Tech is having a major impact on our human values

The survey polled more than 15,000 people from the US, Mexico, Brazil, China, India, Japan, UK, Germany, France and Italy and revealed that eight out of ten respondents (84 per cent) in the UK think that technology plays a large role in their day-to-day lives. Meanwhile, 78 per cent of the UK said that technology improves their lives.

 

Although we might presume the main ways in which technology impacts our lives is by helping us achieve our daily tasks – such as emails, streaming and so on – Lenovo’s research has found that in many cases, technology is actually having a strong impact on our human values.  For example, 30 per cent of UK respondents believe smart devices such as PCs, tablets, smartphones and VR are making people more open-minded and tolerant.

 

It is likely that the rise of social media and video sharing platforms are key to this, allowing people to connect with those from other countries and cultures, gaining an insight into their lives through social posts, blogs, vlogs, video and other content. The window into the world of other peoples’ lives through technology is also a key contributor for the 66 per cent of UK respondents who believe technology makes us more ‘curious’.

 

The study also found that nearly a third (30 per cent) of people in the UK are of the opinion that technology makes us more charitable. This is likely the result of the increased prevalence of charitable ‘giving’ platforms which allow people to make donations online, as well as enabling people to share their charitable endeavors via social platforms.

 

Psychologist, Jocelyn Brewer, comments:

“Technology is often blamed for eroding empathy, the innate ability most humans are born with to identify and understand each other’s emotions and experiences. However, when we harness technological advances for positive purposes, it can help promote richer experiences that develop empathetic concern and leverage people into action on causes that matter to them.

 

“Developing the ability to imagine and connect with the experiences and perspectives of a broad range of diverse people can help build mental wealth and foster deeper, more meaningful relationships. Technology can be used to supplement our connections, not necessarily serve as the basis of them.”

 

Respondents to the survey also believe emerging technologies could have an even more significant impact on our values in the future. Indeed, nearly two-thirds (58 per cent) in the UK say that VR has the potential to cultivate empathy and understanding, and help people be more emotionally connected with people across the globe by allowing them to see the world through their eyes.

 

The global nature of this survey has meant that interesting differences can be found around the world. In particular, the developing economies of the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) appear to have the most faith in the ability of technology to positively impact our values. For example, 90 per cent of respondents in China think VR has the ability to increase human understanding, whilst that figure is 88 per cent in India and 81 per cent in Brazil. By comparisons, just 51 per cent believe this to be true in Japan, a country that is rather technologically advanced, whilst the lowest figure is in Germany (48 per cent).

One respondent in the study remarked: “VR would give those who think the world is perfect an insight into other people’s world and make them realise the pain and suffering some people have to endure in their daily lives.”

There are of course two sides to every coin, and some respondents do feel that technology can instead divide people. For example, 62 per cent of UK respondents in the survey agreed that tech makes people more judgmental of others, especially through the lens of social media.

 

The ‘immediate’ nature of the internet also has some side-effects. For example, 48 per cent of UK respondents believe that technology is making us less ‘patient’, whilst 65 per cent said it can make us ‘lazy’ and 54 per cent said that it can make us ‘selfish’.

 

As a global technology company, Lenovo believes such innovative uses of technology for good are important to lead as an example in actively promoting qualities like empathy and tolerance as products are developed for widespread adoption.

 

Dilip Bhatia, Vice President of User and Customer Experience, Lenovo, comments:

“In many ways society is becoming more polarised as many of us are surrounded by those who share similar views and opinions. This can reinforce both rightly and wrongly held views and lead to living in somewhat of an echo chamber. We believe smarter technology has the power to intelligently transform people’s world view, putting them in the shoes of others and allowing them to experience life through their eyes – leading to a greater understanding of the world and the human experience.

 

“This could be through using smart technology to connect people from diverse backgrounds or allowing you to literally see their world in VR. The more open we are to diversity in the world around us, the more empathetic we can be as human beings – and that is a good thing.”