The effects of technology on society

The effects of technology on society The effects of technology on society The term technology is derived from the Greek word technologia which means the practical application of knowledge, particularly in a specific discipline of study. It is worthwhile to note that technology is an abstract term that lacks a single universally acceptable concrete definition. Nevertheless, it can be defined as the usage and application of knowledge concerning tools, crafts, techniques, methods or systems of organization, or a material end product of these things, such as clothing. It is a word that is used collectively to portray or describe the advancements, undertakings, creations, abilities, views and knowledge of a distinct group of people (Basalla 14-15). On the other hand, a human society can be defined as a group of people who are delineated by their cultural identity, functional interdependence and social solidarity. A comprehensive definition of this term also takes into account the social status and roles of the people within society. By extension, a society may be taken to mean a group of people within a given region or country, or even the whole world in totality. As such, the meaning of society is closely linked to what is deemed to be social. It is also worth to note that members of any given society share some common characteristics, such as a common goal and a common interest or mutual concern (Jenkins 18-20). Throughout history, technologies have significantly affected human beings and other species of animals in their ability to control and acclimatize to their natural environment. Historically, human beings started applying the use of technology with the improvisation of the existing natural resources into simple tools and equipment. For instance, the realization of the capacity to control fire augmented the existing sources of food, while the invention of the wheel helped human beings to control their environment and enhance transport. On the other hand, modern technological advancements such as the telephone, the printing press and the internet have minimized physical hurdles of communication. They have also enabled human beings to interact rapidly and freely on a global scale by transforming the world into a global village. Nevertheless, it is quite clear that not all technologies have been used by human beings for peaceful purposes. For instance, technology has been used to construc t destructive weapons that range from clubs to nuclear weapons (Basalla 20-25). Human beings are divided in their opinions about the general impact of technology on society. Some people believe that technology has really helped human societies while others disagree with this claim. Nevertheless, technology has influenced different societies both positively and negatively in various ways. For instance, technology has helped many societies, especially in the contemporary world to improve their economies as well as allowing for the creation of a leisure class. In addition, technological processes have often led to pollution of the environment and exhaustion of natural resources, thus harming the earth and its environment. Different modes of technological implementation also influence the values of different societies and in many cases, arrival of new technologies often raise new ethical questions. For instance, technological advancements have led to an increase in the idea of efficiency with regard to human production, a term which was in the past only applied to m achines, and the challenge of conventional customs. This paper looks at how the use of machines has impacted on the capacity of workers, the effects of computer and the cell phone on society, and the general impacts of technology to the environment. In the contemporary world, machines continue to automate most of the critical industrial and household processes. For instance, machines have taken up, and are continuing to substitute human workers in most of the mundane jobs in industries. This is because of the evolvement of technology such that machines can even perform tasks which cannot be done by man. The application of advanced technologies, like artificial intelligence and robotics has proved to be more effective in performing life-threatening tasks such as space exploration and mining. Nevertheless, there is an increasing concern in many countries about the deteriorating position of the semi-skilled and unskilled workers due to improved technology. It is argued that technological advancements have made many of these menial jobs obsolete or poorly paid. This situation has been mainly augmented by the growing modern computing technologies. Technological advancements have also impacted greatly on the value of the skills of wor kers. Old workers usually find it very difficult to adapt to new and complex technologies, while young workers rapidly and readily acquire and employ skills that are tailored towards new technologies. As a result, such technologies increase the value of young workers, while they reduce the productivity of the old workers (Edward 53-65). Needless to say that computer technology has transformed the face of the world today (Edward 66). Computers are capable of storing, processing, managing and organizing large quantities of information and data. They have also given birth to the software industry, which is one of the most developed industries in the world. Internet technology seeded from the concepts of computer networking and has grown to be the most effective platform of communication in the world, with the largest information base that exists in the modern world. The internet infrastructure, through the worldwide web has made it possible for people to communicate through email, websites, downloads, media and file sharing, so transforming the world into a global village. The internet infrastructure has also made it possible for researchers, scholars and other people to share information across the globe almost instantly. The internet has also given rise to significant positive changes in the advertising and entertain ment industries. Advertisements can therefore reach out to the populations within very few seconds and consequently, this has promoted the entertainment industry which relies heavily on advertisement. Simply stated, the internet has made it possible for societies in modern times to link up and promote the sharing of information and globalization (Edward 67-70). Cellular communication has also transformed the communication industry and the larger society as a whole to a very great extent. One of the earliest technological advancements in communication was the invention of the conventional telephone which was followed by the telegraph. Mobile phones have expanded the horizons of communication in the modern world through their capacity to allow for expedient long distance communication. They have enhanced the communication process in society because they provide different ways through which people can use to communicate to others, such as through calling and sending text messages. Therefore, important information or message can reach the receiver in a few seconds. Mobile phones also help to develop and support communication, contact and communication processes within society. In spite of all of their advantages, they can also impact negatively on society. For instance, some teenagers share pornographic information and photos by sending them us ing their mobile phones and this has created a very serious concern. In general, inappropriate use of the internet and mobile phones for purposes such as pornography has really polluted the social culture of the modern world (Fox 89-92). Most of the modern technological processes lead to the production of excessive waste products commonly referred to as industrial waste, and pollution. These wastes can be classified as either toxic wastes, electronic wastes or radioactive wastes. Even though some of the produced material waste is recycled and used in other industrial processes, much of it is released to the environment and the result is environmental pollution, degradation and lack of sustainability. Very few technologies in the modern world are designed with the contemplation of the environment in mind. Most of the technological advancements are directed towards economic gain rather than on environmental sustainability and this has caused a lot of direct detrimental effect on the environment, such as the depreciation of the ozone layer which has led to global warming. Historically, many societies sought to maintain their environments since they were the sources of wealth for the people. However, in the contemporary world, societies have failed to maintain and manage their environments and this has greatly affected the whole universe. The more delicate and obvious impacts of technology on the environment include the exhaustion of the worlds non-renewable natural resources such as coal, ores and petroleum, and the pollution of water, air and land mostly by industrial wastes and disposal. Effects of these impacts include global warming, loss of coastal wetlands, destruction of natural habitats and deforestation. While organisms are capable of recycling the wastes of other organisms naturally, there is no such mechanism of recycling for technological wastes and therefore they remain harmful to the environment for long periods of time (Fox 98-102). In conclusion, the aforementioned are only but a few fields that can be influenced by technology. It is indeed not possible to enlist all the effects (both positive and negative) of technology on society. Even though technology is in overall beneficial to world societies, it is relatively clear that technological advancement may be accompanied by negative side effects and drawbacks. In fact, every new technology is accompanied by unwanted or unexpected side effects. Therefore, it is necessary for societies to adapt to technological advancements that have minimal side effects on them, the environment and future generations. Works Cited Basalla, George. The Evolution of Technology. New York: Longman Publishing Group, 1988. Edward, McClellan. Science and Technology in World History. Washington: John Hopkins University Press, 2006. Fox, Frank. Women, Gender and Technology. Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 2006. Jenkins, Reyes. Foundations of Sociology. London: Palgrave MacMillan, 2002.

