In order to develop your argument, you should read each of the articles below. In addition, you should research the topic further in order to defend your position on whether technology is helping or hurting society. You will then answer the following questions:
1) Explain one way in which technology has been positive for society.
2) Explain one way in which technology has been negative for society.
3) Do you believe that technology is more beneficial or damaging for young people? Explain.
4) Overall, do you believe that technology is ruining society? Why or why not?
http://www.inquisitr.com/1468612/steve-jobs-didnt-let-his-kids-use-iphones-or-ipads-heres-why/
http://ideas.time.com/2012/11/29/how-to-use-technology-to-make-you-smarter/
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mr-personality/201305/is-technology-making-us-stupid-and-smarter
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-smart-technology-can-make-us-dumb/
http://news.usc.edu/54256/the-benefits-and-drawbacks-of-online-technology/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-nelson/too-much-technology-is-bad-for-the-brain_b_5448015.html
http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2014/02/27/is-the-internet-bad-for-society-and-relationships
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shelly-palmer/technology-good-or-bad_b_4981309.html
http://news.essilorusa.com/stories/detail/children-and-technology-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly
65 comments:
One positive way technology has impacted society is that it has made our society's life a lot easier. It allows us to search things within seconds, talk and interact with people from anywhere at anytime and maps and gps are right at our fingertips.
One negative way technology has impacted us is that we have become slaves to it. It has become the other third of our brains. Some people cannot even function at school or work if they leave it at home by accident. Some kids score lower on literacy test because of too much texting.It has become the main part of our lives and nobody would know what to do without it.
I believe for younger kids from like 5-12 should not have phones and be exposed to too much technology because it will become too important and too big of a priority in their lives.
All in all technology in my eyes is improving our society more than not but the tech needs to be limited to young kids as it cannot be a high priority in their lives right now.
Zach T.
Technology is like coffee. It’s addictive, most cannot get enough of it and if you have too much of it it just might burn you out. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of benefits with using technology. In the workforce, jobs are being done quicker and more efficiently thanks to the help of robots and human-assisted machines. In regular life, technology is allowing us to spend more time with family instead of at the office.
However, many studies are finding that there is a multitude of problems that exist as we adapt to using technology in our daily lives. Most studies are finding that technology is a sort of crutch, in that instead of memorizing actual information people are just memorizing where to find that information. Because of this, one could say that the average person is becoming “less” smart. Not because their brains are devolving or something, but rather the brain is just being used less than it was before because all one needs to know is how to google the answer. Studies have also shown that many people are having a hard time adapting to the new technology. In fact, 25 percent of millennials claimed that just having access to a smartphone made life more stressful!
Ultimately, technology is a good thing for young people. How good one can not say, but the power to access almost limitless information without having to memorize it is powerful in itself. Yet, it is important for people to recognize that technology should be used to assist human functions, not replace them. If this distinction is not made, then it may be soon where humans will become inferior to the objects they create. Technology alone cannot ruin society, it needs the use of humans to do so. Overall, people control their own fate. And if technology is to destroy us, then the blame can only be on the people that used it.
Veronica W.
1) Explain one way in which technology has been positive for society.
Technology has had many benefits to society. One major benefit is an increase in productivity and efficiency. With new technological advances and products, people are able to do work much easier and quicker than they used to be. For example, with new laptops and tablets, people no longer need to be in an office to do office work. These new products allow people to do work at anytime and in any place so that work can get done much more easily and efficiently. New technologies make “complexity simpler than ever,” as stated in an article from Psychology Today.
2) Explain one way in which technology has been negative for society.
In contrast to the positive aspects of technology, there are many negative ones. One is that it tends to make people “dumber.” What this means is that people are forgetting things like using mental math or spelling a word without spell check because of their reliance on technology to do things like that for them. Studies have actually shown that there is a threat to handwriting because of the lean towards keyboarding. In a comical article from CBS News, the writer of the article exclaims that he is “devolving” because of new technology. People nowadays have such a limited amount of things that they can remember off hand, such as phone numbers, because technology remembers it for them.
3) Do you believe that technology is more beneficial or damaging for young people? Explain.
I believe that technology is much more beneficial than harmful for the younger generations. Despite the fact that teenagers are glued to their smartphones most of the time, we are still more productive than we would be without new technology. Many apps are actually helpful to us being more productive, such as Google Drive and Quizlet. With smartphones, we are able to do anything at any time, such as write an essay or study vocabulary flashcards. Tablets and laptops make it much more efficient to do school assignments. Typing notes on a laptop rather than writing them is much easier because they are always there and can be easily edited. Overall, I believe that the pros of technology for younger people greatly exceed the cons.
4) Overall, do you believe that technology is ruining society? Why or why not?
I do not believe that technology is ruining society- I believe the exact opposite. The world is shifting towards a more technological and productive society because of new advancements. Many new technologies have made people’s lives much easier than they were without technology to help them. Laptops and tablets make working much easier now that one doesn’t need to be in a specific place to make a presentation. Smartphones make it possible for people to do many things on-the-go that one would not be able to do with a simple flip phone. In the medical field, thousands of new advancements make an end to cancer in the future seem very possible. Despite the so-called negative effects of technology, there are myriad benefits that all lead to the idea that our society is advancing and gaining more knowledge.
1.
One way in which technology has been positive for society is by making us smarter in certain ways. Technology has brought society new features in almost every field of study; from schools to hospitals, it has increased learning ability. The internet has brought people answers to virtually any question they could ask, which is beneficial because this allows the average person to increase their knowledge about any topic they wish. It is much easier nowadays for someone to buy an online textbook than it is to wait to check a book out from the library. Also, instead of going to the library for any matter, whether its to find a book to read or just the answer to a question, that person may just look up what they wish on Google and find an answer in an instant. Therefore, technology has had positive benefits toward society.
2.
One way in which technology has been negative for society is in terms of relationships. While surveys say most people think it is beneficial, over the years the negative viewpoint has been increasing. People used to go out on dates with others, and talk face to face in order to build a relationship. Nowadays, people are meeting each other though dating sites, and I feel this is taking away from what used to be normal. People are becoming too dependent on technology, and relationships are now starting to struggle because people would rather text than see each other in person. If society continues on this pattern, it can be predicted that one day, nobody will actually meet in person, and technology will force people to meet online. This shows laziness in society; a factor that is negative for all people.
3.
I believe that technology is more damaging for young people. I believe this because the man who created the iPod, iPad, and iPhone, Steve Jobs, has this viewpoint as well. Jobs is the creator of the biggest technological devices on the market, yet he doesn’t allow his own children to use these devices, showing his belief that youth may be damaged by them.Yes, technology may entertain the youth, however they are losing values and experiences that the rest of the older population once had when they were young. Children these days may have trouble going out to dinner have having a conversation with their family without having their newest high-tech gadget in their hands. Technology has created an “easily distracted generation with short attention spans.” Children these days need to focus on making friendships and paying attention in school, and not paying so much attention to their phones, tablets, or any other type of technology.
4.
Overall, do I believe that technology is ruining society? I have a mutual view of this idea, similar to as stated in the decisions of court cases Sony v. Universal City Studios, and MGM Studios v. Grokster, that technology is neither good nor bad, rather it depends solely on how the technology is used. Technology has tons of benefits that make life obstacles easier and more information more accessible than ever. In the modern age, if someone needs to find out an answer to a problem, news updates, or virtually anything else, that person can go on the internet and find what they need. However, technology also has qualities that ruin society. Because technology is so accessible, it has made people more lazier than ever. In addition to laziness, technology may cause physical damage to people since they spend so much time looking at a computer, cell phone, or TV screen, which may cause retinal damage in the long-run. Technology’s efficiency and positive uses can be maximized if society uses it appropriately and limits the uses each day, always remembering to live life technology free, even if its for a couple hours a day.
Chris R
1. There have been many benefits to society due to technology. One of these is improved efficiency. If one wants to look up who a certain actor is, all they would have to do is take 30 seconds to pull out their phone and look it up. Efficiency in manufacturing has also improved because of new technologies. We can now mass produce everything and make it more readily available to everyone because of technology.
2. Negatives have unfortunately coincided with the positives. One of these things is increased dependency. Technology has become such a big part of our lives that it may be our demise. Some people can’t even do a simple calculation like 11x12 (which is 132) without the aid of a calculator. So if the technology burns out without warning, there could be major hindrances to economic systems with decreased production caused by this.
3. I believe that technology is more beneficial than harmful to young people. It allows a nearly unlimited source of information to them, allowing them to broaden their perspective of the world. This can be put back into the economic system through new innovations and increased knowledge of how to do their job.
4. I believe that technology is a benefit to society, not a destroyer. It provides us with many of the things that keep the world churning. Better healthcare keeps people alive and contributing to society and the economy longer. New production methods help people produce more things for society. Technology helps us communicate and stay connected on a much larger scale than ever before. Technology has changed the way we live our lives, and it has been for the better.
Mary M.
