Progress means moving or going forward in a process or an advancement. It is the idea of a process in which societies or individuals become better. It also refers to a type of a process that constantly changes some parameters of the society.
Progress has not always proved to have positive effects on society. But the introduction of newer and better machines and technology has meant more pleasant lives. Despite many negative aspects of these changes, such as laziness and dependence on machines, history has evolved based on progress.
Progress may mean that many countries have dense populations, as well as industrial pollution caused by carbon emissions and careless handling of heavy metals. It is true that all these have led to depletion of the ozone layer and global warming. It may also mean that many countries have developed nuclear weaponry in the belief that it can deter a war.
It is no exaggeration to say that technological progress has made us lazy and dependent on machines. Many children have grown glued to computers and television and prefer to use calculators rather than to use their brain.
History has developed based on human progress, so has the society. There are many people who neglect preventing pollution or forget to cultivate themselves, because technological advances have made them callous to the negative aspects of progress. No matter what, human society has moved forward in a positive direction thanks to progress made by efforts and ingenuity of so many people who lived in the past and those who are living in the present times.
While technological advances have come at a price, including pollution and endemic laziness among people, they have been the engine of growth of humanity. History has evolved while progress is made. Progress may not be always good, but it has pushed the human society forward and upward.