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I often complain about the constant flow of information in our era, unconscious social media usage, and the effects social media has on perception. This time, I want to open up this topic a bit more: how all of this is evaluated from a technological perspective, what kinds of problems await us, and what kinds of opportunities we are opening the door to.
When you hear destructive or disruptive technology, atom bombs, weapons technology, or nuclear power plants may come to mind. That’s perfectly natural, because their impact is enormous. However, disruptive technologies are not limited to these.
The term disruptive technology covers products, industries, and technologies that radically change our lives and replace existing ones. Thanks to this change, consumer behavior, business models, and even lifestyles change as well. (For example: mobile phones, job-search websites, search engines, game consoles.)
General characteristics of disruptive technologies:
- They usually start with low performance and continuously improve (see: chatbots).
- They challenge the status quo and redesign entire industries (see: Uber. Taxi lobbies are still resisting, trying to respond to the alternative that will eliminate them by developing their own apps).
- They produce new solutions to existing problems (Netflix, for example, offers far more options and flexibility than traditional media. You no longer need to be in front of the screen at specific hours. Similarly, online education platforms and online libraries).
- They target new or underserved markets (Xiaomi, for example, offers budget-friendly, cutting-edge phones. This is how it became one of the world’s largest phone manufacturers).
The examples can be multiplied. This will be a Disruptive Technologies series, allowing us to take a closer look at certain technologies.
As an engineer—and as a consumer—what matters is how all of this affects our lives. You consume some technologies without even knowing what they are, sometimes without even being aware of their existence. Take SoC (System on a Chip), for example. It literally means “a system on a chip” and can be considered a disruptive technology because it has transformed many industries—especially mobile technologies, computing, the Internet of Things, wearable electronics, and consequently medical technologies, the automotive industry, and more.
An SoC brings together different electronic functions: CPU (processor), GPU (graphics processor), various interfaces, and more. The result is a compact, powerful, and efficient solution. How does this reflect in your life? Smaller phones that can perform many tasks much faster. You can play games, edit videos, and attend meetings via video calls on your phone.
Similarly, you can track workouts and even talk through your watch. You can connect everything to Amazon Alexa or similar products and create your own smart home. While you’re asking chatbots dozens of meaningless questions, operations happen much faster in the background thanks to SoCs.
Likewise, in your car, hundreds of sensors communicate with each other to provide a safer driving experience—while also keeping you entertained during the drive.
In short, SoCs are everywhere in life.
Of course, these technologies don’t just make life easier. Their impact on us is far greater and more complex than you might think.
Some Effects
As the electronics world becomes more modular, producing devices becomes easier. On one hand, technology solves many problems and creates new habits; on the other, it opens up massive production areas. This means a significant environmental impact. For example, it’s not difficult to build your own computer at home anymore—but the democratization of production also brings destruction with it. That’s why standards and regulations are increasing.
New technologies lead to economic change. New job opportunities emerge, new markets form, and new industries are created—ride sharing, food delivery platforms, and supply-on-demand systems, for example. The economy is also affected in other ways: traditional investment tools and economic systems are changing. Online payments and cryptocurrencies increasingly influence our lives. Especially after the pandemic, the disappearance of cash has accelerated.
Speaking of the pandemic, PCR and mRNA technologies are good examples. We all witnessed how quickly these technologies entered our lives, how they saved lives, and how they opened up entirely new fields in biotechnology.
Disruptive technologies also have social impacts. Human relationships and communication styles change completely. How many people do you know who don’t use WhatsApp? Those who don’t use it are on another platform. How many of you still have a landline phone at home? How many of you shared a photo on Instagram today? How many of you congratulated someone on their birthday because you saw it on Facebook or LinkedIn?
Regardless of whether the outcome is positive or negative, this is exactly what disruptive technology is:
Something you didn’t need turning into a need.
One benefit of these technologies is their democratic nature. How beneficial this truly is can be debated, but more people can access them and afford them. In the past, only those with money could afford private lessons. Now, there are dozens of platforms, YouTube included. Knowledge is spread to everyone.
