The advancement of science and technology makes a tremendous contribution to people’s convenience in the present day. Therefore, there are several predictions that folks in the future can have more leisure time compared to their counterparts in the 20th century. I partly agree with this assertion, and this essay will discuss both sides before concluding whether this trend can come true or not.
On the one hand, the essential role of technological development in facilitating individuals’ lives is undeniable. Firstly, sophisticated tools help people reduce their working time by increasing productivity. For example, in agriculture, many farmers are applying modern technology in their production lines to minimize labor effort. The implication of this is that workers or farmers in the modern world can have more spare time thanks to technological progress. Secondly, the Internet also enables people to work at a distance. To illustrate, workers can work regardless of time and location with smart electronic devices instead of commuting to the office. This could give rise to individuals’ free time and increase working efficiency.
On the other hand, the development of technology has led to a situation where people are demanded to have more time. To begin with, the intense competition forces workers to spend time honing job-specific skills. It can be explained that modern technology can be more effective than humans to some extent, therefore, improving professional skills may be the only method to not be replaced. For instance, with the burgeoning of AI, workers in many areas must work more intelligently to maintain the sustainability of their occupation. As a result, employees may have to sacrifice their free time in several cases due to the advanced machines. Moreover, it takes people time to catch up with the state-of-the-art devices. It is undeniable that modern tools in the present day are diverse, thus keeping up and excelling in using those technologies wastes a huge amount of time. Consequently, people’s free time can decline in several ways.
In the final analysis, technology can foster the convenience of human lives in some aspects compared to the past, however, it cannot reduce people’s free time in the future. Instead, the demands of people’s time are simply shifted and changed, forcing individuals to balance their time in the competitive world.