Obama Bringin' Change! But so is Technology

Prior to the break, we were discussing the topics of how society functions as well as social change. Technology is a very significant factor of social change because of all its positive or beneficial uses as well as its potential consequences. It is clear that in the past, great inventions such as the Gutenberg printing press, the steam engine and the automobile have greatly changed past society. In addition, our present society is now constantly inventing, innovating and expanding on extremely sophisticated new technologies. So much so, that the past decade and a half is sometimes referred to as “The Technological Revolution.” But how has this impacted our present day society? Can there really be severe consequences?

I agree completely with the past examples of technology bringing widespread change (maybe even faster than Obama). The printing press allowed for the written word to spread to everyone, including the commoners, helping to spread both the Protestant Reformation and the Renaissance Humanist style of thinking, which lead to the scientific revolution and the Enlightenment. The steam engine was so revolutionary it sparked the entire Industrial Revolution, allowing factories to be placed anywhere and allowing finished goods to be transported very quickly. This also allowed the populations to travel across entire continents. Finally, the automobile greatly shifted changed the lifestyle of the previous generations. Having a vehicle allowed people or families the freedom to live wherever they choose and still be able to travel to work or to any locations they want or need to reach. It caused suburbanization, which meant people would live outside of the big cities, in more cozy residential areas.

Present day, even more wonders have come into existence, that have created amazing and extensive changes. The most prevalent of these is the Computer and along with it the Internet. The rise of the internet has allowed any form of information to be accessed by any computer, anywhere in the world. People can share knowledge or communicate on an entirely global basis. What is even more amazing is that these inventions continue to grow and expand. It’s as though the technology we create inspires us to create even greater inventions. So much so that is has become a case of: what came first the chicken or the egg? I think it is still our own human remorsefulness that does most of the work, but there is no doubt technology will continue to play a huge role in changing and shaping our future society.

However, this will come with several consequences which are nonetheless quite interesting. The rate of change is an issue, since it really has moved to a rapid pace; those left behind can really get left behind. Furthermore economics also comes into play, since to constantly upgrade or replace devices it can be very costly. Some people also can become obsessed with all the new wonders and become slightly addicted. Others may still be using dial up internet or an old Mp3 player instead of the newest Ipods or even the Ipod Touch. Having the newest devices is almost like a status symbol. But trying to constantly keep up can lead to something known as “The amonie effect” or future shock. Another consequence is that when the devices don’t work as they are supposed to, people get really frustrated or feel anxiety.

Finally the issue I find most believable, is how the means to communicate have changed so drastically, that talking through means of Facebook or a text message can be more common than face to face. This can be a very tough obstacle to overcome for many, since a very large portion of meaning in communication comes from the non verbal parts, such as hand gestures or facial expression or the tone of voice can also play a role. These are replaced by emoticons, which although extremely fun to type, don’t really convey true emotion. Another issue is that the means to connect and stay connected with your circle of friends, or co-workers has expanded so much that sometimes it isn’t necessary to socialize with strangers or meet new people. So when you are out in the world in an unfamiliar setting, since it’s so easy to stay in contact with people you already know, why take the effort to try and talk to someone new? Mr. Sirianni mentioned this, through explaining his trip to England and how everyone on the train or plane was caught up in their own little word, their private network. I also saw this, when I was at driving lessons. Many people came from different schools or areas bringing at most 1 friend and for the most part very few people talked. Everyone, including me had their phones to talk to their other friends to kill the time rather than starting a conversation with the other people. (Although I added the cute chick who sat across from me to Facebook!) This means that in contradiction, even though sometimes real opportunities can be missed, however a whole world of new people to meet are closer than ever. Through the internet the whole world is united and a global community is created. I know I have met some interesting people online, whether fairly local or completely foreign I otherwise may never have gotten to know them.

In conclusion, technology is a very powerful agent of change in society that through the past has been proven to completely shape how people live and perceive the world around them. Even though our modern day society may be developing technology at an even more rapid pace, the awe inspiring benefits far surpass the negatives and the future is continuing to look even more amazing.