowed cultural ideas from his world seller and well-read book, “The River Between.” Moreover, cultural communication is more like water which gives life; it is a necessity and growth factor.
Traditional Vs. Modern Technology Impacts
The terms traditional knowledge, indigenous knowledge, and local knowledge generally refer to knowledge systems embedded in the cultural traditions of regional, indigenous, or local communities. Traditional knowledge includes types of knowledge about traditional technologies of subsistence in general.
Such as tools and techniques for hunting or agriculture), midwifery, ethnobotany, etc. As well as ecological knowledge, traditional medicine, celestial navigation, ethnoastronomy, climate, and others. These kinds of knowledge are very crucial for subsistence and survival.
For one thing, they are generally based on accumulations of empirical observation and interaction with the environment (learn more). Modern technology is all about efficiency and speed; it is about ensuring face-to-face communication. Whilst, connecting you to your healthcare provider.
Or rather, empowering you by giving you more access and control to the kind of care you get as well as the service you receive.
Is There Any Progress Without Technology?
Modern technology has blessed us with advanced communication technology tools. Including, e-fax, electronic mail, mobile phones, video conferencing, instant text messaging applications, social networking, etc. Not to mention, all these modern communication technology tools have simplified the way humans and businesses communicate.
By the same token, through technology, you can quickly talk to your relative overseas using a mobile phone or video chatting services like Skype. You’ll agree to disagree!
School in the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s days was a must and a priority for each family. Some walk long distances just to quench their thirst for education. Touring the sprouting cities was a priority. From the means of transport to the designation itself. An individual walking outside the community borders was a ceremonial act that required a celebration and blessings from the elders.
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Often, parents felt a sense of accomplishment seeing their kids get home dirty and scared all over. To them this was growth. As an example, the Kikuyu community, for instance, a Bantu-speaking ethnic group believed that where birds flocked and flew made up communities. Just like the Gikuyu and Mumbi legendary myth tied to the community.
On the other hand, the Kamba people have special skills in woodcarving and basketry. In gift shops, open-air markets, and art galleries in the major cities and towns of Kenya, you are bound to find beautiful handcrafts. Additionally, you will associate Kamba countrymen and countrywomen with woodcarvings, sisal baskets, and well-decorated artifacts.
They are also involved in other activities such as hunting, farming, and pastoralism. However, it pains to see how exploitive technology has taken over their superior culture for commercial purposes benefiting the haves.
Culture Trades That Have Become Illegal
It’s been about 55 years since Kenya got her independence and yet there are still several archaic, colonial, and discriminatory laws on the statute books. From archival research, the jmexclusives team has made it clear that these laws are used to exploit, frustrate, and intimidate Kenyans by restricting their right to movement, association, and the use of private property.
From the realization of humanity’s stone periods, humankind was hunter and gatherer. With technology trade laws and rules, hunting has been made illegal and requires a government-owned license to even facilitate and look after particular livestock.
Colonial Rule And Laws Concerning Technology Enslavement
As far as I can remember, I used to join my agemates and age groups in search of moving vehicles showcasing movies on a projector. We learn about Bruce Lee, Commando, and Chuck Norris just to mention a few from these late-night shows. I quite recall how the host and the audience used to fight with rotten tomatoes and eggs after the movie.
In addition to the rotten eggs fight, chanting and elusive conversations would commence along the way back home with various groups led by the most intriguing figures of them all. I also enjoyed listening to the stories from our grandparents on how they fought Mau Mau. ‘The Mau Mau Uprising, also known as the Mau Mau Rebellion, the Kenya Emergency, and the Mau Mau Revolt.
It was a war in the British Kenyan colony. The definition of the term Mau Mau has been contentious. The Akamba people say the name Mau Mau came from ‘ Ma Umau’ meaning ‘Our Grandfathers’ or even conquered love in mysterious circumstances.
Dubious Effects On The Borrowed Laws And Rules
These laws were inherited from the colonial British government and used to be within the purview of local government municipalities under the Local Government Act. This act was repealed when municipalities were replaced by counties after the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution. Currently, these laws are contained in county rules and regulations, criminalizing a good number of activities.
Including:
- Looking at a building suspiciously,
- making any kind of noise on the streets,
- committing acts contrary to public decency
- washing, repairing, or dismantling any vehicle in non-designated areas (unless in an emergency)
- loitering aimlessly at night
- conducting a business(ess) transaction without a license etc.
