Innumerable pages can be easily filled with the many uses of computers in society, and possibly, you might still leave out some of them. The following article explores this topic in detail.
Computers are, perhaps, the best invention by man so far. To understand their impact on society, we will first have to understand their meaning. A computer does not necessarily mean a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and a CPU. It is any machine or device that can compute and execute instructions given to it in the form of programs. So technically, even a cell phone is a computer. And so are desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and PDAs. It includes anything that can perform a series of operations on its own. This gives us an idea as to how wide and deep its role is in our lives. We need this device for virtually everything. In the subsequent paragraphs, we will enlist all the applications and uses that these devices have in our society.
List of Applications
The evolution of this device started at a crazy pace and is still on. It started with calculators and punched cards, and moved to vacuum tubes, and then the transistors and printed circuit boards. In the paragraphs below, you will find a detailed list of their applications in various fields.
Science
One of the most important advantages of this machine is in the field of science for research and development. It has played a major role in most of what we know about ourselves and the universe. The satellites, the telescopes, and almost all the research tools use it in some or the other way. The huge calculations required for space science, safe communication between scientists, storage of all the gathered information, etc., are some of its uses in science and technology.
Medicine
They are used for diagnosis and cure of many diseases. For example, the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), CT scan, ultrasound devices, etc., are amongst the most ubiquitous uses of this device in hospitals. It is used in many surgical procedures, like a laparoscopy. Video conferencing software helps doctors deal with patients in remote areas.
Education
Its uses in this field are infinite. The Internet is a huge source of information. There are online universities that deliver online degrees, and distance learning is spreading far and wide. Many schools and colleges have started making use of audio-visual ways of imparting knowledge. There are a horde of online tools and methodologies, which help students in many ways.
Banking
The banking sector has improved on fronts, such as security, ease of use, etc. Most of the banking operations can be done online, known as Internet banking, and you don’t have to walk up to the bank for virtually anything. You can withdraw money from ATMs and deposit money in any branch, thanks to the networking effected by the use of this machine. The complete banking experience has also become more safe.
Crime Investigation
High-end devices have ensured that justice is more effective. CCTV cameras and other security systems have reduced the amount of crime. There are many ways to track down the criminal in no time. Forensic science uses it for many of its operations related to investigations.
Entertainment
The field of entertainment has been revolutionized. Animation, graphic image manipulation, etc., has made the entertainment experience hundred times better. The gaming software is achieving new landmarks in terms of technology. Movie making, editing, music composition, etc., everything is based on this machine.
Sports
The watching and analyzing of sports has become very easy. Sports media outlets use laptops and such devices everyday to complete research, edit videos, update relevant data, etc. Videos help players to be better prepared for their matches. Statistical data storage and equipment development has also been tremendously simplified.
Advertising and Social Networking
There is no limit to the usage of this device for these fields. Advertisers use it to create layouts for their clients, while ad agencies use it to present their completed work. Besides, it is used for creating designs, writing scripts, managing accounts, marketing, preparing and advertising ads, contacting clients, and maintaining spreadsheets of huge data. Social networking is as important as your bread and butter in today’s world. You desperately need the social media, like Facebook, Twitter, etc., for effective everyday communication, exchanging news, relaying important information, making contacts, etc. It is also tremendously useful for activities like fundraising during natural calamities, like floods, famines, earthquakes, and tsunamis.
Government
In the government, this gadget is used for controlling equipment, launching weapons, maintaining crucial data, etc. It has also simplified the task of maintaining thousands of records.
Stock Trading
People buy and sell stocks every day, every minute. These machines are extensively used in stock marketing. They are used to maintain, buy, and sell orders. All decisions regarding the stocks are made by them. If you go into a stock trading office, you can see the enormous amount of dependence that this field has on these devices.
Ticket Reservations
Once upon a time, long, long ago, we had to walk to the railway office to buy a ticket. And then wait for an eternity, to understand if there are seats or not, is there a train or not, and the like. Now, all you need is a click! Airline or railway or private cab, all reservations are done online due to this wonderful machine. Travel has become so much easier. Even movie tickets are booked online, saving a lot of time and money.
Military, Navy, and the Air Force
In the military, these systems are used to store confidential information. They are used to develop, test, and debug important programs. They are used as a surveillance equipment to check the enemy territory. In the navy, they are used for logistics, personnel, and pay records. They are used in the applications of SONAR and RADAR, for example, in tracing lost airline debris or sunken ships. For the air force, they are used to develop standardized tools and interfaces in accordance with the Air Force Network Operations (AFNETOPS) guidance to transform raw data into actionable C2 information. They are used to develop, test, and analyze crucial programs with regards to the working mechanism of different kinds of airplanes. They are used for information processing, storage, and rescue operations.
Meteorology
This electronic appliance helps to predict atmospheric conditions and in weather forecasting. It simulates new experiments with the atmosphere and condenses large amounts of data.
Business
Again, as mentioned before, its use in advertising has helped business scale new heights. Large volumes of information can be stored and many records can be diligently maintained. It is used in communication, storage, accounting, marketing, and documentation.
Book Publishing
In the earlier decades, publishing a book would have been a tedious and long task to accomplish. Not anymore. All communication is carried out through this machine. A part of the book can be published online to gauge people’s reaction. The social networking sites can be used for promotion. Different tools can be used for writing, editing, and publishing the manuscript. The sale can be covered online as well.
Space
These machines are a great asset for space exploration. It is because of them that we have understood the universe, the planets, the Earth, the geographical aspects, and the topography.
Agriculture
The use of laptops in the agro-based industry have given a boost to the GDP of the nation. They have helped in assessing farmland, automation of equipment, and various other software, which have helped to revolutionalize this field into a profitable one. Through social media and online forums, a farmer can connect with his suppliers and clients, and even gain a lot of knowledge about his farm produce. There are many other applications in this field that have proven to be a boon to the farm workers.
Research
Scientific, business-oriented, education, space, or any kind of research would have been impossible had it not been for this outstanding invention. It has made gathering and analyzing data, performing experiments, etc., very easy. It is used extensively in this field, for researching topics that are spread far and wide.
Daily Use
An amalgamation of the above uses, the applications of this device in everyday life is also commendable. It helps us listen to our favorite music, watch videos, chat with our near and dear ones, research topics for projects, learn new things, store important data … the list is endless.
This is only the tip of the iceberg, as we can’t even imagine the ubiquity of computers in today’s life. However, this technology has also given rise to many vices, like identity theft, hacking, etc. One needs to use it only for a good purpose, and not misuse it. But the truth remains the same – the advantages supersede their disadvantages with pride.