Presentation date: July, 2019

2
Acceptance date: September, 2019
Publication date: October, 2019

IMPACT
ON TECHNOLOGY IN SOCIETY: THE CASE OF ECUADOR
IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON SOCIETY: THE CASE OF ECUADOR
Arturo Luque Gonzalez1 2
Email: [email protected]
ORCID: https://orcid.org /0000-0002-7447-7560
Noelia Herrero Garcia2
E-mail: [email protected]

1 Indoamerica Technological University Ambato. Ecuador.

2 Amazon Regional University. Ecuador.
Suggested citation (APA, sixth edition)
Luque Gonzalez, A., & Herrero Garcia, N. (2019). Impact of technology on society: the case of Ecuador. University and
Society, 11(5), 176-182. Retrieved from http://rus.ucf.edu.cu/index.php/rus

SUMMARY
Continuous technological advances condition the way of interacting and communicating in postmodern societies. In this
research, two analyses are carried out: a qualitative one that covers the comparative study of the advantages and
disadvantages of the use of different technologies; and a quantitative one, in which a questionnaire is applied to a sample of
one hundred subjects with the aim of analyzing the impacts of technology on society, as well as investigating the use of
mobile phones and social networks in interpersonal communication situations. The results reveal that half of the young
university students in Ambato feel annoyed when their interlocutor prefers virtual communication instead of personal
communication, concomitant with the fact that they cannot stop being semi-permanently connected. The use – and abuse – of
technologies and social networking connections studied indicates a lack of control over them.

Keywords: Technology, communication, education, impact, social networks.

ABSTRACT
Technological advances condition the way of interacting and communicating in postmodern societies. In this research, both
analyzes are accomplished, the first one qualitative that covers the comparative study of the benefits and shortcomings of the
use of different technologies; and a quantitative one, in which a survey is carried out in order to analyze the impact of
technology on society, as well as to investigate the use of mobile telephony and social networks in situations of interpersonal
communication. The results reveal that half of young university students in Ambato feel annoyed when their interlocutor -
prefers virtual rather than personal communication, concomitant to the fact that the semi-permanent connected state cannot
be cut off. The use -and abuse- of technologies and connection to social networks studied indicates a lack of control over
them.

Keywords: Technology, communication, education, impact, social networks.

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INTRODUCTION maps, email, tweets, Facebook data, call center

The evolution of human beings over the last few decades is conversations, mobile phone calls, website clicks,
inextricably linked to the inventions and discoveries made documents, sensor data, telemetry, medical records and
through technological advances. Progress is extraordinary for images, weather and meteorological records, log files and
the human species. The mechanisms used in technological text.
development have marked milestones in our history to the Within the professional panorama, technological change has
point of transforming reality and leading to a civilizing imposed, in the last three decades and on a global scale, the
process that has not ceased in its evolution. Since the unified pattern of an increasing relative demand for workers with
knowledge of the Greek philosophers, different civilizations greater training and skills. In the United States, it accounts for
have allowed the creation of intelligible languages as a between 30 and 40% of these changes, and the prevailing
substrate for the development of social and economic evidence assumes that workers' cognitive abilities are playing
interactions. Nowadays, the most recent and sophisticated a central role in companies' hiring. The mass adoption of
R&D&I processes allow the splitting of the atom and the use computer systems and computers in the workplace has been
of nuclear energy, the exploration of the cosmos and the essential in this process. Fears that technology will lead to
development of multiple disciplines or fields of knowledge, widespread unemployment as machines replace human
such as biotechnology, nanotechnology and information labour are nothing new. In fact, John Maynard Keynes
technology (Yankovic, 2010). In Latin America, science and already highlighted in 1930 the idea of technological
technology gained significant importance after the Second unemployment as a new disease (Keynes, 1930). Today,
World War, between the 1950s and 1980s, with the computers are taking over the jobs of skilled workers,
establishment of the United Nations; UNESCO in particular performing first simple tasks and then increasingly complex
gave a boost to science in relatively less developed mental routines. Estimates by Frey & Osborne (2013)
countries, which later created state agencies to establish indicate that around 47% of total US employment is
their respective national policies and channel resources to potentially automatable in the coming decades. A similar
promote research (Rivera, 1988). study by the World Bank (2016) indicates that an even larger
The inclusion of new technologies has significantly percentage of the workforce is at risk of automation in
transformed social dynamics and the individual reach of developing countries: 57% in members of the Organization
people. Among all of them, the Internet stands out as a for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). A
platform for technological innovation in communication recent OECD report sets much lower projections for jobs at
processes, where interaction in a digital environment is risk of automation: 9% on average across a sample of 21
carried out by the population with access to it. In numerical member states (Arntz, Gregory & Zierahn, 2016).
terms, Internet access reflects a phenomenon that is always The scenario that is emerging here represents the main
on the rise, and with it the benefits that the technological challenge for the educational system, not only because there
revolution boasts in terms of economic growth and - is no consensus between the skills that employers demand
innovation, mainly associated with the digital economy. In and those that graduates possess, but also because the gap
Ecuador, 58.3% of the population has used the Internet in the between the academic and work environments has not been
last 12 months, although 10.5% of people between 15 and 45 closed. In terms of youth dynamics, the implosion of
years old are digitally illiterate (Ecuador. National Institute of electronic devices alters, according to communication theory,
Statistics and Census, 2017). the transmission channels and the quantity and quality of
The current population exceeds 7.6 billion, of which more messages produced between sender and receiver, as well as
than 4 billion are connected to the Internet. As a result of this the interactions between them. And it could not be otherwise,
scenario, people are generating huge amounts of data since all households have a television, with a second
through the increasing use of electronic devices: what is television set existing in 73.5% of them. Nearly half of
known as Big Data. The magnitude of the volume of children and adolescents have this screen in their bedroom
information grows at an exponential rate. Currently, it is or study, and 28% of children and adolescents between the
multiplied by a factor of 10 in an estimated time of five years. ages of 10 and 12 report having one. Despite initial
80% of the information relevant to an organization originates obstacles, once imposed by families, the use of computers
in unstructured form, that is, mainly in text form. Unstructured and Internet access in childhood and adolescence has
information is therefore the one that has experienced the become widespread in the last decade. Households with
greatest change. This type of data refers to information - minor children have this screen in numbers far higher than
originating from human activity, such as high-definition the Spanish average of computers in homes; in addition, they
videos, movies, photos, financial transactions, telephone make greater use of this device than their parents.
records, genomic data sets, seismic images, geospatial The use of mobile phones has expanded in the last decade