Humorists in Society Essay

Humorists have played a substantial part in any society for as long as everyone can remember. Whether it’s your common, light-hearted comic or the one who’s trying to rebel and prove a certain point with humor, there will always be someone idolizing them. For instance, in his book Status Anxiety, Alain De Botton declared that humorists play an absolute vital role in our society because they are able to avoid otherwise dour consequences. While I believe that Botton’s logic is correct in many examples such as television comics and editorial cartoonists, there are also just as many other examples to prove how humorists are not completely vital. Television comedians do indeed avoid consequences by masking their underlying message with humor. A perfect example is the crew and hosts of Saturday Night Live. They are able to successfully take real life scenarios and manipulate them into their carefully planned skits, whether it’s about Barack Obama, other political figures, or any number of controversial current events; the cast and crew are able to dodge any repercussions because of their humorous effect. Not only do people use shows like Saturday Night Live as meaningless entertainment, but, if I have to guess, a lot of people also end up gaining valuable knowledge about what may be happening around the world. This assumption could be used to support Botton’s vitality point, considering many people don’t watch the news or make an effort to learn about current events, so one could conclude that these comical television shows are vital to society in order to act as a news casting show. While this might make sense initially, it also helps disprove Botton’s opinion. Because these shows use humor to get their point across, it is also skewing what actually may be happening for comical purposes, so while people may be gaining knowledge, they’re actually gaining a biased, misrepresented view to the situation. Among the many types of humorists included with the television comics, editorial cartoonists are yet another prominent group who use humor to represent current events, without being penalized for their controversial views. These cartoonists use visual stimuli to provoke a laugh from their viewers; they distort the appearance of people, recount sensitive issues in a entertaining way, and use subliminal messages to get their opinion out to  the public. Many of these editorial cartoonists aren’t penalized because they submit their work to an online board anonymously or they already have a â€Å"superior† reputation where nobody wants to create a dispute with them, but furthermore, these cartoonists aren’t penalized because the way they depict these events are within a common agreement of their viewers. Now there may be a plethora of types of humorists who don’t receive repercussions, but contrary to Alain de Botton’s reasoning, humorists are not absolutely necessary to our society. They may be able to successfully reach the public in an entertaining way to promote topical situations, however, humorists are not the only type of people who act to spread their opinions. Granted, humorists may be the only ones who don’t receive consequence, but activists, editorial columnists, and certain types of criminals all act in the same way many humorists do: advocating their opinions to the public. Activists create campaigns, go on strikes, and create public awareness to a certain incident; editorial columnists skillfully write a column and post it for anyone on the internet to access; certain criminals even commit their crimes in order to rebel against an unjust law. These examples all disprove Botton’s reasoning, humorists aren’t vital because there will alw ays be other people creating a public awareness to whatever may be inequitable. According to author Alain de Botton, humorists play a vital function in our society because they are able to say things that otherwise may be dangerous or impossible to say directly, as stated in his 2004 book, Status Anxiety. I personally believe his logic has its faults and strengths; while television comics and cartoonists may avoid these dangerous consequences, they are not the only ones to promote current events to the public, such as activists and editorial columnists. But regardless, it is well known by everyone how humorists have made a huge contribution to society for ages.

Migration, Immigration, and Emigration, and Their Effects

Vietnam has a wide variety of religions practiced in their country. Nine point three percent of Vietnams population are Buddhist, six point seven percent are Catholic, One point five percent are Hoa Hao, one point one percent are Cao Dai. Less than one percent are Protestant and Muslim. Even though Vietnam has a lot of variety of religions over eighty percent claim no religion (East and Southeast Asia, 2012). Even thought there is a wide variety of religions in Vietnam, most of the people who live there have a sense of the richness and variety of traditional Vietnamese religion.In older tradition the majority of Vietnamese people believed they inhabited a world alive with gods and spirits. They didn't make a distinction of the living world and the spirit or dead world. They also didn't make a distinction between the world human beings, nature, vegetable, an animal. the believed that the energy of these worlds are all connected. Because of this religion plays a big part in the daily l ife of a Vietnamese person. In addition, your social status also affects how and what you believe. or example, Confucian scholars, who prided themselves for their rationality, often scoffed at what they considered the superstitious nature of peasant religion. But they, also