Thursday, November 4, 2010

Technology in Society Today


Initially I was intrigued when I saw the article: “ How Steve Jobs Stole Christmas
- -Apple Products Top Of Every Kid’s Wish List”. I automatically assumed the article would be referring to the increase of Apple products on children’s wish lists.  While this may be the case, as I read closer I soon discovered that the amount of children surveyed for this article was a very small number of people out of a very large population.  This made me think about how attracted we are as a society, to the title of things---the big headlines that grab our attention.  And hey! If they are catchy we tend to “read on.”   The way the information was portrayed was definitely tilted, due to the fact that when I read this article, it felt like I was reading an article based on a survey of a larger amount of people.  And  did you notice that the headline stated that Apple products were att the  top of every kid’s wish list?  This is misleading advertising!  http://www.fastcompany.com/1697645/how-steve-jobs-stole-christmas-apple-products-top-of-every-kids-wish-list
Even though this article surveyed a small sample size, it did raise the question of the influence of technology on our daily lives.  Younger and younger children are utilizing the technology that was not even conceived of a few years ago.  Connections across time and space are made regularly now through texting, video conferencing, virtual chat rooms and support groups.  It occurs to me that while technology can certainly cause many problems such as increased incidence of motor vehicle accidents while texting during driving, it is not the technology itself that is the problem.  Technology is not inherently bad, rather our relationship with the technology poses the problem.  After reading this article I began to examine my own relationship with technology and I realized the huge impact it has had.  My cell phone is always, and I mean always easily accessed when I want it to be.  And I am spending more and more time communicating via facebook and texting than I am with one on one in person conversations.  Take a second and evaluate the impact technology has had on your life, it might surprise you.    http://passioncomputing.com.au/articles/the-social-impact-of-technology.aspx