This means, that as scientists, historians, and archaeologists continue to uncover, study, and promote access to tangible and intangible cultural heritage, there are ever-increasing challenges that pervade conservation efforts. Heritage conservation is threatened as the world globalizes and African economies open up to new realms of growth in the international markets.
While increased building construction, infrastructural expansion, as well as terrorism, destroy existing heritage assets. Kenya, in particular, prides itself as a prodigious habitat for abundant and various natural and cultural heritage assets including archaeological sites, wildlife, landscapes, and folklore. You can read more about how Kenyans are still oppressed by archaic colonial laws.
The Technology Grounds On The Family Basis
For instance, from time immemorial, families and homes are built on foundations of a staunch belief, long-lasting culture, unity of voice trust, empires, and a long line of specialties.
With the freedom of speech and expression through technology, families become sworn enemies, antagonists, and rebels to what they are made to believe about what they believe in. Since beliefs were in place, seeking the best-fit religion to dedicate themselves was even more sacred. We knew everyone in the community, by their names and what they did for a living.
But, all this has changed to a dark edge with selfless commitment with dead-end dedication. For instance, I can’t tell you the names of even two of my neighbors who have lived in the same house for more than a year or two now.
The Notable Information And Technology Changes
Change is as good as rest but has it done more good than harm? I heard there is a collective name given for the lack of access to the techno-gadgets like the mobile phone. Called, “nomophobia,” the irrational fear of being without your mobile phone or being unable to use your phone for some reason.
Such as the absence of a signal running out of minutes or battery power. A phobia is by definition an irrational fear. What do you think the small kids you left in the village miss that your time was like a rite of passage?
Perhaps there was bicycle riding, communal and collective land cultivation, coffee harvesting and tea plucking, licking the fallen and cut telephone cables, checking and disturbing the telephone booth directory and listening to that angelic voice of a service line operator, even taking livestock for a dip or even immunization was fun to us kids of 80s and 90s.
Learning
Today, technology has become more than God to a majority of shareholders and stakeholders. Consuming every part of our existence and making us do the unimaginable. Kids no longer are close to their parents, I mean those who father and mother them. During the day they are left at the mercy of the caretakers and caregivers including the “boch” and their teachers.
Lifestyle
Additionally, the lifestyle is passed on to their kids. Who during supper time, it is a whole family club with a needle silence with everyone dipped and buried on their phones and laptops. Only a chuckle here and there breaks the dead silence amidst good night alterations. In the working world, in nearly every job you may take, you have to know how to operate a computer. Teaching this skill to children early will give them an advantage and a learning curve for when they are adults.
Research
It has become pretty easy to get access to relevant information at any time and anywhere. This has been possible because of modern technologies like broadband internet. Lots of data is being published and indexed online, sites like Wikipedia and Youtube have great original content that is regularly used for research or entertainment.
As an example, with smart gadgets like the iPad, iPhone, Galaxy tablets, etc., users can easily have access to a vast amount of information wherever they are through the use of the internet on these devices. So, a user on a train can easily read breaking news while traveling, they can also buy and sell stocks while in the bedroom or access their smart home temperature on the go. These smart gadgets make it easy to access the internet anywhere, and this simplifies the way we get information.
Values
In particular, I feel that since technology has raised technocrats, it has robbed the family cultures and belonging. Uniquely, for those raised back in the 70s, 80s, and 90s family reference was enough to demand you oblige to a mother’s call even if she was on the other side of the river.
Particularly, a family reference showcased how others had good wealth (livestock and farmlands). Since some are hardworking children or even famous smiths and wrestlers. In short, the whole tribe constituted a collective of inner learning, transformation, motivation, and even growth without the need of the outside world. And, if this persisted, your parents were notified and you would in most cases not expect that.
Cameras
Helping and supporting the elderly was a community offering and no recorders or cameras. In technology times, support is part of short-lived fame. Whereas, a collective group through a public figure, politician, or even activist would bulge into various orphanages. And even create teller stories for their websites, blogs, and media publicity platforms. In return, they would acquire viral sympathy and facilitation on their dubious coverage showcasing how gathering more than defined could change lives.
Streetlife
Even though some later emerge as storymakers and storytellers, those less privileged, will live, marry, and even lead their families in the same line. Which increases the risk of even more street children along the streets and outskirt towns. Sorry to say that some of the street communities are a result of orphanism, widowowism, or widowersim. Whereas, some are a result of incited crimes against humanity, government negligence, tribal wars, clashes, and even neocolonialism.
