Technology relates to the way in which scientific knowledge is creatively applied to organised tasks that involve people and machines that meet certain sustainable goals. This involves the design and construction of means that can order, transform or manipulate matter, energy, and information in order to realize valued ends. It also includes the discovery and development of new such means. The term is broadly used to encompass both tangible tools and processes – such as the printing press, computer software, and even video games – and the intangible ideas and knowledge that make them possible.
The technology that underpins the internet, for example, has radically transformed the way in which we do business and communicate with each other. It has allowed companies to become global and competitive on a scale that would have seemed unthinkable 20 years ago, as well as enabling them to keep costs down and deliver products faster than ever before.
However, it is important to understand that technological innovation can have its downsides and that not all progress is good. Some technologies can have negative societal impacts, and the pace of technology can sometimes lead to a race to the bottom in terms of cost and quality. This has led to the rise of ‘new Luddites’, people who are trying to slow or reverse technological change. It is important to understand the full impact of new technology, as it has a massive effect on almost all areas of human life.