Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs begins with the bottom layer of physiological needs. These are things that you absolutely need to survive like food, water, shelter, rest, etc. In some ways, technology has become almost a physical need. When I wake up in the morning, my phone is often the first thing I reach for, and it is often the last thing I engage with before going to bed. I check it multiple times throughout the day and losing it can cause me a bit of panic until I find it again. When I am out of cell phone service, I often feel uneasy and uncomfortable until I am in range again. Even on a more basic level, advancements in technology have given us things like electricity which provides us with heat and cooling, the ability to preserve food, the ability to cook food, and so much more. It has helped us design better houses, buildings, and infrastructure. All of these play into physiological needs.
The next level in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs consists of safety needs like safety and security. Technology definitely helps provide me with the feeling of safety. I feel very secure knowing that I can call the police or ambulance at basically any time I need to because I always have my phone. The navigation system in my car gives me a sense of security knowing that it can always get me to new places without me getting too lost. I have security cameras at my house and an alarm system that will alert me if something is wrong and/or call the police for me, whether I am there or not. If my husband is taking longer at work than usual and I can’t get ahold of him, I can check his location and reassure myself that he’s not dead in a ditch somewhere. All of these technological advances help me feel safer and more secure going about my daily life.
The third level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is belongingness and love need. This need is filled by the relationships you have with friends or family. Technology absolutely helps with relationships and keeping in touch with people. Apps like Facebook and Instagram can help you keep up with friends even if you don’t talk every day. Phones allow us to talk regularly to people that live hundreds or thousands of miles away. Other apps like Snapchat or texting apps can help you either have a whole conversation or drop a quick line just to say hello. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and I love keeping up with my family through pictures. It is so easy to send and receive pictures quickly and feel like you can see what is going on with your family and friends. My favorite, though, is video chatting. There is something special about seeing and talking face-to-face with loved ones that are far away and whom you can’t see regularly. It really helps keep the relationship strong and makes it feel like they aren’t quite so far away. Additionally, technology can also be used to coordinate in-person meetings with others, which helps to keep relationships strong. Technology helps me so much with meeting my love needs especially since I live so far away from many of my friends and family.
The fourth level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is esteem needs. This need can be met through feelings of esteem and accomplishment. Technology can help meet these needs in a couple of different ways. I sometimes post about my accomplishments on Facebook where I can share them with my friends and family (ex: graduating, getting married, etc.). Facebook will pop up to remind me of these old memories which give me a rush of the accomplishment I felt back when I completed them. I can also share my accomplishments with my friends and family through phone calls, texting, or video chats which helps me feel proud of myself. Through the use of technology, I have been able to take online classes and have received an associate’s degree, and am currently working on a bachelor’s degree. Without the advancement of technology which provided the availability of online classes, I would never have been able to undertake these things which help fulfill my accomplishment needs.
The fifth and final level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is self-actualization. I am not entirely certain I have quite reached this level yet, but I have some ideas of how technology is helping me get there. As previously mentioned, technology is currently helping me through my degrees, and maybe one day I’ll go all the way through a master’s or doctorate program. Technology helps inspire me in my art. I can learn new techniques online and through videos and view other people’s art, nature, etc. for inspiration. The internet also gives me access to research, blogs, or books which can answer questions I have about life or lead me to self-help books so that I can grow and always be working on being the best version of myself. The availability of information constantly at our fingertips because of the internet is truly astounding, and it wouldn’t have been possible without technology.
It is clear that technology can greatly assist in providing a person with the needs as described by Maslow. It is not just one or two of the levels of needs but can support all the levels in various ways based on the individual and how they decide to use the technology. It will be interesting to watch as technology continues to advance and see how that plays into Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in new and unique ways.