Technology has been making the workplace smaller longer than some may realize. For example machines in factories make car parts, clothes, and wood-work. All the human has to do is type the design into another form of technology, a computer. Of course someone has to push a button to start the machine, sometimes move equipment, and fix a machine if something goes wrong. Basically, machines are faster than most humans and don’t have to be paid, so this knocks out a big chunk of jobs. An example of this is an ATM. These machines do the same job as a bank teller. Of course we still need bank tellers because not everything can be done by these machines, but if you need money at one o’clock in the morning then it’s definitely more convenient. Think back to the time period prior to this particular technology. It was a time when everyone knew each other by name and to the point that they would ask, and actually care about, how the person’s family was doing. This goes to show the disadvantage to this type of technology. It has turned society to be less sociable in person, therefore, making a workplace smaller.
Here is another look at our lack of sociability. There are many countries where almost everyone has a desktop or a laptop computer. This means many jobs can be done from an employee’s home. This is to their advantage because it allows them to multitask. One may be busy with taking care of children or even just the home; either way a video or phone conference can be done easily, but possibly not more effectively. For example, the use to be a door-to-door salesman’s job is now done from a Bluetooth in the ear of a person half way around the world; who by the way, gets hung up on, meaning, the loss of costumers, therefore, the loss of their job. This change has pushed us into thinking it’s strange to have someone come to our door and that we should be scared of anyone who does. This means they are getting paid to sit in the comfort of their own home, staring at a computer or talking on the phone. However, when you actually need to talk to a human, you only get a recording that has taken someone’s job because they are no longer needed.
At this point you might be thinking just the opposite, wondering “isn’t it technology that has made life easier? Isn’t it easier to be more sociable because it’s easier to contact someone?” The answer is yes; however, technology isn’t usually used for that. Less actually gets accomplished when talking to someone online than it does when talking in person. For example, some employees are careful about what they write in an e-mail because they are afraid of how it will come across to their boss. So this employee may not write what he or she actually needs to, in order for something to be accomplished. The more technology we are forced to use in the workplace, the more normal it will be to only need to communicate with technology instead of our coworkers.
By Lindsay Hobdy, Business Major–IUPUC
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