The Life of Technology

Is technology taking over society? To what extend are people becoming addicted to technology? Today, technology has been very popular and becoming more universal. More and more people are becoming dependent on technology compared to the last couple centuries where there were no electronics. Now in days everything involves with the use of technology. Although, technology can be addicting and have a few advantages and disadvantages, but I do believe technology has made life a lot easier due to the convenience that it brings to the society.  

In the article, “Gin, Television, and Social Surplus” written by Clay Shirky. He had stated, “For the first time, society forced onto an enormous number of its citizens the requirement to manage something they had never had to manage before--free time. And what did we do with that free time? Well, mostly we spent it watching TV.” (pg. 237) For decades, watching TV was a regular routine on a daily basis. Technology was not as popular then like how it is now in this century. There are still many television series to watch, but people now don’t just sit and watch TV like they used to. Instead people go out and find something else to do on their free time. For example, instead of waiting for the episode to watch on TV, today technology allow people to watch it online through websites like YouTube, Netflix, Hulu and etc… whenever they want. For instance, through my own experiences, when I am at work. I often missed one of my favorite shows called “The X Factor”. When I come home from work, I am not as worried about not having the chance to see the episode. With today’s technology I can go on my laptop and search for the episode that I had missed on a website called “YouTube” and just watch it on my free time.

In the textbook, “Meeting of Minds,” A Conversation “Is Being "Plugged In" Changing Campus Life?” by Liz Williams, Ethan Kolek and Meg Kluge. Ethan stated, “Although critics allege that students are less engaged in their campus communities today than in the past, the connections enabled by the World Wide Web, email, chat rooms, and instant messaging allow students to interact with a new, larger community.” (Pg. 496)  For this matter, it is very true that now students are very into the new technology era. For example, teachers back in the days gives out assignment sheets for what is going to be done in class on a daily basis. With the technology we have now everything is being emailed or on a website that can be easily accessed through the internet. Students can also email each other and chat online for free and not have to worry about overpriced phone bills or going over their contract minutes limits with their cell providers. Communications are a lot easier for those who are overseas. It’s much faster and also a way to save the environment. Through my own experiences, one of my close friends had moved to Providence, Rhode Island 7 years ago. Ever since I had lost contact with her. Thanks to Facebook for the past couple of years, we had finally got in contacted again and had been keeping in contact ever since. This website allows me to write and video chat with her. It’s easy, fast and no cost.

Another quote that I find very interesting is also in the same textbook called “Meeting of Minds,” “Media Overload” written by Stephen Collinson. “There has been plenty of speculation on the impact on daily life of fast expanding media. One theory for instance has it that as people become more and more connected electronically; they are becoming less and less connected personally.” (Pg. 498) Honestly, I actually agree with what the writer Stephen is saying in this quoted. Due to the fact most people in this decade are so used to the media of chatting online to meet new people compared to walking in the streets and meeting or connecting with people at a personal level. For example, there is a couple of web site where people go chat and webcam each other like Facebook, Skype, Oovoo, Yahoo Messenger and Meebo etc… I’m sure that there many other websites to go on for chatting and webcam that I am unaware of. For example, I would meet old high school friends on the website called Facebook. I don’t really know them well enough to hang out or to meet in person, but I still had the courteously to stop by on their page to say “Hi.” No harm is done and we can stay in contact. It’s almost like a high school reunion, without seeing each other in person and still knows what’s new in and out of their lives as they post comments and picture for friends to view.

Although, ease and flexibility is what technology has provided to society for school, business, medical science or leisure based on activity. There are a couple of advantages with technology which is can help us with Globalization. This means that we can share information quickly and efficiently. Also, countries separated by distance can see and share information all around the world.  Beside there are many websites were you can still keep in contact with your relative who are staying oversea. However, it’s a fastest and easiest way for you to communicate with people all around the world. It’s cheaper because you don’t have to keep buying phone card all the time. On the other hand, the advantage of technology is it can be safer for people to chat with us. It’s fast and easy to search up places, information on things.

Some of the disadvantages of technology is it can be very addicting and it can lead to over using them constantly without noticing the changes in a daily routine. It causes people to be lazy and less interactive with the outside world. With all of these technologies that we are experiencing turns into a habit and it’s very hard to cut it off when everything and everyone around us revolves around it. Technology is a new trend and people are going to see and realize that there won’t be face to face communication anymore due to the fact that everything will be done chatting online or webcam.