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and has also done so from very early ages. One third of received considerable attention are those related to possible
children between six and nine years old have it; a percentage social isolation and the risks of dependency and addiction
that rises to 80% at twelve years of age, and its use is linked to the use of technologies.
widespread from the age of 16 onwards, with greater Although television continues to be the most widely used
penetration among the female sex. Half of children send an mass media, the Internet is becoming an important
SMS message almost every day during school days, and this competitor, especially among young and adolescent
contact increases considerably at weekends. There is no audiences. In fact, in the context of Ecuador, according to
consensus in the literature about the pathology underlying - Coronel & Mier (2011), Twitter “became the only means of
excessive use; for some, it is an abusive use that can lead to dissemination in which other types of information could be
a certain psychological dependence, but not an addictive - found, taking into account that mass media have not taken
behavior; it can also be considered an addictive disorder, advantage of this space on the Internet to transmit their point
since it would meet diagnostic criteria of the DSM-IV, such as of view.”
withdrawal, lack of control and problems derived from its use.
Another reason for disagreement is related to video game In short, the scenario suggested here is intended to argue the
addiction. For some authors, there is a pattern of excessive clash that the young adolescent suffers inside and outside
use or abuse without reaching addiction as such. Others the classroom; that is, if the teacher/student interaction
describe addictive behaviors, with symptoms that, although continues to be that of the transmissive model as is well
not agreed upon, would be caused by depressive disorders, known, it is not surprising the worrying educational statistics
anxiety and hostility, having been observed to be associated at a global level when their form of interaction with the rest
with ADHD, and, in addition, having suffered from it being a (with the exception of their teacher) is not only that of
significant prediction. receiver, but also –and increasingly frequently– that of
transmitter and consumer of information.
Regarding the most popular streaming media, it should be
noted that the presence of teenagers on social networks has
become more widespread in recent years. At least in Spain,
the most followed is Tuenti, except in Catalonia where the
most used is Facebook. From the age of 14, around 80% of
these young users have a profile on a social network, a
percentage that increases with age. Most people report
having a private profile that only their friends can access,
6.7% maintain contact with strangers, of which 8% have met
or arranged to meet with them. In Spain, it is illegal for
anyone under the age of 14 to participate in a social network,
however, 42% of minors between the ages of eleven and
twelve claim to have such a profile.
Internet addictive behavior is defined as a pattern of behavior
characterized by loss of control over Internet use. This
behavior gradually leads to isolation and neglect of social
relationships, academics, recreation, health and personal
hygiene. It is detected in 1.2% of European adolescents and
12.7% are at risk of developing it. Minors who have felt
harmed by the use of new ICTs indicate that the main cause
is cyberbullying (90%), followed by viewing sexual images
(32%) and, to a lesser extent, receiving sexual messages
and the unwanted consequences of dating people they meet
online.
If we look at the research that has been carried out in recent
years on the possible risks associated with the use of new
technologies by young people and adolescents, we find
among the most frequently discussed topics: inappropriate
content, contact with strangers, threats to privacy and, to a
lesser extent, risks related to electronic commerce (Staksrud,
Livingstone & Haddon, 2007). Other issues that have also

