Social technology can be defined as “any technology that facilitates social interactions and is enabled by a communications capability, such as the Internet or a mobile device” (“Social Technologies”). As the number of internet users who utilize social networking has increased by 66 percent since 2005 (Perrin), it has become evident that the use of contemporary social technology, such as social media, SMS (texting), and cloud sharing platforms, has become highly prevalent in society, and has thus spurred discussion as to the implications of its ever-increasing use.
Although its roots predate modern technology, throughout history, many innovations in social technology have been known to contribute to increased efficiency. The rapid spread of …show more content…
Despite the term “social technology” being connotative of utilizing internet-based communications, its aforementioned definition states that it is a form of technology that is facilitated by a “communications capability,” meaning that its roots can be traced back to the innovation of writing, around 3500-3000 BCE (Mark 1). Writing proved to be highly beneficial to society as, according to Robert W. Strayer, an award-winning teacher and author with a Ph.D. in history, it initially “served an accounting function, recording who had paid their taxes, who owed what to the temple, and how much workers had earned” and also “gave rise to literature and philosophy, to astronomy and mathematics” (Strayer 101). Coupled with the portability of paper and the eventual invention of the printing press, it is evident that writing greatly contributed to efficiency and the spread of information throughout history. Other important past innovations in social technology would include that of postal service and the telephone, which likewise made communication more efficient and faster (Bergman; Kang). With the implications of past social technologies being said, it puts into perspective the impact that modern-day innovations in social technology have on society today and in the …show more content…
An intensive study of global industry sales by the McKinsey Global Institute, a global management consulting firm comprising more than 9,000 consultants and nearly 2,000 research and information professionals, found that the use of social technology within or across enterprises, if utilized to its fullest potential, can increase the productivity of workers by 20 to 25 percent, thus adding between $900 billion to $1.3 trillion to the economy (Chui et al. 13,
Although its roots predate modern technology, throughout history, many innovations in social technology have been known to contribute to increased efficiency. The rapid spread of …show more content…
Despite the term “social technology” being connotative of utilizing internet-based communications, its aforementioned definition states that it is a form of technology that is facilitated by a “communications capability,” meaning that its roots can be traced back to the innovation of writing, around 3500-3000 BCE (Mark 1). Writing proved to be highly beneficial to society as, according to Robert W. Strayer, an award-winning teacher and author with a Ph.D. in history, it initially “served an accounting function, recording who had paid their taxes, who owed what to the temple, and how much workers had earned” and also “gave rise to literature and philosophy, to astronomy and mathematics” (Strayer 101). Coupled with the portability of paper and the eventual invention of the printing press, it is evident that writing greatly contributed to efficiency and the spread of information throughout history. Other important past innovations in social technology would include that of postal service and the telephone, which likewise made communication more efficient and faster (Bergman; Kang). With the implications of past social technologies being said, it puts into perspective the impact that modern-day innovations in social technology have on society today and in the …show more content…
An intensive study of global industry sales by the McKinsey Global Institute, a global management consulting firm comprising more than 9,000 consultants and nearly 2,000 research and information professionals, found that the use of social technology within or across enterprises, if utilized to its fullest potential, can increase the productivity of workers by 20 to 25 percent, thus adding between $900 billion to $1.3 trillion to the economy (Chui et al. 13,