Technology is an umbrella term for techniques, skills, methods, and processes that enable humans to perform specific tasks. It is the systematic application of knowledge to achieve practical goals. As a result, technologies are used across many fields of human endeavor. For example, a small business can use technology to make itself appear as if it is a large corporation.
Technology is a sum of techniques, skills, methods, and processes
Technology is a set of skills, methods, and processes that help humans accomplish specific tasks. These skills can be physical or mechanical. They may be derived from natural resources, such as wood or stone tools. Some of these processes can also be cognitive, such as thinking about complex problems or creating poems. Technology can also refer to the state of knowledge in a particular field. For example, “state of the art” technology refers to the highest level of technological knowledge available to humanity.
It is a path to an end
In a sense, technology is the path that enables humans to achieve an end, such as a goal. While most technology develops through incremental improvement within a technological regime, there are also times when communities need to create radical new inventions in order to address new problems.
It is used to run a business
Businesses rely heavily on technology to accomplish everyday tasks. This includes everything from bookkeeping employees to administrative staff communicating with employees. Technology also increases a business’s potential by helping it track assets and market itself more effectively. Without it, a business is missing out on opportunities for growth.
It is not a neutral concept
Some theorists have argued that technology is not a neutral concept and that it must be interpreted in relation to its social contexts. In particular, anthropologist Brian Street has asserted that technology is not neutral, as it is socially produced. This means that the effects of technology must be explained in terms of the political and ideological processes that gave rise to it.