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In the specific case of Ecuador, there are major delays in very likely that the fraction of young people who do not carry
relation to the use of Information and Communication their cell phone outside the home is due to a feeling of
Technologies (ICT) as well as in the communications insecurity rather than a denial of its use. This device has
infrastructure. This reality affects the normal productive - become an essential accessory around the world, so much
development of the State and therefore the creation of jobs so that in 2011 the British company SecurEnvoy, after
for young people entering the labour market (Vinueza &
Type and consequences of use
Gallardo, 2017) despite the progress achieved in recent
years in terms of access to technologies. In fact, nine out of
ten Ecuadorian households have at least one cell phone, -
households with Internet access have increased by 14.7%
since 2012, as has the use of computers, which rose to 52% Never

Seldom
of the population over five years of age, representing 13.3%
Frequently
more than in 2012 (Ecuador. National Institute of Statistics
Always
and Censuses, 2017).

MATERIALS AND METHODS 10

Frequency 0
The review of concepts has been qualitatively analyzed in
order to compare some of the benefits of using technologies carrying out a study on the subject in the United Kingdom,
against the obvious disadvantages, in addition to delving into found that two thirds of the population (66%) were afraid of
the phenomenon quantitatively. When studying the use of losing or being without their mobile phone. Phone/tablet item.
new technologies, whether the interest is focused on the When asked about the frequency of use of these electronic
general population or on younger users, quantitative studies devices per day, they indicate that 5% use the phone for 0-2
predominate (Staksrud, et al., 2007). It allows us to know the hours (never), 17% for 2-4 hours (rarely), 31% and 30% use
main uses and even the opinion of the protagonists on the the phone for 6-8 hours and 4-6 hours, respectively (data
possibilities they offer. For the preparation of this study, the grouped together on the scale frequently) and 17% use it for
survey technique was used which, according to Groves, et al. more than 8 hours (i.e. always). This indicates that 6 out of
(2004), represents a systematic tool for collecting information 10 university students from Ambateño spend an average of
from a sample of entities, in order to construct quantitative one third of their daily life connected, both transmitting and
descriptors of the attributes of the general population to receiving different types of information. There is an increase
which they belong. The reliability of the instrument developed in social interest in the risk of cell phone addiction: the media
is verified using the test-retest method. This is a sample of
echo a certain degree of social alarm at the observation that
100 university students of both genders, aged between 18
many adolescents, at an increasingly younger age, seem
and 23, in the city of Ambato (Ecuador) between June 12 and
unable to do without their mobile phone, spending many
26, 2018. The questionnaire consists of 7 questions about
hours using it, which poses the risk of a possible addiction
the use and perception of the use of technology and social
and damage to the psychological and social functioning of
networks, taking into account the importance of the object of
young people, often appealing to certain studies that are
study. They were configured according to a Likert scale. This
widely disseminated in the media and support the
scale is a structured instrument for collecting primary data,
psychopathological dimension of the problem. Mobile phone
used to measure variables at an ordinal measurement level
use has been associated, based on underlying motivations,
through an organized set of items. The subject is given a
with six categories of behaviour: addictive, compulsive,
score per item and a total score to determine to a greater or
lesser degree the presence of the attribute or variable. habitual, dependent, obligatory (imposed by social customs)
and voluntary; thus, individuals can be classified into one of
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION these six proposed categories. As Griffiths (2008) points out,
The first 6 questions of the questionnaire have been - any rewarding activity is potentially addictive, but only those
systematized into the corresponding items shown in Figure 1. marked by social disapproval due to their associated risks are
considered “addictions” and not mere habits.
Figure 1. Type and consequences of the use of mobile
technologies and social networks. Social media item. When asked how often they are using
social networks per day, they indicate that 7% use them for
Portability item. When asked how often they carry their cell
0-2 hours (never), 23% for 2-4 hours (rarely), 36% and 19%
phones, 81% answered that they always carry their phones,
use them for 4-6 hours and 6-8 hours, respectively (data
which means that approximately one-fifth of these people do
grouped on the frequently scale) and 15% use them for more
not regularly carry their cell phones. In the case at hand, it is
than 8 hours (i.e., always). The data shows that, on average,