A negative effect, however, is data privacy and security. This is on governments’ agendas, which is why new laws and regulations are emerging. CEOs of tech giants like Facebook, Twitter, and Google are frequently questioned. But as mentioned earlier, these technologies start raw and constantly evolve. You’ve probably seen end-to-end encryption warnings on WhatsApp, screenshot prevention, self-destructing messages, and more—while much more happens behind the scenes. Technology evolves rapidly, and when it evolves this fast, it’s not easy to control every step or prevent all negative effects. This is why it’s time to move beyond classical education. Schools should teach data security, responsible technology use, and awareness so users understand what’s happening, what could happen, and what the positive and negative impacts are.
Disruptive technologies also lead to cultural change. Social norms and expectations shift. Social and online media have wiped out newspapers. Bite-sized video content, podcasts, and audiobooks have changed how we consume information. There’s an interesting anecdote about Steve Jobs that illustrates this well.
When Steve Jobs and his family visited Istanbul, they hired a history professor (if I remember correctly, from ITU). At the end of the trip, they went to a Turkish bath and were served Turkish coffee. The professor proudly explained how Turkish coffee is made and why it’s special—just as he had proudly explained many aspects of “our culture” throughout the day. Jobs, however, thought to himself, “so f*cking what?” No one really cares about the coffee. Do young people care? The youths he saw during the day were eating what youths eat everywhere in the world, drinking the same things, using the same phones.
Moral of the story: someone produces something, everyone adopts it, and culture loses its meaning. Culture changes—it is destined to change. Many things we’re proud of, cling to, or assign unnecessary meaning to may be garbage tomorrow.
Design and Ethics
Even if they don’t always spark massive ethical debates like artificial intelligence or autonomous vehicles, ethics in technology production is crucial.
Engineers and designers consider the broad social impact of what they create. They address algorithmic bias, security concerns, sustainability, and equal accessibility.
Bad design examples can be found in automobiles, which are typically designed for the average male body—creating higher safety risks for women. Seatbelts are another example; many women agree they’re uncomfortable.
Some cosmetic products have been shown to work only for lighter skin tones, offering no benefit for darker skin. Similarly, facial recognition systems can identify white individuals with a 1% error rate, while the error rate for Black individuals can be as high as 35%.
This can inevitably lead to discrimination, false verification, and even wrongful arrests—serious ethical issues concerning civil rights. Mass surveillance itself is an ethical problem.
This is why human-centered design is gaining prominence: technology tailored to individual needs and expectations, enabling more fair, transparent, and accessible solutions—such as accessibility features in smartphones.
Countries, institutes, and universities are actively working on this by creating new rules, guidelines, regulations, and laws. Interdisciplinary committees evaluate social and ethical impacts. This is why AI focuses on political correctness—to reduce algorithmic bias and prevent the exclusion or harm of vulnerable minorities. Then Elon Musk buys a platform in the name of free speech and polarizes people even more. Trump spreads misinformation through his own social media. As you can see, controlling everything is impossible. Technology evolves fast, and accessibility creates entirely new problems.
The European Union, for example, works very strictly in this area. Within the EU, unauthorized storage, tracking, and processing of biometric data is prohibited. Systems that could lead to unlawful mass surveillance are heavily restricted—at least legally.
When problems become big enough, countries, unions, and international organizations take action. The same applies to biotechnology and nanotechnology; many laboratories are strictly monitored.
Technology’s Impact on Our Past
New technologies don’t just affect the present and future—they also affect our past and how we view it. The James Webb Telescope, for example, provides new insights into the creation of the universe, studying planets and galaxies from millions of years ago. We may be moving toward discoveries that fundamentally shake belief systems.
The “specialize, work, retire” system that emerged after the industrial revolution is also changing. Remote work and freelancing are replacing the 9-to-5. Digital platforms create new income sources. The nature of work becomes more flexible but also more insecure.