had religious believes that they lived by. Where you work also determines what you believe. Fishermen, were notorious for the variety and richness of their beliefs. Some beliefs were shared by all Vietnamese. Others were adhered to only in one region or a small locality. Some were so deeply embedded in the culture as to be considered a part of tradition, holding sway over believers and non-believers alike.Maybe because of the many religions or the way the Vietnamese people think, religion doesn't play a big part in their country as a whole, but it does play a big part in the lives of the citizens of Vietnam. Even though, half of the world's population lives in The Asia region people aren't migrating to Vietnam (S tephen Castles, 2009). Vietnam is a very traditional country with allot of different ethnic groups. Vietnam is home to fifty-four official ethnic groups, the majority of which live in highland areas. Although some large groups such as, the Cham or Chinese, live in lowlands or urban areas.I will go over a couple of the most known ethnic groups. There are eighty-five point seven percent of the Vietnamese are Kinh, which is said to be the native people of Vietnam. There are one point nine percent Tay people, who originates from the Chinese side of the Vietnamese – Chinese border. One point eight percent are Thai and are from Thailand. One point five percent are Muong which are the people who live in the mountains in Vietnam, and Khmer who come from Cambodia. One point two percent are Mong and they come from Mongolia. Less than one percent are Nung which are considered to be the â€Å"poor† people of Vietnam.The last five point three percent are labeled as other (East and Southeast Asia, 2012). Most people in Vietnam are natives to that land but their ancestors migrated from china long ago. Because of this migration doesn't play a big part in Vietnams present but it does play a big part in its history. Even though they have been ruled by other countries most of the time, they kept a strong belief in their country and culture. Migration in Asia isn't a new thing for them. Asians from these regions have been migrating for centuries. But in the 1970s and 1980s, international migration from Asia grew dramatically.The main destinations were North America, Australia, and the oil economies of the Middle East. Since the 1990s, migration within Asia has grown, particularly from less-developed countries with massive labor surpluses to fast-growing newly industrializing countries (Stephen Castles, 2009). In today's society migration has dropped. The reason for this is the Asian government wanted to control migration and migration rights were limited. They also made migration temporary in that region so people were prohibited to have family reunions.Even though migration has dropped, emigration has risen six percent over the past ten years (Stephen Castles, 2009). There are about 2. 6 million people leaving Asia to look for work. In the 21st century over 6 million Asians are employed outside of their own countries within the Asian region. This has grown a great deal since the 1980s and has helped the Asian region grow. A lot of Asia's were able to find work in the Middle East after the oil prices rose in 1973. This also contributed to the migration and emigration in Vietnam. The referred to these workers as contract labor.The companies that employed them made it clear that they couldn't bring family with them. In the 70s most of the works who migrated were male so the men of the house had to leave their families just to find work and provide for them. In the 1980s the economy was growing so rapidly and fertility was declining it cause a st rong demand for labor workers. Even though they in Asia, most of the workers aren't Asian. While existing flows from countries like Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines have continued, new source countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Burma have become more significant (Stephen Castles, 2009).In the 1990s there was a demand for female domestic workers that started in the Middle East and then Asia. If women didn't work in the domestic sector they often had the â€Å"typical female† jobs. Some examples of these jobs are entertainers(mostly prostitutes), restaurant and hotel staff, and assembly line workers in clothing or electronics. These jobs were poor paying and had terrible conditions. They were also associated with patriarchal stereotypes of female docility, obedience, and willingness to give personal services (Stephen Castles, 2009).Another big form of female migration in Asia is female migration marriage. Since the 1900s, foreign brides have been sought out by farmers in areas likes Japan and Taiwan. This is one of the only permanent forms of immigration in Asia that is permitted. From the Asian government sand point it seem that these practices with women help their country, but it is sexist and will put the government in a terrible situation with women rights groups. The diversity in the religion and culture have shaped the Vietnamese people into who they are today.Even though it doesn't play a big part in the economy or government, religion is still a big part of the lives of the Vietnamese citizen. The religion is mixed in with their culture which makes the citizens of Vietnam a pride people. With the ever growing Asian economy Vietnam is in a good place to grow also. Even though the country has had allot of adversity, it has overcome it all. In the future maybe they will work on their women's rights issues and continue to grow its economy. If that is done I have no doubt that the citizens of Vietnam will be happy and the economy wil l grow. ?

