Accelerated technological advancements in the past few decades have shifted the way the working world functions. It has revolutionized healthcare, Food Tech, and even how we go about our daily routines. Most notably in today’s climate, technology plays and will continue to play a significant role in social and environmental causes. In today’s blog, we take a look at how tech has brought positive change to our world.
Empowering Social Causes
Advancements in internet media have allowed us to reach wide audiences in real-time. Avenues for widespread communication provide journalists and advocates with platforms for their voices to be heard, raising awareness on pertinent topics of our time. Social movements are able to reach the masses, shifting mindsets and inciting positive change.
And tech is ensuring that voices are heard way beyond internet media. Now, its impact can be felt even in the area of mental healthcare. With the ongoing pandemic having a clear effect on people's mental and physical wellbeing, this is becoming an increasingly important issue. There is a clear need for services that can offer satellite aid, or hybrid therapies, more than ever before, where a branch of treatment is provided online, such as consultation or counseling, along with the delivery of prescription drugs.
Additionally, services that supplement therapy are also much in demand, making it easier for therapists and patients to connect, forge treatment direction, and identify behavioral patterns. These include applications that help track your mood and symptoms, guides to counseling services or helplines, and online training and courses for mental health wellness. Experts say these modern innovations help reduce feelings of isolation and enhance self-awareness, empowering individuals to take charge of their health.
With the ongoing pandemic having a clear effect on people's mental and physical wellbeing, this is becoming an increasingly important issue. There is a clear need for services that can offer satellite aid, or hybrid therapies, more than ever before, where a branch of treatment is provided online, such as consultation or counseling, along with the delivery of prescription drugs.
Zooming into our sunny island of Singapore, tech has enabled the establishment of various social initiatives such as CallHome.sg, an application that lets migrant workers call their loved ones for free. Other projects like ClimateDiet allows users to track their meals, how it translates to their carbon footprint, and thus aid conscious consumer habits.
Saving the World
I’m sure we’re all familiar with one of the most concerning issues of our time - Climate Change; tied together with other major environmental problems like pollution and resource depletion. Human industrialization has led to dire consequences, but we can make use of our newfound advanced technologies to fix the detrimental ways we have been treating our Earth and her resources.
New technologies battling to combat global warming include air capture technology, a new method that essentially works as a ‘vacuum’, sucking up air and filtering it to reduce the concentration of greenhouse gasses in our atmosphere. Changes in our ecology are also closely tied to climate change - advanced automation through artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms allow researchers to monitor ecosystems on a larger scale, giving us a better understanding of how these changes affect or signal shifts in our environment.
The reality is that the sustainability movement is widely driven by the tech industry. Tech has shaped and continues to shape a greener, more sustainable future for the generations ahead. From green energy sources like windmills and solar panels to more conscious agricultural and commerce practices, right down to the production of plant-based meats. It may still be a long way coming to make up for the damage accumulated through the years, but tech paves new paths and instills hope of a future where our skies are bluer, and the grass greener.
Drawing Women to Tech
Despite the growth in the female workforce in STEM industries over the years, women remain severely underrepresented, particularly in the tech and engineering fields. Typically women dominate select industries like healthcare, social work, and education. This could be due to how these fields attune to their value systems; after all, we all seek avenues to make a difference in areas aligned with our traditions and that are close to our hearts.
Introducing how tech can be applied to the causes women care about may get more women interested in taking on jobs in tech. In fact, tech is applicable in almost every industry now - from finance, environmental science, marine biology to fashion, tech allows us to make a difference through novel approaches.
Much more can and needs to be done to bridge the gender disparity in tech, but I believe that opening young women’s eyes to the allure of this multifaceted industry which drives positive impact in a wide range of fields would make a great starting point.
Onwards to a better tomorrow!
Zubaidah
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