Our communication style and expectations from the world are changing. Face-to-face interactions are replaced by online meetings as traditional family structures dissolve. People scatter across cities and countries for work or education. Online time increases. New needs emerge—like social media posting—that we never actually needed before. It makes people feel closer, yet turns them into attention addicts.
Healthcare is changing too. More sensors mean more data, increasing our ability to prevent diseases. Telemedicine allows consultations from home. AI-based diagnostics, nanotechnology, and advances in computing speed up processes and improve accuracy. Many diseases can be treated or prevented more effectively. CRISPR technology, for instance, offers the possibility of preventing diseases before birth—but also raises serious ethical concerns. Is creating “super children” through genetic modification really right? Children with Down syndrome, for example, contribute positively to society. Is eliminating such conditions playing god?
Artificial womb technology could eliminate the need for a fetus to develop inside the mother for nine months. Fathers could be more involved in the process. What impact would this have on the child, the mother, the father, and traditional family structures? This technology already exists and is seen as a major support for premature babies—but it brings many ethical questions. For now, it has only been used on animals (which is itself another ethical debate).
Education, as mentioned earlier, is another field fundamentally transformed by technology. The role of teachers is being questioned. Education is shifting from teaching to guiding. Teaching methods are changing; centralized curricula may be replaced by personalized learning paths.
Everyone learns differently. Interests differ. Some learn by listening, others by doing. New technologies allow tailored approaches to unlock individual potential. Virtual reality content, application modules, and immersive tools will further support learning. Traditional classroom models are changing. In Finland, for example, transparent classrooms without walls are being tested. Students can move between classes based on interest. Many experiments like this are underway.
As machines take over jobs, traditional education models will inevitably change. Specialization, lifelong dedication to a single craft—many things are already changing.
Another area where habits and traditions are changing is entertainment. Netflix disrupted cinemas. Spotify replaced Walkmans and CD players. Game platforms grow increasingly realistic, and virtual reality is reshaping gaming.
One striking example is the artificial dolphin. It looks and behaves like a real dolphin but isn’t dangerous and doesn’t require exploiting real animals. With advancing haptic technologies, you may not even be able to tell the difference soon—if you can’t already. This could eventually eliminate zoos and animal abuse in circuses.
More Examples
Good Examples:
- Electric Vehicles – Cleaner, more sustainable alternatives to traditional vehicles. If we solve lithium-ion issues, the impact will be even greater—not just for cars, but planes, ships, and trains.
- Renewable Energy – Completely transforms the energy sector, offering clean solutions and democratized energy production.
- Blockchain Technology – Beyond cryptocurrencies, it enables transparent, secure, decentralized systems, impacting finance, healthcare, logistics, and more.
Bad Examples:
- Deepfakes – They may revolutionize cinema, but also enable realistic misinformation. False videos could spread misinformation powerful enough to trigger wars. First-hand information loses meaning; logic becomes more critical than ever.
- Social Media Algorithms – Fuel polarization, misinformation, and mental health issues. People become trapped in echo chambers.
- Gig Economy Platforms – Offer flexibility but erode worker protections, benefits, pensions, and insurance.
Conclusion
As the famous thinker Davut Güloğlu says:
Some go, some come,
The world keeps turning,
Never mind…
Life goes on.
Yes, as the world keeps turning, life goes on. Humanity moves rapidly forward, encountering new challenges. Disruptive technologies affect every aspect of life—how we read, learn, work, communicate, form families, and interact with the world.
This transformation makes ethical thinking an inseparable part of technology. Only then can we reduce harm and increase human benefit.
Disruptive technologies—both good and bad—highlight the need for better planning, stronger regulation, and greater public awareness. Since it’s impossible to monitor every stage of such rapid development, individuals also carry greater responsibility.
In short, we must reassess old habits and change our perspectives—how we think, live, work. National pride, prejudices, expectations, beliefs—everything must be questioned.
bahadirhancicek 
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