Review Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and explain how each level
relates to your experiences with technology.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is an illustration of a pyramid listing human needs -starting from the bottom are the basic needs of survival (like food and water). Once these basic needs of survival are met, humans can then focus their attention on thriving. This theory suggests that once our basic needs are met, we can then start to work on the upper levels of high achievement. We analyze this theory in the context of behavior and attitudes individuals might experience online. In the digital world we find ourselves in today, our human needs online may seem less intuitive. Maslow states the following needs in this order must be properly met to achieve self-fulfillment: 1. Physiological needs, 2. Safety needs, 3. Love and a Senses of Belonging, 4. Esteem needs, and lastly, 5. Self-actualization.
As stated above, the foundation of the pyramid is having basic needs of survival in the physical form. In the digital realm, this can be related to having the physical need for a device that can connect to the internet. Also, having a reliable internet connection is a basic need.
The next level that is a part of the basic needs category is security. Having a level of security while using technology is essential. Your data holds enormous value for not only you but for criminals who want to abuse it. To move up on the scale of the pyramid of needs, a sense of safety must be met to move on up. To advance to psychological needs, you must feel safe.
Once your basic needs are met and satisfied, to thrive, humans need a sense of belonging and love. In the digital realm, this can correlate to having a community of people online that makes a person feel connected emotionally, and mentally. Once a person feels a sense of belonging, they can then start to work on self-esteem needs. Esteem needs are turning inward and addressing issues that hold a person back from accomplishments. This is a reflection stage of the pyramid and can correlate to how a person uses technology. Questions to address esteem needs concerning technology are this: Do you use technology as a tool to build yourself up or do you use it to not only hurt yourself but others?
Once successfully addressing the psychological needs, a person can move up to the top of the pyramid to self-fulfillment needs. This is when a person is no longer just surviving but thriving. Thriving in such a way as having the space to be creative to achieve one’s full potential.