1. Technology has been positive for society as it has allowed for people to accomplish tasks in a considerably more efficient manner. People are able to accomplish more because it is faster, cheaper, and simpler for them to do so. It also allows for people to be able to learn more information, since information is now easier to come across. It is much easier to use the internet, for instance, to answer a question that would otherwise need to be found in a book, or researched in another manner.
2. Technology has been negative for society as it is inhibiting brain development. Instead of being forced to memorize things, people can simply look up the answers to their questions only to forget it a short time after. For example, if a student does not know how to answer a math question, they can simply plug it into a calculator and find the answer. However, they are not really learning how to do the math, just how to copy down answers effectively. Due to the ease with which people can find answers without doing work, they are no longer able to remember things as easily.
3. I believe that technology is more damaging for young people, at least in an intellectual sense. It hinders the brain development for young people, leaving them less able to take in new information and remember it. Since young people do not have to memorize anything, their memories are not as good. Additionally, it negatively impacts social skills. By having people constantly use technology from a young age, they are not as able to connect with others and maintain conversations. However, the one major exception to this is disabled children: technology can greatly help them to learn new things and communicate with others.
4. Overall, I do not believe that technology is ruining society. While people are no longer as able to remember things, the advancement of technology is making this a less required necessity. People are more easily able to get by on memorizing less, since they can look it up. Also, people are able to do more in a shorter amount of time, and multitasking is much easier. While there are several consequences of technology, such as a lack of memorization skills and distracted driving, overall it is positive for society as it allows for things to be done more efficiently and gives people access to information that they never would have been able to know otherwise. Advances in medical technology, house building, food production, and other necessities have positively affected society as well, as they have helped to improve the standard of living for many people. When used correctly, technology can be very beneficial.
1) Technology has helped society in that it has made both the individual and the whole more efficient. This efficiency comes from an increase in fluid intelligence, or the ability to acquire and process information, brought on by more readily available information resources. According to USC News, “Seventy-four percent of respondents said they are able to do more in less time with their technology.” This extra time we can then devote to our personal lives and relationships, or we could spend it coming up with more new technology.
2) At the same token, technology is causing a general degradation in the values and priorities of society. The improving technology has overshadowed basic learning principles, and thus may be detrimental in the long run. For example, the elimination of cursive and handwriting in general in the Common Core curriculum, is an indication that there is a shift in education, which is forcing kids to grow increasingly dependant on technology, and thus decreasing both will and ability to solve problems without computers or calculators.
3)I believe that technology is more damaging for young people. I know, from a personal standpoint, that I just got an iPhone last year and I physically can not put it down. Because I just got this technology in high school, I can see how my work ethic and efficiency has changed. If Steve Jobs, the creator of a major technology brand, limits his own children’s use of technology, that should be an indication to the rest of society that there are drawbacks. Right now, the youngest “lifetime iPad user” is just three and a half years old”, proving that we are creating a dependence on these toys for future generations.
4) I believe it depends on the way you classify ruining. From an opportunities standpoint, ever advancing technology will not only make us competitive with other countries, but may even help us get ahead. Technology in medicine, particularly, is something that has greatly helped society. On the other hand, if we look at technology from a social standpoint, I do believe that it is ruining society. We have become dependant on our devices, and in many ways they negatively affect our lives. For example, “Thirty-one percent said technology has made it harder to separate their work and personal lives.” (USC News). Another way technology has led to social decay is the use of iPads and Tablets as surrogate parents. Far too often you go out to dinner to see a kid watching TV while their parents talk, or worse, sit there on their own phones. Before technology had become so available, dinner time used to be about interaction and discussion. Overall, the values of society have changed and the emphasis on technology has let to social downfall.
1) Technology in this day of age has made an insane impact on the way people go through with their daily lives and not one single person could deny the truth behind this statement. Advances in technology do not include simply higher tech phones or better gaming consoles, but for the fact that technology has simply saved millions of lives. As technological advances steadily increase, the amount of lives saved each day also increases. Technology gives light to the people that may feel they have no hope. It allows the blind to be able to see, the deaf to be able to hear, and the handicapped be able to work. So many people one way or another realize the importance or technology and how it has benefited their everyday life. Without technology, many people wouldn't be able to enjoy life the way they do know.
2) Technology although being very beneficial in everyday society, does have its significant negative attributes that weigh very heavy. One of the most obvious negative effects of technology would be the overall empowerment these devices have. People are so consumed in technology that their social lives tend to lack as well. Adults that lived in the 50’s and 60’s had lived their entire childhood without the benefits of technology that kids of the 21st century have the luxury to indulge in. Parents are so concerned with their child's behavior because they no longer need to hang out with friends outside, when they can just communicate via social media. Kids don’t need to find satisfaction playing sports outside when they can simply do the same thing inside, except electronically. People are losing touch with the outside world and now are entirely consumed with the world inside the internet.
3) I can say without a doubt that youth with extensive amounts of electronic devices is absolutely more detrimental than beneficial. As Steve Jobs said, he limited the amount of electronics used in his household; despite however, him being a billionaire electronic mongol. Steve Jobs was aware of the problems that were associated if he allowed his kids too much electronic freedom. I was brought up the same as Steve Job’s children. My parents never allowed phones at the table, as well as limited electronic use. Although technology can help with a child’s growth, it plays heavily into their possible limited physical activity the kid as well as possible troubles in school and at home.
4) Overall, I feel that technology is more beneficial in society than it is detrimental. The fact that technology is saving lives and giving people who feel they had no hope second chances, outweighs all the cons. There are people in my life that I wouldn't have today if it weren't for amazing technological advances. Technology has helped people see life through a different perspective, as well as generally make people happier. I feel that 7 year old kids with smartphones will one day ruin society as we see it; however, the state that technology is in and the advances soon to come are improving rather than ruining society.
1) Explain one way in which technology has been positive for society.
Technology has been a positive for society in many ways, but the main way is that it has made life quicker. According to the 5th article 74% of people say they are able to do more in less time with their technology. This makes sense for basic world applications. For example, doing math on a piece of paper or plugging it into your phone with the click of a button. Also, if you need to go to a p;ace where you don't know the directions to, you can either take out a paper map and find your way or you can type it into your phone and it will tell you where to go hands free.
2) Explain one way in which technology has been negative for society.
Having a mother who is constantly on her phone for work purposes, this can be considered a negative that technology can create. Also, according to the 5th article 26% of people say technology makes them stressed because it keeps them always on call for work. Unlike less modern society where when you left the office you were completely done until you came back the next morning because other workers don't have the technology to reach you so often and conveniently.
3) Do you believe that technology is more beneficial or damaging for young people? Explain.
Yes. In the age of social networking and always being connected and attached to your phone it has had a great negative impact on young people. For example, social networking is really Anti-social networking. There is no interaction or anything personally social about it, where people are judged based upon how many likes or followers they have. How is that social? Also, technology is hurting young people's learning ability. If there was no such thing as spell check or backspace, people would be a lot smarter because they would have to take the time to learn how to spell a word correctly so they wouldn't have to white out the piece of paper from their type writer.
4) Overall, do you believe that technology is ruining society? Why or why not?
Overall I do believe that technology is ruining society because even though technology does have positives there are some great negatives. For example, thousands of people die each year due to the fact of technology and distracted driving. Also in the world of social connectivity it has really made the world of non social connectivity and the public has yet to realize because of how hard it is to not live with technology.
The rapid growth in technology over the past decade has produced both positive and negative effects on society, especially within the younger generations. Specfically, technology has allowed for an explosion in resources for learning, but has simultaneously limited the social interactions of those who constantly use it. For example, while techonology such as search engines has allowed for the quick access of a broad spectrum of information, and teachers use this technology for their classrooms, children are often observed as having shorter attention spans. Furthermore, children are also noted as having less social interaction than without a cellular device, as shown in a study drawn out by UCLA researchers. Although these technologies negate the social interactions of young children, their utility far outweighs the cost. The internet contains infinite knowledge, and when used correctly, can accelerate the young children's ability to learn. Furthermore, social interactions between children can still be present even with the presence of technology, as it has made communication easier. Technology, overall, is a benefit to society as a whole. It allows for an unprecedented connection between people who could possibly not be physically connected, such as in the use of social media. Furthermore, technology allows for the multitude of possiblities for anyone to learn through the vast knowledge of the internet.
Zach C
1) Perhaps the most prominent positive consequence of technological advances in society is the increased productivity and convenience. It is evident that businesses and individuals have benefited from this greater efficiency and productivity.
One technology that has benefited businesses in this way are newer methods of communication. Starting with email, communication is constantly being made more productive for the members of a company. E-mail is simply easier, quicker, and more efficient than telephone calls. More recently, many businesses have began to use “videoconferencing” which increases productivity by allowing employees from different areas to work together without traveling. When businesses are more productive and successful, society as a whole is positively impacted.
Individuals have also benefited from similar technologies. Increased ease of communication allows people to easily communicate with friends, family or coworkers without even making a phone call. This allows people to be more efficient.
