Prompt: Review Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and explain how each level relates to your experiences with technology.  Give specific examples of how your digital experiences relate to each level of need.

One way technology helps fulfill my physiological needs daily is through supply chain management. Technology impacts supply chain management in several ways, such as optimizing shipping routes, creating more efficient sorting and storing practices, and saving time in the shipping process (James and James Fulfillment, 2022). As a result, I can go through my day-to-day life without worrying about whether or not I have access to food and other essential resources because technology greatly optimizes the process of meeting those needs. Additionally, the alarm on my phone helps meet my physiological needs by ensuring that I have consistent hours of sleep every night, resulting in higher-quality rest to get me through the day.

Having a cell phone helps meet many of my safety needs. For instance, it provides comfort to know that I am only a phone call away from help if my safety is threatened or I have sustained an injury. Additionally, location sharing makes it easy for someone to come to my aid if my car breaks down and I am stranded somewhere. Furthermore, having a home security system assures me that the police can be called without my intervention if someone breaks into my home when I am away or asleep.

Because I do not use social media, it is difficult to think of many ways that technology currently helps meet my need for belongingness and love. However, phone calls, texts, and emails help me stay in touch with family. For example, I still have a meaningful relationship with my brother even though he lives in another state because I can keep in touch with him. I also frequently use email to communicate with my parents at work because they cannot bring cell phones. 

Technology is helpful for my esteem needs because it can make job searches considerably easier. I currently use sites like LinkedIn and Handshake to advertise my experience, credentials, and achievements to a wide array of potential employers and colleagues. This is helping with my esteem because it is more likely I will find a job that satisfies my career goals and gain the sense of accomplishment that comes with it. These platforms also teach me about new fields in cybersecurity and IT that I may not have been aware of before, which may give me a better feeling of purpose than other careers I was considering. 

Given that I am still a college student and have not started a fulfilling career, I am still working on fulfilling my esteem needs and have not yet moved on to self-actualization. However, once I meet all the criteria of the lower levels of Maslow’s hierarchy, I can foresee some ways I could use technology to achieve self-actualization. If I have met all of my own needs, I may have more time and willingness to dedicate myself to a cause I believe can have a broad positive impact on the world. I could use social media and similar technologies to spread awareness and maximize the impact of my work. As a result, I may feel that I have done the most good possible in my life. 

Reference

James and James Fulfilment. (2022, October 25). What is supply chain technology? https://www.ecommercefulfilment.com/en_US/what-is-supply-chain-technology/