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half of the university students in Ambato spend a third of their

time interacting with other individuals through a social
network. In a study carried out in Barcelona with 430
adolescents enrolled in public schools and 209 university
students, 22.1% of adolescents and 27.9% of young people
considered themselves addicted to social networks.
Item used in communities. When asked how often they use
their mobile phone while socializing with friends, 18% said
always, 62% said sometimes, and 20% said rarely. These
scores suggest that at least one in five prefer virtual contact
to in-person contact. It is important to note that none of the
young people surveyed admitted to respecting the presence
of others when using their device. In general, most people
assume they are somewhat shy and this could explain the
preference for use. However, for centuries humanity has
Figure 2. Perception of the immediate impact of the use of
suffered physical or psychological dependence on certain mobile technologies.
behaviors and substances; the data collected could explain
According to Figure 2, when asked about the areas of their
the new addictions of postmodern society. This is not due to
lives that the use of technology would immediately affect, the
mere interest, but rather consists of a pattern of use that can
majority allude to an influence – whether negative or not – on
lead to an eventual negative impact on functioning, affecting
interpersonal communication. The researchers' feeling is that
marriage, relationships, work, economy and even legal
the connotation perceived by those surveyed is negative. For
status.
example, talking on a cell phone while driving increases the
Item of nuisance for use in a community. When asked if it possibility of causing a road accident by up to five times,
bothers them when their friends or family use technology since it takes up an average of eight to thirteen seconds of
while spending time with them, 60% answered that they are distraction from answering the call or message. 22% consider
frequently bothered, 24% always, 16% are rarely bothered, an effect on health. This fact could explain why students are
and 3% never. The data presented contrast frontally with the permanently tired. Some studies have shown that daily and
item use in collectivity. One possible explanation may be that continuous use of the Internet, social networks, tablets or
the mobile phone serves as a shield to avoid direct contact smartphones could be responsible for symptoms such as
with someone; young people are overcome by a feeling of - anxiety, tachycardia, obsessive thoughts, headaches,
insecurity, so it is not surprising that the abuse of this device stomach pain and panic attacks. 15% estimate that it falls on
leads to a loss of basic social skills, with a lack of self-control the family. Considered as a technology user, this person
being the main reason that triggers this type of behavior. becomes an active agent in its positioning in culture. The
Interpersonal communication item. When asked if they - Internet in turn intervenes in this relationship, in the
communicate more frequently with friends and family through development of family life, modifying the habits and customs
technology (rather than through verbal communication), 53% of its members (Winocur, 2009). 14% reported an impact on
indicated sometimes, 29% always, 17% rarely, and 1% education. Nilsson & Hagberg (2011) conducted a -
never. Chen (2007) studied a sample of 514 university prospective longitudinal study to study the relationships
subjects - combining qualitative and quantitative between the use of new technologies (including mobile
methodology - and found that mobile phone use should be phones) and health outcomes. The sum of hours spent using
considered an instrument or a means that favored the computer and mobile phone during the week was
socialization, both in the academic environment and in the associated, at the beginning of the study, with an increased
family nucleus itself. Both parents and young people valued risk of prolonged stress and symptoms of depression at one
the mobile phone as a means of maintaining the relationship year of follow-up. These results were confirmed by a
between parents and children from a distance. subsequent study by the same research group (Thomée,
Eklöf, Gustafsson, Nilsson & Hagberg, 2007).
The last item explored in the questionnaire is shown in Figure
2. CONCLUSIONS
The use of all kinds of mobile devices with Internet access
has completely revolutionized social dynamics, not only in the
family and social environment of the people who use them,
but also in companies that increasingly demand professional

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profiles that have certain skills in searching for and Nilsson, D., & Hagberg, V. (2011). Mobile phone use and
processing a huge volume of information. Considering a stress, sleep disturbances, and symptoms of depression
quality basic education as the best training that an individual among young adults a prospective cohort study. BMC
can receive, the predominant trend is that of a significant Public Health, 11-66. Retrieved from
fraction of young university students who lack sufficient https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.11
control to make proper use of a certain tool so common in the 86/1471-2458-11-66
society in which they live, such as consumption and Rivera, M. (1988). Science, technology, education and
permanence of web browsing. Future research in this area research: fundamental elements for global
must focus on the use of ICT in the teaching and learning competitiveness or for human development? Puerto Rico:
processes that take place in educational centres, whether University of Turabo.
they are basic or higher education, to ensure the correct
integration of our students into the world of work, as well as Staksrud, E., Livingstone, S., & Haddon, L. (2007). What do
their optimal personal and interpersonal development. we know about children's use of online technologies? A
report on data availability and research gaps in Europe,
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