2) One negative impact of technology on society is the lack of privacy that technology creates. Even for people that don’t post every event on social media, their privacy is still compromised, “thanks to data tracking software, cookies and web bugs that log what we search for, where we land and what we do once we get there.” (http://news.discovery.com/tech/is-the-internet-destroying-privacy.htm). Furthermore, there are very loose laws in place that regulate this method of data collection. Companies and/or websites can then track your habits, interests, and direct advertising directly at you. This might not seem too threatening now, but it is unknown how this lack of privacy will continue to grow and manifest in the future.
3)Overall, technology is more beneficial to young people, but it needs to be used correctly. Technology can be highly valuable as an educational resource. In early childhood, computer programs and games can be used to teach children how to read. Additionally, the prevalence of internet research allows students to investigate a particular topic with relative ease, and form their own independent opinions. Technology also provides young people with a wealth of information, which makes them able to educate themselves and further their studies.
4)Technology is definitely not ruining society. The positive impacts of technology and technology’s use in areas ranging from business and education to personal life greatly outweigh the negatives, which often result as a misuse of technology.
1. Technology has been positive for society by advancing the medical field and allowing for scans to be performed or patient files to be shared to other hospitals. Scans help lead to early detection or more precise diagnoses of diseases or illnesses.
2. Technology has been negative for society by removing people from the social atmosphere and isolating them to a virtual reality. People are constantly refreshing their newsfeeds to see what exactly people are posting rather than engaging in real life. Also, people aren’t learning certain skills such as spelling. I have a friend that relies on autocorrect and often times he spells the word so badly that it doesn’t even attempt to correct it. We are able to understand what he is trying to say because he spells it phonetically, however, in the business world, people won’t take him seriously if he has the same spelling level as a five year old.
3. I believe that technology is more damaging for young people because we no longer feel the need to remember something or know a certain fact. We can simply look it up on Google or Ask Jeeves but no one in their right mind would use Bing. Also, young people feel the need to constantly refresh their Instagrams or Twitters. My generation seems to “be in a cool contest.” It is a constant contest to see who gets the most “likes” or “favs.” People aren’t engaged in real life conversations when they are constantly taking their phone out of their pocket to see if they got a new notification. People who “spit fire on twitter” probably can’t hold a conversation with another person in real life. It would be slightly better if twitter or Instagram shared knowledge; however, they are just websites where people post narcissistic things online and hope to get attention. Websites such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and not really Myspace anymore (like come on) don’t promote levels of higher thinking, however, websites in which people can share their ideas or make users think deeply are websites in which teens should be visiting rather than this social media garbage.
4. I believe that technology is overall not ruining society. The articles talked about social media and the technology that affects us nearly every day. I believe that the technology mentioned there can be detrimental if not used in moderation; however, I feel that certain technology can be beneficial. An example of that is technology in the medical field. Technology that performs scans the body and detects certain cancers or other foreign bodies in a body can be helpful to many people. A family member of mine was diagnosed with breast cancer, however, due to the mammograms that were performed regularly; the doctor was able to catch it in its early stages. Advancements in technology along with medicine allow us to live longer healthier lives. I believe that these benefits in the medical field tremendously outweigh the detrimental effects of the unrestricted use of cellphones and computers. If a fact is needed at a certain time, the use of phones or computers can help.
1. Technology has been positive for society by advancing the medical field and allowing for scans to be performed or patient files to be shared to other hospitals. Scans help lead to early detection or more precise diagnoses of diseases or illnesses.
2. Technology has been negative for society by removing people from the social atmosphere and isolating them to a virtual reality. People are constantly refreshing their newsfeeds to see what exactly people are posting rather than engaging in real life. Also, people aren’t learning certain skills such as spelling. I have a friend that relies on autocorrect and often times he spells the word so badly that it doesn’t even attempt to correct it. We are able to understand what he is trying to say because he spells it phonetically, however, in the business world, people won’t take him seriously if he has the same spelling level as a five year old.
3. I believe that technology is more damaging for young people because we no longer feel the need to remember something or know a certain fact. We can simply look it up on Google or Ask Jeeves but no one in their right mind would use Bing. Also, young people feel the need to constantly refresh their Instagrams or Twitters. My generation seems to “be in a cool contest.” It is a constant contest to see who gets the most “likes” or “favs.” People aren't engaged in real life conversations when they are constantly taking their phone out of their pocket to see if they got a new notification. People who “spit fire on twitter” probably can’t hold a conversation with another person in real life. It would be slightly better if twitter or Instagram shared knowledge; however, they are just websites where people post narcissistic things online and hope to get attention. Websites such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and not really Myspace anymore (like come on) don’t promote levels of higher thinking, however, websites in which people can share their ideas or make users think deeply are websites in which teens should be visiting rather than this social media garbage.
4. I believe that technology is overall not ruining society. The articles talked about social media and the technology that affects us nearly every day. I believe that the technology mentioned there can be detrimental if not used in moderation; however, I feel that certain technology can be beneficial. An example of that is technology in the medical field. Technology that performs scans the body and detects certain cancers or other foreign bodies in a body can be helpful to many people. A family member of mine was diagnosed with breast cancer, however, due to the mammograms that were performed regularly; the doctor was able to catch it in its early stages. Advancements in technology along with medicine allow us to live longer healthier lives. I believe that these benefits in the medical field tremendously outweigh the detrimental effects of the unrestricted use of cellphones and computers. If a fact is needed at a certain time, the use of phones or computers can help.
Ryan D.
1. Explain one way in which technology has been positive for society.
Technology has been positive for society in that it has made communication much easier. With the invention of the telephone, internet, and the cell phone, there are multiple ways to get in contact with somebody. Society no longer has to use snail mail to communicate. People can be reached instantly through multiple ways and it has greatly advanced society.
2. Explain one way in which technology has been negative for society.
One way in which technology has been detrimental to society is that it has declined the social skills of society. More and more people rely on technology to communicate, whether it is through social media or texting, and as a result, people have difficulty with public speaking and just socializing in general.
3. Do you believe that technology is more beneficial or damaging for young people? Explain.
Technology is without a doubt more beneficial for young people. Very few good things come without without drawbacks. The positives far outweigh the negatives on the topic of technology. The internet has made life much easier for young people as they can use it to do homework, communicate with friends, or relieve stress. One negative as a result of technology is the decreased social skills of society’s young people. This problem is not present in all of society’s youth, only a small percent of it, as almost all of the young people in society use technology extensively and most young people can interact fine socially.
4. Overall, do you believe that technology is ruining society? Why or why not?
Overall technology is not ruining society. Yes, there are are some technological innovations that may do more harm than good, but overall there are far more positive aspects of technology than negative. Technology has increased the lifespan of humans, made life more enjoyable, and made life easier. Society is considered to have advanced over time, not declined, and the leading cause of that is the technological innovations over time.
Alec Simitian
Period 5
1. One benefit of technology is that newer, advanced technology allows us to become more productive. Cell phones with internet access connect us to anything we want them to. In general, we can perform more tasks in a certain amount of time with technology. The only reason I am able to type this right now is because of technology. I am allowed to share my ideas with a lot more people over a network of other students.
2. One negative aspect of technology is that it takes away from us socially. You lose your a lot of your social skills when you tend to use your phone a lot. A lot of people tend to text their friends more often instead of actually seeing them face to face. Also, a lot of people become obsessed with the features that come along with technology such as social networks.
3. I believe that technology has become damaging to our society. Everywhere I go, I always see a majority of people always on their smart phones, especially school. As soon as the bell rings, all you see is a bunch of kids walking through the halls looking down at their phones. Mostly everyone has become reliant on their cell phone because they feel it's necessary to send a text to their friend or tweet something every minute. Even when I go out for dinner, I always see couples on their phones. People lose their ability to socialize with others because of technology. Personally, I hate technology.
4. I would have to say technology is very beneficial to us because it allows to do a lot of things, but I believe that technology is truly ruining society . Yes, technology has allowed us humans to do things we never thought we could do before. Yes, it is now possible to talk to someone in China from the US because of technology, but we now we are at the point where we rely way too much on technology. For example, instead of actually trying to remember things, we set reminders for ourselves in our phones, laptops, etc. If evolution exists, we could possibly lose our ability to remember anything. Also, people start to panic when the power goes out. Why is it that humans were able to live without electricity before? Why do we need to have our phones constantly charged? We have lost our ability to solve problems because, now, all we simply do is type a question into Google. Although technology has its many benefits, I believe that it will lead to society's downfall
http://www.inquisitr.com/1468612/steve-jobs-didnt-let-his-kids-use-iphones-or-ipads-heres-why/
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-smart-technology-can-make-us-dumb/
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mr-personality/201305/is-technology-making-us-stupid-and-smarter
Makayla S.
1)One way in which technology has been positive for society is that it has been innovative and efficient. Through the ground-breaking technology we are able to learn more, information on everything, through the use of search engines.
2)A reason technology has been negative for society is that it makes you 'younger' resulting in the inability to do the simple tasks in life. Simple tasks like writing out a birthday card is most nearly impossible to complete to do all the technology that surrounds us today.