Fun-filled
Learning the same way from the same person every day can get boring. This boredom turns into a lack of motivation in the students. When they can integrate computer learning into their normal schedule, they become much more excited to learn. In the world today, people cannot live without technologies such as televisions, mobile phones, computers, and others. These technologies have slowly taken an essential part in people’s day-to-day lives. And being without them would be unimaginable for some of us.
Thinking
The evolution of modern technology has various disadvantages though. As mentioned above, some are unrealistic to a fresher mind or even a low thinker. Thinking about the things we have lost and those we lose every day in the name of technology. Including, workplace workforce, online training, and learning. Also, the way we deliver and receive news, worldwide share of research and contextual materials, etc.
Dependency
Man no longer needs to think. Even if the calculator is a good invention, man no longer makes a simple mental calculation. Therefore, he does not put effort into his memory work. The decline of human capital implies an increase in unemployment. In some areas, devices can replace the human mind. Even though technology seems infinite, it sparks the brain to work to its full potential.
Today, it is simple to start a business while at home. Let’s look at companies like Shop for Handmade, vintage, custom, and unique gifts for everyone which enables creative people to sell their works online; this encourages creativity. Another good example is Kickstarter which helps creative people get funds for their projects through crowdfunding.
On this platform, creative developers post projects to seek funding from the community. This helps them generate capital for their ideas which later leads to the creation of new jobs. And further innovation of technology. You’ll also feel the power of modern technology through Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon, etc.
Authority
The use of technology certainly needs rules and new laws. For example, internet use is individual freedom. However, the invention of the atomic bomb cannot be individual freedom.
Regulations and implementations are difficult with discoveries. Such as the regulation surrounding the impending arrival of autonomous vehicles. Every day we hear that either the Russian or even the Korean government launched a missile test. An indebted risk towards cleaning the entire human race. Moreso, if it is not for personal intention, show-off, or competency.
The Overall Modern Technology Impacts
Firstly, the evolution of technology is beneficial to humans for several reasons. At the medical level, technology can help treat more sick people. Consequently, it is also helping save lives and combat very harmful viruses and bacteria.
The invention of the computer by the likes of Bill Gates was a very important point. In addition, with communication enhancement, companies communicate more easily with foreign countries. Likewise, research has also been amplified and simplified.
Large Scale
For companies, progress is saving time and therefore money. Exchanges are faster especially with internet sales and purchases facilitated and enabled worldwide. This allows businesses to buy raw materials with discounts or at reduced prices. Similarly, global tourism has grown.
Technology has also increased the productivity of almost every industry in the world. Thanks to technology, we can even pay with bitcoins instead of using banks. The digital coin has been such a game-changing factor, that many realized that this is the right time to open a Bitcoin Demo Account. We make discoveries almost daily.
For instance, the discovery of radio waves paved the way for radio broadcasts instantaneously. The same applies to television and electricity. May it not for the discovery of electricity, the entertainment industry might not have emerged. Also, with a sensation of Kenyan Music trends, how would we even know we are enslaving ourselves? In particular, by providing almost 80% of free airtime to foreign musicians and artists.
Here To stay!
Technology improves daily lives; allowing us to move physical storage units to virtual storage banks and more. Scientists of the time are also able to send astronauts to the moon thanks to technology.
In the modern industrial world, machines carry out most of the agricultural and industrial work and as a result, workers produce many more goods than a century ago and work less. They have more time to exercise and work in safer environments.
2018 recorded the highest year affiliated to Kenyans jobs cut. Particularly, those that require technology in assigning and completing minute and delicate tasks. Recently, I watched a Coca-Cola-based company manufacturing firm and realized that since the company makes millions of dollars in profits each year, human labor has been zeroed.
Summing Up;
In addition to both the advantages and disadvantages of technology, most of the discoveries are reducing human efforts. This implies machines are handling most of the human-tasked work. This equates to less or no work for people. In particular, the human race is obsolete by the day. As all mechanical and physical processes become automated and making jobs are redundant.
In as much as we consider technology to be so good, it might be so good to be true. It is high time we realize that not everything is ambient and affiliated with technology. For instance, family sharing and love are nothing to compare to technology as well as the child’s growth environments.
Let the children grow in affiliation with cultural understanding, human understanding, and the longevity of good use of technology. Join the Movement! If you have a similar article you would like us to share with the rest of the world, please Contact Us. You can also submit your additions, contributions, and reviews in our comments section.
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