Just as there are two sides to every story, there are two sides to the benefits of electricity. On one hand, electricity has definite advantages; on the other, electricity causes some problems. In this activity, you will learn how electrical technologies have impacted society.

The use of electricity has improved our standard of living. It has made many tasks that used to be very time-consuming much faster. For example, think of how long it takes to wash a load of laundry. Today, most loads are washed and dried within a maximum of two hours. Before electricity, washing those clothes by hand might have taken all day and it might have taken more than one person to do it!

What about long distance communication? Before electricity (and the telegraph), long distance communication was accomplished by someone carrying the message to the recipient. Sending a message from High Level to Edmonton could take weeks. Today, that message can be sent instantly through the use of texts or emails.

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However, electricity can have a major drawback. What happens when any appliance is broken beyond repair in your house? Or you want the newer version of some appliance? You throw out the old one (or recycle it if possible). This is leading to a lot of solid waste going into dumps all around the world. Fortunately, we are now more conscious of recycling, and old appliances can be melted again for re-manufacturing.

Another drawback of electricity is that not all people can afford to have the most up-to-date electrical appliances (or technology). This leads to people missing certain beneficial technologies. A large percentage of the population on this planet do not even have light bulbs and all the gadgets we take for granted in our lives, never mind access to a simple computer to attempt to do this course.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Electrical Technologies

Electricity powers a wide range of devices that cannot work with other forms of energy, but it can be dangerous. Without electricity, modern computer technology would not work. Generating electricity, however, can cause significant environmental harm.

Electricity provides a means of transferring energy over large distances, and electrical infrastructure ensures that the entire population of developed nations have access to it. Electricity is a powerful source of energy. What truly separates electricity from other forms of energy is its versatility. From powering light bulbs to computer monitors, electricity can perform a range of tasks other forms of energy cannot.

Electricity is mostly generated in power plants, and most of these plants release carbon dioxide in the process. This release is one of the major factors for global climate change. There are other technologies that do not pose the same risks, but developing nations cannot afford their high costs. Particulate pollution has a number of significant health effects as well.