3)I believe that technology is more beneficial for young people because today we are able to communicate with one another through social media, text, etc. Technology is a way for the young people to browse the internet for information needed for reports, knowledgeable facts etc.
4)I do not believe that technology is ruining society because technology has help our communities communicate, get work done, and even lead to finding cures. With technology we are able to get the most use out of the world by learning about new ways of doing things, new research(medical,environmental,political).
Danny Byrne
1) The main benefit I see technology having on society is the ability to get things done more efficiently. The invention of the internet now allows people to access information easier than ever before in a matter of seconds. In todays world, a child with access to the internet can essentially be smarter than an adult by simply going on to their phone. The advancement of technology also allows work to be done anywhere at any time outside of the office setting. This gives people flexibility in their work schedule and allows them to better manage their work and personal lives.
2) Technology’s main disadvantage to society is that we are now a more disconnected society. People today pay more attention to their phones and trying to capture moments than they are trying to go out and experience things for themselves. People have fewer and fewer face to face conversations as it is all done through text messaging. This leads to worse social and communication skills between people, especially children growing up in this era.
3)I believe that technology is more damaging than it is helpful for young people. Technology now allows children to have limitless access to information, but those using this technology are not learning and retaining the information they receive, especially in a school setting. In the Huffington Post article it talks about how children are now learning coding, and educators are putting less of an emphasis on handwriting-“Every hour spent in the digital world, at school or at home, is an hour not spent doing something more valuable. The cognitive loss from surrendering handwriting to keyboarding is merely the tiny canary in the coal mine.”
4) I do not think that technology is ruining society, but I do think that it is putting an impairment on the younger generation. I believe that access to technology should be limited to children, and that more emphasis should be put on problem solving skills, writing, and social skills. This would mean that kids would actually be gaining knowledge instead of a temporary grasp of information or ideas given to them through technology.
I believe that the most important effect technology has had on society is that it has made the world into a truly globalized society. Technology in has conquered international borders and oceans in that with the use of it one can access information, people, and products from anywhere in the world. Businesses now how the power to reach out to all corners of the world increasing global interaction, creating a global economy, and encouraging peace. Technology allows us to to have 4 major stock exchanges in from New York to Tokyo and enable people to trade with a click of a button. Technology allows an American Pizza Company to research the secrets of tomato sauce, translate the information from italian to english, and then make an award winning pizza. Although technology is amazing it has caused people to become lazy and less intelligent. With all types assistants like calculators and spell check people are simply letting the machine do everything for them. Instead of reading a book to find out information on a subject one just simply googles it. I fear if we don’t monitor ourselves and balance technology with traditional methods we will create a society of people who can no longer think for themselves and rely on machine for everything. In the case of young people i think that technology is very damaging. I believe this because unlike our generations who grew up learning things traditionally with basic technology then adopting new technology as it came out, this younger generation is growing up in a world already filled with complex technology and may not learn how to function without it since it has been with them as long as they have lived. Even though technology may be damaging to the young, it is evolving society not ruining it. Without technology we would be living like animals. If a humanity creates a balance with technology not letting it become too prevalent but still utilizing it we can reach new heights of innovation and efficiency and ultimately create the perfect world.
I believe that the most important effect technology has had on society is that it has made the world into a truly globalized society. Technology in has conquered international borders and oceans in that with the use of it one can access information, people, and products from anywhere in the world. Businesses now how the power to reach out to all corners of the world increasing global interaction, creating a global economy, and encouraging peace. Technology allows us to to have 4 major stock exchanges in from New York to Tokyo and enable people to trade with a click of a button. Technology allows an American Pizza Company to research the secrets of tomato sauce, translate the information from italian to english, and then make an award winning pizza. Although technology is amazing it has caused people to become lazy and less intelligent. With all types assistants like calculators and spell check people are simply letting the machine do everything for them. Instead of reading a book to find out information on a subject one just simply googles it. I fear if we don’t monitor ourselves and balance technology with traditional methods we will create a society of people who can no longer think for themselves and rely on machine for everything. In the case of young people i think that technology is very damaging. I believe this because unlike our generations who grew up learning things traditionally with basic technology then adopting new technology as it came out, this younger generation is growing up in a world already filled with complex technology and may not learn how to function without it since it has been with them as long as they have lived. Even though technology may be damaging to the young, it is evolving society not ruining it. Without technology we would be living like animals. If a humanity creates a balance with technology not letting it become too prevalent but still utilizing it we can reach new heights of innovation and efficiency and ultimately create the perfect world.
Matt H.
1. Society has gone through many changes in technology over the last decade. Most of all the articles that I read were all negatives. However, some benefits, albeit slightly, were noted. Technology has benefitted the disabled in some ways that they might have been prevented in the past. Children in the classroom that have been able to utilize technology have been able to now equally compete with non – disabled children. In addition, educators have noted that students were better researchers as well as better equipped to find information they needed.
2. There are many cases on the negative repercussions of technology. One negative aspect of technology on society, one article noted, is that it is making people less intelligent. People no longer need to think anymore because all of their smartphones and ipads and computers have all of the resources they need. One reporter said he wouldn’t be able to recite his wife’s phone number under penalty of death. In fact, he couldn’t remember any 7 digit number because everything has been compactly stored on his cell phone. There are apps for almost everything. People no longer have to memorize or work out problems because everything can be accessed wherever they are at the moment.
3. I believe that all of this new technology that is constantly evolving is more damaging to young people. No one needs to have any skills anymore. You can find a way to do anything you want with your phone. You can solve any problems, find instructions on how to do most everything. Even young people, as young as 8 years old, have phones. It is hard for me to really assess something when this is all I know. I have grown up in the technological boom. What I think is just the way life is contradicts what my parents grew up with and believe. The fact that all my homework is on moodle, castle learning and blogs makes it hard for me to criticize what I am asked to do by my teachers every day.
4. No, I do not believe that technology is ruining society. If we didn’t have constantly evolving technology then we wouldn’t have changed as a society as a whole. We need to compete in the world. Technology I don’t believe is what is wrong. I believe it is the over abuse that people do with the technology. Look at Steve Jobs who created some amazing technology. Yet he didn’t let his children or his life become over exploited with his own products. There is place and a time for all things.
Ashley R.
Period 2
Different technology is used all over the world by many different people. Technology has advanced significantly in the past few decades that enabled humans to do so much more with just one piece of plastic or in one push of a button. Research and studies have shown many benefits in the world of technology, but it has also discovered many drawbacks as well. In the world today, we see many children and youth using new technology such as an IPad or a laptop. This has brought more of an advanced or an “easier” approach to learning and school work. Young children have a large access of games and apps that help them with lessons such as addition, vocabulary, multiplication, and reading. Children with disabilities, such as dyslexia, have programs on the computer that helps them learn and overcome their disability in the comfort of their own home. Older children are also able to do a lot more work on their laptops in a less amount of time than what they would be able to do with the traditional textbook, paper and pencil. This increase of technology has their benefits, but also may come with certain drawbacks. Research has shown that children with an extensive use of technology seem to have less social skills and shorter attention spans than those who don’t use as much technology. Children get in so deep with technology that their real life experiences decrease because they’re too busy on their phones or tablets. They show problems socializing and connecting with others. Some also show lower test scores because research shows that handwriting notes have more of an imprint on a child’s brain than just typing it or reading it on a screen. I personally believe that technology is beneficial to society, but not as a whole. Technology should be given to those who are older and had more of a need of it. High school students and working adults need the use of technology in order to complete work and projects. Though younger kids might seem to benefit from technology, they also seem to have the greater negative effects from it. Children should limit their use on a phone or tablet because it might come with great effects such as sight problems, social issues and other future health effects. Because young children are still developing and have a lot more to develop, they are greatly more affected by the effects of technology and the health problems it may come with. I do not believe that technology is ruining society. If anything, technology is help motivate society and keep moving forward. It’s because of the vast field of technology why there are so many jobs available and college students devoted to the study and research of new technology. It is the fierce competition between phone companies and car companies that keeps the economy moving. It’s the open resources of laptops and nooks that enable people to get information from anywhere in the world at any time. Yes, technology does have its drawbacks and effects, but it also comes with great benefits that can help society and people.
I am going to examine this from a purely social lense, as there is not enough time to study the effect of every facet of technology.
1) Explain one way in which technology has been positive for society.
Technology has made it much easier for people to execute plans. With a phone, you can set up plans for your entire weekend in less than 5 minutes via text. In previous years, face-to-face scheduling or even home phone event planning could be hard. Communication in general is so easy now. It is almost scary how quick you can connect to someone on the other side of the planet.
2) Explain one way in which technology has been negative for society.
One problem with technology is that we are too addicted. Although it is easier to make plans to see friends in person, face to face interaction is now limited because people are absorbed in their phones. Another negative is that with technology, friend groups are becoming so large, that people aren’t valuing individual relationships as much. With all of Long Island being a tweet away, it is hard to focus on one individual.
