Why is technology good? That question often prompts vague answers, like “connecting the world,” without giving specifics. A better way to look at it is to compare where we started to where we are now. When you do that, the benefits become clear.
I won’t pretend technology is without downsides. Sure, it introduces stress, creates inequalities, and takes up time. But when you stack these issues against solid base numbers, the overall trend is tough to dispute. The figures below aren’t just optimistic outliers; they’re the type of data even a skeptic would have trouble dismissing.
Impact on Lifespan
Back in 1960, global life expectancy was just 53 years. Fast forward to 2023, and it’s shot up to 73 years. That’s a solid 20 years added to life, thanks mainly to medical technology. Think about it: vaccines, surgical advancements, proper drug supply chains, and imaging techniques all work together to save lives.
Telemedicine offers another eye-opening example. Rural hospital readmission rates have dropped by as much as 25% since switching in-person follow-ups to video consultations. That’s not a small improvement. For someone four hours away from a specialist, it could mean detecting complications that might otherwise slip by.
Wearables and continuous glucose monitors have also transformed chronic disease management. Patients no longer have to guess their insulin dosages; now they can get real-time data. Shifting from guesswork to accurate measurements changes health outcomes significantly, though measuring that impact precisely can be tricky.
Economic Gains Since 1960
By 2024, smartphone ownership hit 6.8 billion users. This matters economically since a smartphone isn’t just a communication device; it’s a bank, a business address, and a navigational tool—all for the price of just about a week’s pay in many places. Small business owners from Lagos to Jakarta now handle inventory and payments using just their phones, something that used to require an entire office.
Remote work tech has also returned about 55 minutes of commuting time to U.S. workers daily. Over a full year, that amounts to roughly 220 hours—time people can now use for family, rest, or side gigs. That’s time that used to be wasted sitting in traffic or on a train.
Automation can get a bad rap; I understand that. Factory job losses are real, and the transition has been tough for many communities. Still, productivity per worker has increased in nearly every sector tech has touched. This surplus helps fund schools, healthcare, and infrastructure. You don’t have to like every side effect to see that this mechanism works.
Closing the Access Gap
Literacy-focused mobile platforms reached 250 million learners in developing countries by 2022. These are individuals who wouldn’t have had access to classrooms, teachers, or textbooks through traditional means. A simple solar-powered phone combined with a downloaded curriculum changed the game. It’s not perfect—retention rates differ, and internet access can be spotty—but 250 million is a lot of people to ignore.
Mobile banking has also expanded access to financial services. It’s reached populations that commercial banks deemed too risky or unprofitable. Imagine a woman running a small farm in rural Kenya now able to save money, send cash, or get a micro-loan without a long trip to a city. That’s more than just a tech feature; it’s a fundamental shift in economic participation.
Healthcare access in low-income areas follows a similar trend. For example, SMS appointment reminders have significantly reduced missed vaccination appointments in numerous African health programs. These simple, low-cost tech solutions can have measurable impacts without needing to be overly complex.
Clean Tech Progress
The green tech sector attracted $1.8 trillion in investment in 2023. To put that into perspective, that’s more than the GDP of many countries. Investors are chasing real returns—not just throwing money away. Solar and wind energy have now reached cost parity with fossil fuels in many markets, aligning economic incentives with environmental goals.
Electric vehicles also demonstrate significant reductions in carbon emissions—roughly 50% less per mile than gasoline cars, even accounting for the current fossil fuel mix of electricity. As grids clean up, that number will improve automatically, without any action needed from the driver. The tech really adds up over time in ways that internal combustion engines can’t match.
Battery storage costs have plummeted about 90% over the past decade. This important drop is what underpins much of the clean energy narrative. Solar and wind power can only be reliable if we can efficiently store what they produce. Achieving these lower costs resulted from dedicated engineering work and competitive market pressures, not just good luck.
What the Numbers Show
So, why is technology good? Simply put, by measuring the progress since 1960, all evidence—whether it’s health, productivity, access, or the environment—shows improvement. It hasn’t been perfect, and not everyone has benefited equally, but the trends are striking. A 20-year increase in life expectancy isn’t just a nice talking point; it’s a significant improvement in real lives.
However, we should also recognize that these benefits haven’t been evenly distributed. Factors like wealth, geography, and infrastructure dictate who gets access first. That’s something we ought to address and critique. Often, though, the solution isn’t less technology; it’s a more thoughtful distribution of these tools to everyone who needs them.
If you’re making a case to someone skeptical, skip the abstract promises. Focus on the baselines. Look at 1960. That gap between the two eras is your argument.
FAQs
Is technology more harmful or beneficial overall?
When looking at lifespan, income, and literacy, the overall effect tends to be positive, even with legitimate concerns around things like job loss and pollution that aren’t evenly shared.
How has technology improved healthcare specifically?
Medical advancements like vaccines, diagnostics, telemedicine, and supply chain improvements have pushed life expectancy from 53 to 73 years since 1960, with telemedicine cutting rural readmissions by up to 25%.
What are the biggest ways technology helps developing countries?
Tools like mobile banking, SMS health reminders, and literacy programs have reached millions in areas where traditional infrastructure fell short, often at a low cost for each user.