Basically, technology has the ability to create shortcuts in the working environment and make tasks a lot easier than it should. Today, the advance of technology is convenience, fast and easy. Even though, there are a few disadvantages of technology, but there are many benefit of technology that are being produced and the changes in our society. With all of these technologies it just basically makes our life better to live.

The experience machine

In the article, “the experience machine,” by Robert Nozick he talks and gives examples about the value of making your own choice. He said that,” suppose there were an experience machine that would give you any experience you desired.”  In this case Psychologists have figured out a way to stimulate a person's brain to induce pleasurable experiences that the subject could not decide from those he or she would have apart from the machine. Some of the example he had mention if you were to plug in this machine, it suppose to make you thinks and feel like you were writing a great novel,or making a friend, or reading an interesting book. However, the thing about this experiment is that you be floating in a tank with an electrodes attaching to your brain. Also, you can preprogramming your life experience with this machine like selecting it for the next two years and when these two years passed, you can repeat them again. He also mention that other can plug in to have the experience they want, so there are no need to unplugged and help them. Therefore, I would not plugged myself to a machine that will programming my desire and my life because first of all it’s fake, your basically experiencing a fake life that is like an illusion. Also, if your going to depends on a machine to bring you happiness all the time, than you’re just being un denial with yourself and always going to be scare to face reality and the consequences. Plus, no one’s life is perfect, you have to learned through mistakes and  fix your problems.

 Can You Hear Me Now?

Believe

It’s easy for me to believe what Sherry Turkle is saying how society is over using and is crazy about their electronic and not paying any attention or communicating with people or others. I believe it’s true because I see people walking at school with their friend’s texting; chatting or one is on the phone while the other friend is talking. Also, another example, when I’m at work and one of the costumer come up to the register and paid for his stuffs, I’m talking to him and greeting him,” like how was ur day?” he didn’t respond back to me because he had on his ear pieces and was  listening to music. I mean that was rude, because when you in public or anywhere at least it is nice to stop what you’re doing and then do it after you done. I also agree when she say people speak Blackberry addition. Well right now is Iphone. Oh my gosh everyone has an iphone, I mean I don’t know what so good about an iphone, others smart phone does the same. Also when the new Iphone 5 comes out, people go crazy and they would trade or go buy it. Geezz……. It’s crazy how people get addicted to buying expensive electronic like nothing.  Also parents can blame their children for the uses of phone like texting, face booking and chatting because you give it to them for one reason is to pick up your phone call. I mean now a day, everyone is using technology to communicate, its fast, easy and basically its very useful.

Doubt

                Its hard for me to doubt what Sherry Turkle is saying because I pretty much agree with what she is saying that people are overwhelmed with their electronic. Also, how all of these technologies are very addicting to society and it will never stop because so many new thing comes out every year, which it tempting for people to wanting to buy them and test them out. I mean I must say, when I see new things comes out, I like to look up the review of the products before buying it, because I don’t want to spend so much money and regret on the  products that I bought, because it does happen to everyone.

Questions

Have it happen to you before when you’re talking to someone and they were on their phone or doing something else? Do you text message or check your email with your phone? Would you get mad if your children are always on their phone and would take them away from them? Do you believe in avatar and virtual life? Can you think of something else to replace a phone, if there was no phone in this world? Do you think technology should be banned?

Media Overload

In this article “Media Overload” by Stephen Collinson, he talks about how the media is everywhere in this world and that the average American is a ravenous media junkie, consuming up to nine hours a day of television, web time or mobile phone minute, and how IPods is filling commuter ears. I mean there are some people who are out there that isolate themselves from society and not paying any attention to what is going on in the world. One of the sentences that really caught my attention is “The Ball State survey found that while television was still the most dominant media device used by the average American, computer were catching up fast.” I have to say, I totally agree with this because most of the time when people miss a TV showed, news or anything, they tend to go to computer and would look it up on YouTube, or the news site. Another sentence that caught my attention is “One theory for instance has it that as people become more and more connected electronically; they are becoming less and less connected personally.” This theory is true because with all of this new technology that comes out, causes people to tempting to go buy it and try it out. Also, I agree with this theory too because myself, when I see new thing that comes out, I’m so eager to go get it and test them out. However, it do makes me mad as time because every time you buy something later on new technologies comes out, which makes me wants to go get another one.