3) Do you believe that technology is more beneficial or damaging for young people? Explain.
It is way more beneficial than damaging to young people. One of the main complaints about technology is that children don’t play outside anymore, but this is just false. Young people still go to parks and do physical activity, but the problem is that no one likes to do these activities alone. You can’t have a catch outside with yourself. With technology, less-social kids can make friends on the internet. Its not perfect, but at least these kids are developing some sort of relationship with others. These kids would not have been playing outside anyway, so at least they are building some social skills.
4) Overall, do you believe that technology is ruining society? Why or why not?
No. Technology makes information so readily available, it is like having a library at your fingertips. In my experience, when I am having a good time with my friends, I will never have my phone in my hands. I primarily use my phone on nights alone, when I am feeling lonely and want to connect with the outside world. I have met some of my best friends through technology, and I have learned a great deal from internet databases. The real danger of technology is the threat of privacy, but with a little citizen activism, I think this problem could be prevented.
Eric G.
1. One way in which technology has been positive for society is that it allows people who live far away to stay in touch with great convenience. With services such as Skype, people can instantly video chat with each other over very long distances. In the past, long distance communication was mostly restricted to writing letters, which could take a long time to get delivered.
2. One way that technology has been negative for society is that it is constantly replacing social interaction. Because of technology, people are interacting less and communicating by means such as instant messaging more. In a social setting, some people would rather play games on their phones than interact with other people and be social.
3. I believe that technology is more damaging for young people in particular. This is because it is when a person is growing up that they learn about the world around them by observation and interaction. More and more parents are replacing this vital interaction and observation with technologies such as ipods and ipads. Introducing these technologies at a really long age cause children to focus on a screen rather than the world around them.
4. Overall, I believe that when it really comes down to it, technology won’t ruin society because nothing can truly replace human interaction. No amount of Facebook messaging can replace actually getting together with a friend. Although we may be getting somewhat less and less social as a society, people will always desire human interaction, which is something that no amount of inventions and gizmos can replace.
Joseph Campanelli
1) Technology has been helpful to society because it has allowed us to be more productive at work and has given us the ability to more easily keep in touch with family and friends and gives easy access to information. People are also able to experience things they otherwise would not have been able to through new technology.
2) Technology has been negative to society because it is detrimental our social skills, and it is often used to replace real world experiences. It can make separation of work and personal life harder. It is sometimes hard to figure out how to use new technology.
3) Overall I think technology is bad for young people, mainly because of the damage it does to young peoples' social ability.
4) I do not believe society is being ruined because of technology yet. I believe that once all of the older generation are gone, the people born without omnipresent technology, then society will see the negative effects of all this technology. Now the older generation is still socially adept and has the ability to pass on some of their social skill to the younger generation, but after this generation I believe young children will be socially impaired.
Joseph Campanelli
1) Technology has been helpful to society because it has allowed us to be more productive at work and has given us the ability to more easily keep in touch with family and friends and gives easy access to information. People are also able to experience things they otherwise would not have been able to through new technology.
2) Technology has been negative to society because it is detrimental our social skills, and it is often used to replace real world experiences. It can make separation of work and personal life harder. It is sometimes hard to figure out how to use new technology.
3) Overall I think technology is bad for young people, mainly because of the damage it does to young peoples' social ability.
4) I do not believe society is being ruined because of technology yet. I believe that once all of the older generation are gone, the people born without omnipresent technology, then society will see the negative effects of all this technology. Now the older generation is still socially adept and has the ability to pass on some of their social skill to the younger generation, but after this generation I believe young children will be socially impaired.
Advancement in technology has provided society to be more effective at what we do. It gives us access to infinite amount of information at our fingertips in a split second. It gives us new ways to communicate with each other from a few feet away to thousands of miles away. These progressions are in industrial advancement, the use of the internet, and the recent phenomenon of cell phones. These three aspects of technology makes humans themselves become more productive in almost every sector of the world.
Advancement in technology has also provided many negative effects on society as well. It makes us more dependent on our technology. We began to take the simplest things for granted. We also lose touch of what is essential to a human being as well. Humans become more dependent on technology makes us become even more incompetent to the easiest things in life. We began to take things for granted for example just driving a car. Without the introduction of the car, human’s productivity would be cut in half. The little things like transportation, communication, access to information makes humans become more reliant and in turn make us even “dumber” than before.
I believe technology can benefit young people as long as it’s used in moderation. If we are completely dependent on laptops and the internet then what would happen if we weren't able to use them anymore. We would have to go to a library and look up a book and therefore there would be a huge line at the librarian’s desk asking how to find something. Although technology can benefit young people; it can introduce new culture and ideals through the use of the internet. It can provide those in school with new ways to organize and study for an exam. It can even be as simple as texting a friend asking what the hw was. In the end technology is beneficial to young people but should not take away the basic human aspects that we seem to be drifting from day by day.
Like I said before, technology can help society as long as it is used in moderation. If used too much then we began to corrode the basic human aspects that make us so unique such as communication, intelligence, and independence.
Technology has made information much more accessible for the average person. It has made it much easier for people to educate themselves through the internet instead of completely relying on books or public education. I feel that it has made society as a whole smarter by increasing the ease of educating oneself. While someone had to go find a specific book at the library to learn about a new topic thirty years ago, now all you have to do is google something and you have countless different sources at your fingertips.
Technology has consumed our lives and has made many people rely on it all the time. People using their phones while driving has become an immense problem that never existed before cell phones became popular. Because of the simplicity of sending and receiving text messages, people don’t think about the danger caused by texting and driving. In 2011, at least 23% of car accidents involved the use of a cell phone. Before cell phones, this number was zero. So while cell phones have made it much easier to communicate with others, they have also made other aspects of our lives much more dangerous when used irresponsibly.
I believe that technology is much more beneficial than damaging for young people. It makes it much easier to multitask and get things done, much easier to find information, and much easier to communicate with others. While it certainly has its risks and may make people dependent on technology the benefits clearly outweigh the risks. Everyone has the ability to use technology responsibly, and technology can benefit anyone in almost any situation imaginable. When used responsibly, new technology has very few risks.
Technology is absolutely not ruining society, although it is understandable why people believe that it is. While technology seems to make people more introverted and independent, it actually just allows people to interact with each other in different ways. While people look down on the fact that people are always on their phones instead of talking to the people around them, it is often the case that people are just communicating with other people through the use of their phone. The availability of information does not necessarily make people lazy. Instead, it makes people expect information faster and people quickly become impatient. If technology was temporary, this would be a massive problem. But technology is only going to advance, so people will always have more and more information at their fingertips. Technology is crucial in today’s world, and is certainly not ruining society.
1.) Technology has been positive for society because it has allowed our society to do more in less time than it ever could before. Our modern societies are incredibly fast paced, leaving some people with little free time for themselves. However now, with the advent of advanced technologies such as smartphones and tablets, which allow us to do work anywhere, our free time is now starting to become greater. We can now do research or finish reports or homework using our phones while we are on the bus or train that takes us to our job or school! We can do a vast amount of tasks that could once only be done at home or at a library on the go, thus allowing society to get more things done in less time than ever before.
2.) Technology has been negative to society, however, because it does make it rather difficult for some people to separate their work lives and their personal lives. This is especially apparent in schools as well. Some high school teenagers cannot seem to separate themselves from their texts messages or social media updates for just one class period. They must check Twitter in the middle of class even if it means missing important notes or information given from a teacher, or worse, they have the nerve to use it during a test and find their entire test invalidated. Teenagers must learn to separate these two conflicting parts of their lives, their personal and work lives, or else technology may ultimately destroy them.
3.) For young people technology is can be incredibly beneficial, if monitored by parents and used correctly though. Young people are inherently immature; they usually make quick, irrational and uninformed decisions and do not thoroughly think out the potential consequences of their actions. This fact can be applied even when young children are using technology. This, however, doesn’t mean that technology can be damaging to them. If monitored by an adult who only allows their child to play safe, age-appropriate, brain building games, and who discourages the use of social media (or anything of the like) until that child is older will find that technology is wonderful and incredibly beneficial. Technology can introduce children to reading and writing using fun interactive games; it can enrich concepts and ideas critical to child development like math and science; it can even allow children to still play in the backyard (like older generations) but with new toys like Nerf guns.
4.) Overall, I myself believe that technology is not ruining our society in the slightest. In fact, without technology like cell phones and the internet, our world would probably cease to function, at least for a small period of time. Technology is perhaps the only means by which our modern day societies can advance. Technology is not ruining us; it’s only making us more intelligent, more investigative, and better connected. With today’s new cutting-edge technology humans can do things once thought impossible only a short time ago: we can send a rover to Mars; we can cure diseases and create vaccines for illnesses that used to be fatal like measles; we can even order pizza online without ever having to leave our seat to even get a phone! Obviously, technology is not weakening or ruining our society, it’s only making it better than it has ever been before.
1. One way that technology has had a positive impact on our lives is making everyday tasks easier. Such examples are daily reminders, GPS and having all information accessible at our fingertips through the use of the Internet.
