Introduction
Change experienced by human beings comes as a result of a lack of desire for something. Technological growth in any society is always a result of what society needs. As long as the human being expresses a desire to be more comfortable in a certain area in life, he will forever search for a way to do so. It is simply because of this reason that technology came up from the Stone Age to where we are today. Not only so, but we have come to the point in life where “we want it better”. We want it faster than it currently is. Human beings are living at an age where they would want to simplify everything and if possible, they would get everything done by the push of a button.
As long as there is some resource to make this available, and as long as there is someone out there who requires a certain good or service, there will always be a change in technology to the positive side. This combination gives technology its boost and therefore unless the society deliberately objects to the advancement of a certain technology, probably because of cultural or traditional reasons, then we will always expect exponential advancement in technology.
This paper is a case study of some of the industries that have over the past few years experienced rapid technological changes, and also those that have experienced little growth. We are going to find out how technology has influenced the industry and why it has done so.
Industries Experiencing Rapid Growth
Computer and Electronics Production Industry
With the constant requirement for more work getting done in a shorter time in most of our day-to-day activities, many have turned to the assistance of computers due to their numerous advantages. More than half of the world can in one way or the other have access to a personal computer currently and rising demand for this is having an impact on the industry. This industry over the years has advanced from the mainframe computers characterized by the huge size and slow speed to personal computers (P.C.) which are way cheaper, more advanced, and way faster to work with.
The comfort of using a more user-friendly P.C. has now given an open door to the invention of cheaper machines with better features than previous ones. This industry though depends on small groups of people who collectively make up the computer that is now seen. (Carrier Guide, 2009, para.13). It may contain, in many ways, a scientist or physicist who discovers a new technology, a technician, an engineer, a web designer, a programmer, and so many other professionals. When all these come into play, there usually is an outstanding assembly company that does the final work for one to see the computer as we see it today.
The competition to satisfy the consumers consequently gives the rise to the rapid growth that is currently being experienced in this industry. The demand for a new feature in the computer will always give millions of dollars in return for these companies when they come up with such technologies.
This will keep happening until a new feature is developed that will give a competing hand to the previous one. For this reason, the industry has employed over 34% of the American workforce in different fields that are involved in this sector. Consequently, the computer industry, in general, can be argued to be one of the fastest-growing industries worldwide, employing an extremely wide range of professions. Rising costs of materials and reduction in the domestic market in the shares of the economy are some of the challenges that the sector is going through currently.
The Telecommunication Industry
It is easy to see the need to communicate with one another in our day-to-day lives. From the home set–up to the office, the field, and even in other social gatherings, communication is not just important but is generally a part of us.
Humanity has over time explored the various ways of communicating with one another without necessarily having them available at a physical position. Telecommunications along with information technology are also giants in driving the country’s economy. The growth in the GDP of a country like the United States of America purely due to telecommunication is quite large at a high of 5.2. Revenues that have been collected through telecommunication in 1996 are said to have touched a mark of around 34 billion dollars (Daddy B, Mark C. 1998, para.2). But what is the reason behind this?
This industry has embraced technological advances especially borrowing from information technology and the advanced computer and electronics industry. With the simple modification of microchips, data can be easily converted from voice to electric form and vice versa. This simple principle has given rise to such communication tools as the internet, broadband transmission, video conferencing, wireless communication as seen through mobile phones, and even further and further advancement in media coverage and execution.
It is currently very possible to access communication with a person who is hundreds of miles from one’s physical position in real-time: and this can be done either in audio or video form. Video conferencing is now being embraced, where a group of people can have a conversation with each other through the internet, thanks to advancements in telecommunication.
Due to the need for people to establish better and more efficient communication, covering a larger area and serving a larger population, inventions have moved from smoke and drum communication to the invention of the telephone, to fax machines, and finally to the more familiar and more efficient internet. Nevertheless, challenges like the need for privacy, wave interruption, and a need for even better communication are making it more and more necessary to find ways in which people will want to advance in telecommunication technology.
