What are the effects of new technology?
People invent new tools and machines to solve problems. Inventions have good effects, or benefits, but sometimes also disadvantages. We say every invention has its pros and cons.
The story of counting
- Incas🪢 The quipu
A system of knots and coloured strings to record and count things.
- about 3000 BCE🧮 The abacus
Used in Mesopotamia, China and India to calculate.
- 17th–19th centuries⚙️ Adding machines
They did simple calculations and printed them on paper.
- today🔢 Calculators and smartwatches
Electronic, with batteries, very fast. Smartwatches often include a calculator.
Pros and cons of a smartphone
You can talk to family far away, take photos, find information and get help quickly.
Too much screen time is bad for your eyes and your sleep, and old phones become e-waste.
We change our electronic devices very often. The old ones become electronic waste (e-waste). It must be recycled, because when it goes to a landfill it pollutes. E-waste is a growing problem all over the world.