2. One way that technology has had a negative impact is that it has an impact on society. It has made people lazy to do simple calculations for example, due to the convenience of the calculator. Also has caused less human interaction face to face. Most people are more comfortable chatting over the web then face to face. In addition in families it has created a weaker bond. Dinner tables are now full of kids occupied on their smartphones rather then engaging with their families.
3. I think technology is beneficial to young people. Although it might have some negative social effects, it exposes them to different perspectives of various topics such as politics, religion and etc. It allows them to be more open minded and also gain interest and learn something new everyday. It also helps them connect with others.
4. No I do not think it is ruining society. Although it has some negative effects, technology has impacted our lives so greatly and made so many tasks and duties easier in our lives. Without technology many of the great advancements of today would not exist and for some negative social impacts, i would make that tradeoff.
Nick P responds to Anthony M.
While I agree that technology has some negatives, such as thousands of people being killed each year due to texting, calling, or being absorbed in their technology while driving, the positives outweigh these negatives. For example, cell phones enable any carrier to contact emergency on the spot, which has increased victim survival rate due to the efficiency of ambulances and the hospital staff after an accident, and this is only in regards to car accidents. Technology as a whole has enabled people to gain requested information at speeds faster than ever. If a person needs to look something up, they can easily find an answer on the internet in less than a minute. Therefore, technology has enabled society to become a much faster, efficient, and productive environment.
Veronica W. responding to Victoria G.
I completely agree with what Victoria is saying about technology being both beneficial and damaging. I also find it an issue that it has ruined the idea of dinner being a time for family discussion. Although I said that iPads and tablets are useful, I had not thought of the alternate uses, such as video games and watching TV. However, we both agree that the technological advancements in the medical field have been extremely beneficial to society. All in all, we both agree that the benefits and downfalls of technology all depend on how it is used and what it is used for.
This is long overdue but…
1. Technology is literally so amazing… The prime paradigm of how technology connects is skype. As long as your internet doesn't screw you over every two seconds you can pretty much connect with anyone anywhere in the world except places that you really don't want to communicate to anyway (i.e North Korea). I personally communicate with my friends in South Korea using skype and seeing how the internet in that country is faster than time while having fun, it really connects me to people who I haven't talked to in a really long time and it's great.
2. Tinstafl is without a doubt a rather overused phrase but it's so true. With the benefits of technology comes a package of arguably minimal negatives. One example is chatting online. Yes we all love to chat with people online but for many, they lose a lot of social skills when they come face to face in real life because they don't practice enough speaking.
3. For young people is technology a benefit or a disadvantage??? The presupposition that technology is a benefit is in my opinion an absolute truth. Despite the rather old fashioned critics that are way too dogmatic in their provincial ideology to agree, technology innovation is a blessing from God. Technology is the reason why so many young people are even alive right now. Even if just one person had their life saved by technology I'd say that technology innovation is benevolent.
4. Is technology ruining society? Of course it's not. Despite it being the reason I play hours and hours of "League of Legends" everyday, it is ultimately giving better resources for societies to function and for lives to be saved. Technology innovation makes lives easier and also allows us to contribute to the world in general and make it a better place in my honest opinion.
Mary M. responding to Ashley R.
I agree with what was said here. Technology overall is not negative for society: in fact, in many ways it improves society. A great point on the impact of technology was brought up: it is one of the major driving forces of the economy. Many young people are studying technology in order to be able to use it to improve people’s lives. The advances brought on by the competition between different technological companies (an example listed here: phone companies) allows for improved products that help people in their daily lives. Also, advances in medical technology have allowed for people to live longer and happier lives, and for many diseases to be cured or otherwise treated better than they were in the past. People are able to gain more information than in previous years, as well: the internet, for example, has allowed for people to become much more informed about the world around them. Although technology may seem to be negative because people are spending more of their time using it, this is not the case: technology is, in reality, very beneficial for society.
Zach C
In response to Joe C:
It is interesting how you brought up that technology’s effect on the social development of children and young has not yet become completely apparent. I agree that the positives greatly outweigh the negatives currently, but as you said children may become “socially impaired”. I think that this phenomenon can already be observed. For instance how often do you see a young child in the supermarket, sitting in the shopping cart being entertained by Mom’s smartphone? Or in a restaurant, a child with their eyes glued to a handheld screen? I remember as a young child sitting in the backseat of the car gazing out the window, and constantly asking my parents questions: what’s that, what’s this. This curiosity allows children to grow and develop intellectually and socially even though these experiences may seem trivial and unimportant.
@ Max Rosenthal
I thoroughly disagree with your response to question 3 about how technology is hurting young people. Your argument about whether or not technology is the reason why kids don't go outside is false. Your misconception about how kids need a friends to do physical activity isn't right because it only takes a ball and a hoop to play basketball. Also, less social kids can make friends on the internet? How many Twitter followers do you have that you have never had a face to face conversation with? How is that social and how does that build social skills? When the kid is older at a networking gathering, what is he going to do tweet at his future employer?
While technology does make information more readily available, it also makes us more dependent on it and screw you citizen activism lol.
Ryan D. in response to Anthony M.
Yes, cell phone use has created a new form of distracted driving that has resulted in car accident deaths, but the amount of technological innovations making cars safer has far outweighed the negative effects of cell phone use while driving. Over time, less and less of the population has been dying from car accidents. For example, in 1972, 54,589 in the United States died in car accidents. This was in a population of 209,896,201. In 2012, 33,561 people died in car accidents in a US population that is much larger than it was in 1972. It can also be argued that more people are driving cars more than ever. The percent of the population driving cars now is much larger than it was in 1972, yet there are less deaths. There was no form of technology in 1972 that created distracted driving, yet there were roughly 20,000 more deaths in 1972 than 2012. Why is there this decrease in car accident deaths? Technology. Anti-Lock brakes, airbags, better road design, seat belts, all of these technological innovations have made driving safer. In 2012, only 10% of car accident deaths were a result of distracted driving. Technology has overall decreased the number of car accident deaths.
“The public has yet to realize how hard it is to not live with technology”. Why does the public need to know how hard it is to live without technology? Technology is here, it isn’t going to go away. Technology is part of society and always will be so people do not need to know what life would be like without cell phones or cars because they will never experience life without cell phones or cars.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_motor_vehicle_deaths_in_U.S._by_year
http://www.distraction.gov/content/get-the-facts/facts-and-statistics.html
In response to Victoria Grasso
Although one may see parents using technology as a substitute for actual parenting, this is not at the fault of rapid growth in technoology. Rather, it's just poor parenting in an unorthodoxed form. Futhermore, while browsing the App Store or any other resource for apps, one observes the various educationally oriented apps that may be used as a primitive form of education for a child not yet in some kind of formal education program. Furthermore, the iPads and iPhones kids are distracted with presently are just the modern equivalent of toys or television children of the past had been distracted with. Therefore, kids have just found a different resource to vent their defecits in attention. Overall, the assumptions based on your observations have been noted throughout history, and changing technology has just changed the resources through which people absorb their attention.
In response to Alec S
In my opinion your view on the effects of technology on society is obscure. I disagree with your idea that technology allowing humans not to have to remember things is a bad thing because if humans no longer have this burden then can focus more on learning how to apply and use this information. This allows humans the freedom and time to try do more complex things which in turn will create a more intelligent society. As far as problem solving skills, technology can only increase human’s abilities to solve problem because if humans use their intelligence in collaboration with technology there could be no problems we can not solve.
Makayla S. responding to Ashley R.
I agree with Ashley and most of her arguments that she brings to attention. Her point that technology is comforting to those with such disabilities like dyslexia illustrates that technology shapes a child into being more confident. Being the generation that is surrounded by technology is an arduous task to steer away from. Technology is ubiquitous and it is nearly impossible to not gain information or become more intellectual without it. Parents as well as teachers want students to read and with technology these children are able to be on their iphone and read information and breaking news within seconds.Most of the time knowing more breaking news then their parents who are not as attached to their phone. I agree with Ashley that older children are able to get their work down faster. Rather than sitting for hours with a pencil, paper and textbook we are able to Google questions and still write down the answers just as efficiently. Ashley brings a great aspect about technology into view when she states that technology is creating more available jobs, and motivating society to keep moving forward with innovations; however, I disagree that children should reduce their use of technology. I believe that children who use their technology efficiently will develop into the adult who receives a job with improving technological advances because they have been using it from such a young age. I believe that the young children should limit certain apps, but if apps like Quizlet are downloaded on their device they will be able to use it resourcefully like the older kids use it, stated by Ashley.
Brennan L. response to Makayla S.