The Education Industry
It goes without saying that in a world that is at a fast rate becoming prone more and more to the computer that technology advancement has played a big role in this. The field of education in more ways than one has undergone a drastic transformation because of this. From the birth of a small child, exposure to computers and electronics is somewhat part of his life. By the time he or she is a teenager, the internet will probably be one of his best friends. It will be naïve to assume these facts in a child’s growth.
Dyson (2010, para.2) explains how much the teacher is exposed to a large number of teaching methods through the internet. It has a wide variety of topics that teachers can invest in to give quality education to their students. Powerpoint presentations and audiovisuals, which are not so common, have been known to give a better understanding of some technical subjects like chemistry and physics. Technology has therefore aided in this respect.
Not only so, but the industry has also experienced technological changes since the student needs to know how to handle some of these technologies while at school before he/she meets them in the real world: and what better way to do this but to involve these technologies in one’s curriculum? If that is not all, technology has replaced the former ways of child fun and play. Technology has made these extra-curriculum activities more interactive, making the mind of a child grow more independent and social.
The industry surely has undergone major changes in technology, evident through the constant shift from textbook teaching to computer teaching. The syllabus also is changing at a fast rate in many countries to include the learning of some of the technical skills needed to handle some of the basic technologies in the outside world. With change caused by advancement in technology in other industries, then consequently, a change begins to advance in how education is carried out in that. country.
The Music Industry
Music is in the culture of its people. They cannot live without music nor is there no one in the society who is not making music. Since the days of the old, music has been done and made originally from the original instruments that make up the different tunes. Over time, ways of tapping different sounds from different sources have been used to minimize difficulties in acquiring the original instruments. Different ways of twisting and adjusting someone’s voice have been formulated to project one’s voice in a way that the musician desires.
Nevertheless, the height of technological advancement in this industry has been seen in the last ten years (Williams, 2005, para.3). He continues to explain how companies like “iTune” have sold more than 650 million songs through the internet: a move that could not be possible without the world’s advancement in technology. The invention of the compact disc (C.D.) has made it even easier and easier to store loads of music in such a small area. In addition, the latest technologies of storing music including mp3, mp4, and more digital means have made this industry grow in leaps and bounds.
Production houses have over the past years grown more digital with the introduction of more ways of digitalizing instruments, storing them, and using them in the appropriate ways. If that is not all, the setting up of satellite technology in broadcasting music from radio stations has made the industry more and more efficient in promoting the artists and musicians. In more ways than one, the industry has grown from analog to digital, making it easier for producers to produce a better quality of music due to the comfort brought about by the use of computers in music. The music video industry has made extensive leaps through high-quality camera work provided by advancements in technology.
Industries experiencing little Growth
The Automotive Industry
Unlike most of our thinking, the expectation that the automotive industry has moved so much ahead is not necessarily true. As Upham (2000, para.1) puts it, the industry of late is a slow one. Comparing it to the fast and ever-advancing computer or information and technology industry, the automotive industry has failed to keep up with this pace. The internet experiences drastic changes in terms of months.
The amount of microchips that are produced in a month and the amount of time they take to be rendered outdated is just overwhelming: they are in their millions. Most of the companies in the automotive industry sidelined the introduction of the internet. They never took it to their advantage apart from the introduction of tracking devices through satellite, Google maps in their vehicles, and sensing devices for theft or other forms of harm.
The industry has indeed made a move in creating vehicles that are faster, more efficient, and much more comfortable, but in comparison to some of the industries which begun way later than this industry, has done poorly. It is just recently that companies like General Motors are exploring the possibilities of having notification for the deployment of airbags in the vehicle, and also unlocking of doors automatically.
Generally, the amount of effort that has been put into the automotive industry is never directed toward addressing the technical abilities in the vehicle but in most cases, many companies in the heat of competition have swayed to addressing beauty and class instead of technical ability that the vehicle affords. Blame is not entirely placed on these companies but the society’s contentment with the status quo. People who have felt it unnecessary to advance further in technicalities as concerns this industry are the ones who should take the blame.
