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Quality of life is a very vague term, “the standard of health, comfort, and happiness experienced by an individual or group.”
Technology has certainly brought about improvements in physical health and comfort. Medical technology is always improving, leading to lower infant mortality, cures for diseases, and many more improvements in quality of life. Mental health and comfort, however, have not improved as technology has advanced. Suicide rates are higher than ever, especially in developed countries. Depression is on the rise, and is now one of the most common medical conditions.
Although happiness, the third category of quality of life in Google’s definition, is very subjective and difficult to measure, the increases in rates of suicide and depression indicate that the world is not getting happier over time as technology progresses. One could go as far as to theorize that technology has actually had a detrimental effect on happiness, since many highly developed countries have seen worsening suicide and depression rates. Though proving that technological growth causes lower happiness would be very difficult, it isn’t so far-fetched to hypothesize that worsening mental health could be connected to a decrease in real, meaningful human interaction as we become more attached to our devices and less connected with the world around us.
Technology makes us think that it improves our quality of life without actually improving it. Advertisements convince us that we will be better off if we have nicer things. On the surface, that seems true. Getting a fancier phone or car is exciting! But as soon as we get used to owning that new car or phone, the excitement wears off and we go right back to living our same old lives without really becoming healthier or happier. Technology is constantly improving, promising a better life with each new invention, but it has yet to fulfill that promise.
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