Now one cannot deny that technology in the medical field has helped many individuals, however, to the population of Earth as a whole it is greatly detrimental. Increased technology in the medical field is causing people to live longer and have a higher population due to lower rates of miscarriage and other birth complications. With a larger population, the rates of consumption will increase exponentially thus decreasing resources at a faster rate. The earth can only contain a certain number of people, and with an increase in medical technologies, natural selection isn’t eliminating the “schmucks” of society anymore. Prior to the Black Plague, the population in Europe was growing out of control, similar to Earth as a whole today. The Black Plague helped lower the population in Europe to an equilibrium. This is going to happen to the Earth. Now I’m not suggesting Ebola Zombies is the new plague, but limited resources will help lower the Earth’s population. The population of Earth will decrease then until there is an equilibrium between the number of people on Earth and resources available. As bad as this may sound, people need to die. Resources that are used to keep people alive can be put elsewhere. The resources used for the elderly that are past their prime may be used to help babies who haven’t reached their prime yet.
Max R responding to Jake D,
I believe the improvement in technology has drastically improved the lives of young children. The amelioration of "apps" allows parents to select specific activities for their children to do. Instead of just placing a child in front of a TV for a few hours, parents can now pick out a fun educational app for their kids to play on for a few hours. Why memorize TV when children can memorize the alphabet? Kids do not have an income, so parents have to buy them their technology. Responsible parenting is important so that technology doesn't take over kid's lives, but responsible parenting has been essential to the development of children since an Apple was just a fruit.
Scott Bao - Responding to Anthony Martino's #4 Question.
Although you make the point that thousands of people lose their lives because of distracted driving and the usage of cellphones; I feel however,that in the greater scheme of things, technology is saving more lives in today's society than it is destroying. Unfortunately thousands of people are dying due to cell phones and the technology they possess, yet you need to weigh the positive results of technology as well. Technology allows for complex surgeries to save millions of lives, allows the U.S to transport food and medicine to those starving and dying in 3rd world countries and also gives hope to many who originally thought there was none. You cannot put a price on a human life, but I feel that the thousands that do pass away due to distracted driving related accidents are severely outweighed by the millions of lives saved everyday due to new and improved advances in technology.
Dan Robertson responding to Tyler P
While I certainly understand your argument and agree with the points you brought up, I strongly disagree with the fact that you fail to acknowledge any faults with the advancement of technology. You said that “ We can even order pizza online without ever having to leave our seat to even get a phone!” which actually contradicts your point directly. While you are claiming that this is a positive outcome of technology, it actually just displays the laziness of people which is only made worse through the use of technology. Technology such as this only promotes laziness as well as obesity, and has serious impacts on people’s work ethic. The instant gratification which is given to us by new technology also makes us appreciate everything less and feel a sense of entitlement.
You also claimed that “without technology like cell phones and the internet, our world would probably cease to function.” This also refutes your argument because it shows that society has become so reliant on technology that we are now dependent on it — similar to an addictive drug. Anything man-made which people completely rely on is inherently bad, as if we ever have a major technological problem, chaos is sure to ensue. While you made good points, the facts which you chose to back your argument actually display why technology is bad for society.
Tyler P responding to Scott B
I do agree with Scott on his idea that technology is more beneficial to society since it is saving lives and giving people second chances who felt they did not have one before. It is very certain that almost everyday has had they're own health improved or even outright saved by technology. Whether it be something as primitive as a cast for a broken arm or an X-Ray to detect hidden injuries all of these are very important technologies that have enormous benefits for everyone in society (like saving a person's life). Also, like Scott said, technology can give people second chances at life. Is technology so detrimental to society when it is able to give a dying little child a new kidney so they may live a full life? In this instance, the benefits of technology are much greater than any of the detriments. Technology can do so many great things like this and would certainly be almost impossible to live without it. In short, technology has much more benefits to society than detriments.
I agree with Veronica that technology is advancing and we are gaining more knowledge, however, we cannot fail to take into account the negative societal effects of it. Although we have progressing medical technology, which is a positive, we also have progressing in military technology, which is definitely hurting our society. The development of sophisticated weapons can basically lead to the destruction of our entire world in seconds, and one has to question whether medical technology has come into need because of the health affects associated to technology. In a less physical way, technology is destroying social relationships. Although we could make the argument that technology has helped people who are in long distance relationships or communication across the globe, it has taken away the value of a face to face conversation. I believe that if society progresses as it has, we will lose our ability to interact and think independently.
Eric G Responding to Joe C
You bring up an interesting point about how the older generation still influences the newer generation. I agree with you on the point that the next generation is the generation that will truly suffer as a result of the omnipresent technology. After that, living with technology will become the norm. What’s a little scary is that we will basically be the generation raising that newer generation. While the next few generations may get a a little progressively worse socially each generation, I believe that it will reach a limit after a few generations. This is because no matter how much interaction is ultimately replaced with technology, people are social beings and will always long for actual physical interaction. I don’t think that technology would ever be able to truly replace the connection people feel during a face to face conversation
Zach T. responding to Matt H.
Matt, I am extremely confused with your post. In question 3 you state " I believe that all of this new technology that is constantly evolving is more damaging to young people", yet the very next paragraph you then state " No, I do not believe that technology is ruining society". Entertain for a minute the thought that young people ARE the future of society, wouldn't it be correct to say that technology IS ruining society? Personally, I feel that the technology being used today is helping our youth develop in a way that has never happened before, and whether that is good or bad I will have to wait to tell you but otherwise I feel that you should stick with one answer.
Dan Kim commenting on Brennan's post:
Sites like Twitter do contain knowledge that teens can really benefit from. When is the last time that you personally went and searched an actual news website for some news during your actual free time? It may have been recently but I'm saying that many kids nowadays can really benefit from reading about the recent news online via things like trending lists or tweets because they don't really take the time to go search up the things that they should know about such as current events or breaking news.
Brennan L. response to Dan K's response to Brennan L's post
I thought you didn't use twitter...hue
Jake DiPardo responds to Zach T
I agree fully on what Zach says about how technology has helped society in so many ways and has made lives easier in work and connecting socially through phones and such but I disagree on how younger kids should hold such a powerful and most of the time a stressful device. Parents should hold off before spending $600 on there 7 year old for an IPhone they do not need. And even if its just for entertainment it should not be and the parents should spend more time with there kids.
Danny Byrne responding to Dr. Joe Impostato
I agree with most of what you said, especially when you talk about the fact that technology has started to make some people increasingly lazy. I definitely think that the access to technology for young people should be limited, especially in a school setting where information should be learned, and not looked up on google to fill out your homework. The one problem I did have with your response was your comment on technology encouraging peace. Technology certainly can be used as a tool to encourage world harmony, but it has been used start problems and make things worse in the world. An example of this would be the development of chemical weapons in the first world war. These weapons were state of the art, but have had detrimental consequences to the people that have been affected by them. The other problem was your comment on how we would be living like animals if we did not have technology. My problem is that we technically are living like animals already because humans are apart of the animal kingdom, the Phylum Chordata, the Class Mammalia, the Class Primates, the Family Homonidae, Tribe Hominini, and Genus Homo. Other than that, I agree with your statement.
In response to Anthony Martino
I disagree with your statement regarding whether or not technology is ruining society. You state that technology is a reason for thousands of people dying of distracted driving but now in our society car and phone companies have developed ways that we are not distracted in the car. There are plenty of avenues that we can use ourselves to prevent distracted driving such as “hands free mode” or even just turning your phone off yourself. The number of people dying is only a statistic in that it only serves a very minor percentage of people around the world. It is in my belief that the benefits of technology outweigh the death tolls of technology.
Rob Villano in response to Alec Simitian:
I strongly disagree with your response to question 3, and your opinion on technology's effects on our society. Without certain technological advances (i.e. the internet, smart phones that can access the internet), many functions that have become a part of our daily routine would be much more difficult or maybe even impossible. These functions include what all of us have done this weekend, earning credit for our opinions on technology while using the technology for which we are basing our opinions on. Ironic right? Sure there are plenty of things available to hinder one's productivity while using technology, but the marginal benefits of having the technology available to us is FAR greater than the marginal costs of the possible damage it could be causing to our opinions on society.
Arman in response to Alec Simitian.
I feel your argument is very unbalanced. Yes it might be true that technology has made humans more reliable on their smartphones and computers, but Technology has only proven to encourage the advancement of society. Technology has allowed us to reach heights we have never reached before, has allowed us humans as a race to live longer, and also has created so many platforms for attaining new knowledge to people all over the world. People becoming a little lazy and dependent on their phones for the great leap in advancement technology has provided is a fair tradeoff.... don't you think?
Rob Villano in response to Zach Thiele:
I like your analogy of technological advances. You are very right, in my opinion, that technology is useful in small amounts but harmful in large amounts. Then again, mostly everything used in large portions can be harmful to oneself. Also, your quotation regarding smart phones causing stress needs to be put into some context. Anyone, or anything for that matter, with such an extensive amount of information at their finger tips would feel slightly overwhelmed at the least. I feel that the task was built to analyze technology in itself and how it effects society, rather than how people react to such technology (since it is what we are doing in each blog post).
