By that simple equation, most communities should progress constantly. But contemporary observations and criticisms of technology certainly do not reflect continuous cultural improvement. Technological progress and social progress rarely are equivalent. Technology itself does not define progress, but our use of technology can.
Progress is subjective.
Like any factor in social dynamics, the definitions of progress, improvement and growth, are different and changing for every group of people. In modern civilization, unknown effects, generally regarded as harmful, come to light after years of using a particular invention. Chlorofluorocarbons from aerosol dispensers are only one example. Individual and social perceptions of any technology shape the benefits and drawbacks of its use at least as much as inherent properties of the technology. Around the early 17th century, the Japanese learned about firearms from Southern European voyagers.