Over-dependence on technology Essay

Over-dependence on technology The reliance on technology is expected and necessary because the technology is designed to be a flexible tool supporting work activities. This reliance is expected and necessary if the technology is to realize the potential for which it is designed. This fundamentally differs from over dependence on technology, in which those using technological innovations no longer treat them as flexible tools to support work activities, but instead make incorrect assumptions about how these systems work, and begin to rely on them, without question or skepticism, to manage critical work activities. he theory of technological determinism holds that technology is the prime force in initiating social change, and that the introduction of new technology fundamentally shifts work activities, resulting in transformations of individuals and their social interactions as well as the organizations in which they work. 3 In contrast to this deterministic approach, the theory of social construction of technology posits that technology does not directly shape society; instead, the social context in which the technology is used determines how it is created, diffuses, and becomes part of the organization. 4 Both theories imply that the introduction of technology is associated with significant change; they differ in whether the change is initiated by the technology or the social context in which it is used. Regardless of the theoretical basis for understanding the change, it is reasonable to assume that some degree of dependence on any technological innovation will inevitably occur if the technology provides users with some perceived, relative advantage over whatever system it supersedes. 5 This reliance is expected and necessary if the technology is to realize the potential for which it is designed. This fundamentally differs from overdependence on technology, in which those using technological innovations no longer treat them as flexible tools to support work activities, but instead make incorrect assumptions about how these systems work, and begin to rely on them, without question or skepticism, to manage critical work activities. To answer the question â€Å"How does the introduction of CPOE create the potential for overdependence on technology in healthcare organizations?† we conducted a detailed analysis of  all references to overdependence on technology in our data. The results are presented here. However, some people are concerned by these developments. They point out all the failures made by computers that have done a lot of harm to people. Scientists fear that the vital skills can be lost by next generations as computer technology replaces traditional ways of working. Moreover, they predict the chaos that can occur when suddenly the systems fail to work or, what is worse, refuse to listen to people’s orders. That is why in my opinion, computers and other developments of technology are useful and there is no possibility to live without them nowadays, as we got to much used to them. However, we should also work to find the ways of making our dependence on technology less dangerous for us. New developments should appear only when really important and helpful for people.