I agree with Dr. Joe Impostato’s statement about competing in a global market. The benefits that technology brings, like shown in his pizza example is just one of the ways that the positives outweigh the negatives. We get immediate results from all corners of the globe instead of waiting for yesterdays news. I disagree with his comment on machines making us only lazier. The point of technology is to make things easier, but just because something is easier for us doesn’t mean that we are not putting effort into it or being lazy. We still are putting effort into other venues, but machines are helping us be swifter, faster and more diverse.
Julia S. responding to Veronica W.
I agree that technology is overall benefitting society. Although there are negatives effects of technology, they are out weighed by the positives. I agree that without it society would not be where it is today. It has helped in a social aspect, a medical aspect, even an educational aspect. Socially speaking, people are able to communicate with others across the world with a simple phone call. Ideas are being spread, along with opinions increasing the knowledge of many. Without it, there would not be cures or treatments for diseases such as cancer as Veronica said. From an educational point of view, the apps that are targeted towards younger kids, and toddlers are enforcing education while participating in an activity a child would enjoy such as playing a game. This promotes an idea that learning is fun. Overall, if technology continues to develop at the pace it’s at now, I believe society will be affected in a positive light by it and many problems will be solved due to its development.
Alec Simitian responding to Arman Arneja
Yes, without technology, we wouldn't be where we are now today in society. We have advanced greatly and we have reached heights we couldn't think of attaining in the past because of new technology, but now I feel as if we rely on technology for EVERYTHING. We starting to lose many of our abilities we once had in the past without technology. Because of technology, we are losing our social ability and now, people are talking to each other, for example, through a device. We become too consumed on social networks as well. It's like us teens depend on it. So yes, technology has advanced us, but now it is coming to the point where we are too dependent on technology to do everything for us. Technology ruins society.
Rob Villano, Response:
1) Technology has been extremely beneficial to society by making the world a much smaller place. Once immense distance boundaries are now much more navigable due to technological advances like the smart phone or the internet. Communication, at least within these long distance connections, is quite simple yet so fascinating. For instance, a person can now take only 10 minutes out of their day to contact a distant relative in the far east via networking platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, E-Mail, and others. The sheer fact that I could be sitting in a room thousands of miles away from someone that I am communicating with shows the power that technology has brought into the lives of this generation.
2) Society is changing, mostly as a result of the rise in technological advances. Also, our outlook on how life should be, or even how society should act, has changed. Once lasting traditions in a normal child's life have vanished to due the rise of the internet and other technological advances. Children no longer wait weeks for the delivery of a new Sports Illustrated magazine, instead they go to a computer and type in the URL www.si.com. Less people are opening up their doors to take a bike ride to the local park with their friends, instead they text their buddies to sit in front of a T.V. screen to play video games for hours on end. As fascinating as technology may be, its advancements have led to a less intimate world to live in.
3) I must be honest, I had a very difficult time formulating an answer to this question. In one way, I feel that such advanced technology should not be at the hands of children because it could eliminate some experiences that are necessary for a child's development (i.e. verbally communicating with friends, staying active by playing outside, etc.). However, I feel that the usage of technology is necessary for the direction in which society is heading, and one way to get a leg up in using such technology would be exposing children to it at an early age. A proposition that I would make is the usage of certain technologies (i.e. computer sciences, coding, using the internet, etc.) be taught in schools, while eliminating the rather useless facets of technology from the households of those children. Very similar to the points made in the time.com article, isolating the good that technology is capable of would be extremely beneficial to the young mind. In that way, children would be exposed to all the wonders of technology and would have the opportunity to build skills in the field at a young age, while eliminating the various distractions that such technology could bring.
4) I feel that technology is changing society, not ruining it. Like I said previously, technology is making the world a faster place, and in doing so, many of our values must change in order to fit the world around us. For instance, a family dinner at home has become quite rare in the common household as of recent due to the faster pace of life. Everyone needs the information NOW, the work done NOW, or even the text sent NOW. However, many people are forgetting where we came from only about 30 years prior. "Snail mail", or postal services, has become obsolete now but used to be the primary form of communication many years ago. Not many people know how to address a letter because of how much simpler it is to send an E-Mail. Once again, it's all about perspective. Some may see society's movement toward technology as a terrible thing, others may see it as a necessary step in man's development as a species. I simply see it as an imminent change resulting from man's desire for more information.
Sir Elias Dimitris Tsalatsanis XVII responding to Alec Simitian
Alec, it is easy for me to say that your answer for #4 about technology, is utterly unfathomable, in a good way though. I must say that your examples you provided about reminders and power outages, are slightly weak, due to the fact that the impact they have on our lives are substantially small compared to the positive influence that technology creates, such as saving human lives and space exploration. Also I believe that not everyone panics during times like these like you had explained, but only ignorant people do. You also say that it will lead to society’s downfall, and that seems pretty drastic if you think about it especially when you come to the fact that actually it will lead to more and improved technology that’s sprouted from the most innovative and avant-garde individuals such like myself, John A. Davis, and Marshall Mathers.
Sir Elias Dimitris Tsalatsanis XVIII responding to Arman Arneja’s response to Alec Simitian’s Answer #4 about technology that I have already chimed in on
As Arman said and that I side with him on, your claims do not seem very balanced. But what I mean by that is when I place your thoughts on top of a metaphorical balance, things do not really seem to even out. The cowboys are going to lose. I honestly feel that just solemnly from the fact that certain technology we have today is saving human lives, the marginal benefits weigh out the marginal costs at such an exponential rate. The very small marginal costs are simply: people get distracted, our own mental problem solving abilities are slowly diminishing, and some human beings occasionally feel uncomfortable when they are currently not in contact with the social world through their mobile device. That is it. Those factors do not seem very scary or destructive to me.
Gabby M. replying to Jake H.
I agree with Jake's argument. I think that technology is good overall, but not for young children. For example, many types of technologies, especially cell phones, can hinder the development of children's minds. These days, more and more parents are purchasing cell phones, iPods, and iPads for their young children. As a result, children become addicted to these new gadgets and they stop going outside. This can lead to children becoming lazy and unproductive later in life because they are constantly staying indoors, glued to their computer screens. Children may also not be able to develop crucial social skills needed to succeed in the real world. For instance, children may never learn how to read a real book because they are so used to iPads and ebooks. Today, I witnessed this firsthand when I was at a family party. My dad's cousin told me that he bought his three-year-old daughter a real book (not an ebook). To turn the pages of the book, his daughter tried to swipe the pages like it was a phone. This shows that technology has interfered with this particular girl's development in basic activities so much that she didn't realize that the book doesn't function the same as her parent's phone. In conclusion, technology isn't always as beneficial as it seems. Although technology can benefit our society in many ways, there is a cost to increasing productivity. New, innovative technology that seems to increase a person's quality of life can cause unforeseen consequences. Thus, I think that young children shouldn't be exposed to technology until their brains have developed more fully.
Ashley R. responding to Mary M.
I agree with Mary when she states that technology has been positive for society for it allows people to accomplish tasks at a faster pace than the traditional method of paper, pen and textbook, but I do not agree with her statement saying that technology isn’t forcing people to memorize or learn but just copying answers. I don’t believe that technology is inhibiting everyone from learning and develop. Yes, some people may use technology to get the answer of a test problem or homework question that they are doing and just write it down and forget about it, but not everyone is going to use technology just for that purpose. Technology has many different operations such as teaching children how to read, flashcard apps to memorize vocabulary and games to understand certain concepts. Those who use applications and strategies such as this have easier ways to study and do their tasks. With the help of technology and the internet, people are able to learn more online than they ever were and can always find a method of studying that fits them. Whether it is watching crash course on YouTube or constantly reading quizlet vocab words, people are able to study wherever they go in whichever way they please.
Max R. to Anthony Martino’s reply to my original comment
I think you’re misinterpreting my argument, so I’ll try to clear it up for you. I’m not saying that all physical activity requires friends, but I would say a lot of it does. Sure, shooting a ball can be done by yourself. But doesn’t that get boring? What if you want to have an actual game? What if you want to play tennis, baseball, football, or lacrosse? You can’t deny that playing sports is much more enjoyable with other people. So no, they don’t need a friend to play some sports. But are they going to play if they don’t have any friends? Probably not. In response to your second argument, I think you're misinterpreting my words again. Before the internet, a non-social kid would probably spend most of his time practicing a lonely hobby, or would read books. Their options for finding friends were limited to their neighborhood and school, which maybe consisted of around 50 kids. With technology, kids can connect to billions of people. They can play games with strangers, and meet friends online. Look at this guy
http://www.reddit.com/r/wow/comments/2hq6jd/our_guild_is_nearly_9_years_old_and_and_we_have/
He met his best friends on World of Warcraft, and they all flew to his wedding. Do you really think that this person would have met these types of committed friends without technology? I’m not saying that online interaction is a perfect substitute for face to face conversation, but it is the best thing available for these kids who would otherwise grow up with no social skills. Do you think if we turned off the power for a weekend, all the couch potatoes would suddenly start going to clubs? Social people are social people, and technology isn’t going to corrupt that. And to answer your question about my twitter followers, I have indeed made some great friends through twitter.
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