Third MeditationThe Existence of God Essay - 1124 Words

In the Third Meditation, entitled â€Å"Of God: That He Exists†, Rene Descartes presents an argument for the existence of God. Meditation III talks about what is real and how to justify it. Descartes acknowledges of being doubtful of bodily things but is absolutely assured that he exists and he clearly and distinctly perceives this fact. As he confirms: I am a thinking (conscious) thing, that is, a being who doubts, affirms, denies, knows a few objects, and is ignorant of many, - [who loves, hates], wills, refuses, who imagines likewise, and perceives. . . (Descartes p 66) However, he could not be certain unless all clear and distinct perception can be true. From this he concludes, whatever is clearly and distinctly perceived must be true.†¦show more content†¦(Descartes 67) Second, consists of â€Å"volitions or affections [i.e. willing or fearing], and other judgments† (Descartes 67). This means he cannot be mistaken with regard to the ideas of his own. Howe ver, he can make mistakes through his judgments. â€Å"There thus only remain our judgments, in which we must take diligent heed that we be not deceived† (Descartes 67). Thus, this leads Descartes into categorizing his idea by their origins. Ideas can be innate, adventitious, comes from outside of us, and can be made by us, example an idea of a unicorn. Of these three ideas, Descartes’ takes the greatest importance in adventitious ideas. He realizes that most of the time we believe we perceive things outside of our mind without any degree of reality. For example, his idea of the two suns: The one, by which it appears to me extremely small draws its origin from the senses, and should be placed in the class of adventitious ideas; the other, by which it seems to be many times larger than the whole earth, is taken up on astronomical grounds, that is, elicited from certain notions born with me. . . (Descartes 68) Obviously, both of these ideas cannot be true. 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