The textile Industry
The demand for clothing worldwide is the driving force for this industry. The more the demand for clothes, the further the advancement of the textile industry should be. Nevertheless, this is not the case in India, the second-largest textile-producing country in the world. The industry employs 35 million of its growing population while contributing an encouraging 3% to the Gross Domestic Product of the country. 27% of the economy of the country depends on it (Compare Inforbase, 2000, para.2-5).
Investment in this industry in terms of technological advancement is a prerequisite to maximizing the resource that the country has. Nevertheless, though the demand for clothing is always on the rise, especially with such a large population in the country, the technological advancement in this industry has not done as well as it should over the years…
In India, there is almost no advancement in modernization. The implication thereof is that that the industries do not also advance. With stagnation in the textile industry then low-quality products are made. These have low demand and thus cannot contribute much to the economy. The repercussion thereof is the stagnation of advancement in technology in this industry. Because of poor administration, outdated manufacturing techniques are still being used, and therefore cheaper and lower quality products are released into the market. With growing giants in technology like China, a lot of competition is evident especially with higher quality materials being produced by these companies.
The Construction Industry
If there is an industry that needs to be advanced in technology beginning from the architectural designs to the roofs of buildings and the finishing of roads and bridges in this industry. The simple reason for this is because they pose a great threat to humanity, the economy, and the industry in general when anything goes wrong. Unlike other industries, we depend almost fully on infrastructure to run our economy therefore any small mishap will potentially cause great harm.
There has been almost a tug-of-war over the necessity of beauty over the safety of infrastructure, where most investors in this sector insist that what they build will need to look more than presentable to the eye. Nevertheless, this should overshadow the need for the safety of the people who are using these buildings.
It is this main reason that has over the years caused the slowdown in pace when it comes to advancement in technology. Zeiss (2007, para.3) explains how much investment the United States needs over the next five years to secure the safety of its citizens on their roads, bridges, and buildings in urban areas. $ 1.6 trillion is needed in aging infrastructure repair and is a reverse in the acceleration in technology, which depends largely on heavy financial investment. It has also been cited that there has been a decline in the amount of workforce (Zeiss, 2007, para.4). This has been caused by the lack of crucial construction knowledge by the population as building requirements advance.
Skill is at a low, and without this, the industry suffers a big blow in technological advancement. Though a lot has been done in improving designs through the introduction of software to assist in architecture, the implementation phase has not been given a technological push with the same enthusiasm. Consequently, the boost in this sector has not been there over some time past. Financial requirements are also an issue with most contractors being satisfied with the status quo, which is a cheaper but still workable option.
Conclusion
There are numerous kinds of industries in the world, all with different specifications and different targets. Many industries compete to satisfy a specific group of people who express a certain desire towards what these industries’ products are. In more ways than one, competition to satisfy consumers, whether it is producing a good, like the computer industry, or a service, like the music industry, always is a good thing. Competition forces investors in the different industries to improve their products and in doing so; they will need to embrace advancements in technology.
Companies that have done this have seen the fruits of technology. Most of the time, it takes a lot of heavy investment to improve one’s product in its technicalities, but in the long run, it pays off. Companies that have over the years decided to maintain the status quo are slowly and gradually being faced off, paving way for those that are giving better services to the people. Nevertheless, many of the domineering industries like the construction industries face more challenges than simply customer satisfaction. These companies need to be more than careful in advancing technologies due to their sensitivity.
They may only need to embrace technology if it helps improve the safety of their users over the reduction of the labor force or reduction in the cost of construction. Nevertheless, the choice lays on the companies; whether to invest in technology or not.
Reference List
Career Guide to Industries. (2009). Computer and Electronic Production Manufacturing. Web.
Compare Inforbase Limited. (2000). India Textile Industry. Web.
Dadd, By, Mark.C. (1998). The outlook for the telecommunications industry and the implications for the economy and for business. Web.
Dyson, Freeman. (2010). Impact of Technology on Education. Web.
Upham, Scott. (2000). The Auto Industry & the Internet: Better Late Than Never. Web.
Williams, Jones. (2010). Technology has greatly affected the Music Industry. Web.
Zeiss, Geoff. (2007). Worldwide Challenges Facing the Construction Industry. Web.