Technology to Humanity: Can it be Detrimental?

Technology has greatly expanded and is everywhere: classrooms, work, homes, etc. It has changed the way the world works and the way people think. According to James Burke (1978), a British broadcaster, science historian, author and television producer:

. . . [from] the moment man first picked up a stone or a branch to use as a tool, he altered irrevocably the balance between him and his environment. From this point on, the way in which the world around him changed was different. It was no longer regular or predictable. New objects appeared that were not recognizable as a mutation of something that had existed before, and as each one emerged it altered the environment not for a season but for ever. While the number of these tools remained small, their effect took a long time to spread and to cause change. But as they increased, so did their effects: the more the tools, the faster the rate of change.

Technology has improved the way we learn and function and continues to be a continuous innovation. The conveniences people have desired has led to great technological growth, for example: according to Sheldon Ayers (1999), the Industrial Revolution, "a period of dynamic change and dramatic innovation in the history of human society," introduced new techniques--factory development, mass production, etc., which had an everlasting impact on the way we produce goods, which he supports by events during and proceeding that era.  According to Thomas Friedman (2007), an American journalist, columnist, and author, the "world is flat," which describes the unplanned cascade of technological and social shifts that effectively leveled the economic world, and he supports his argument with factors regarding "the ten forces that flattened the world:"

1. 11/9/89-- This refers to the fall of the Berlin Wall, the fall of communism, and the influence that personal computers had on individuals capabilities to create their own content and connect to one another.

2. 8/9/95-- This date refers to Netscape going public and the Web broadening the Internet's audience (which everyone had access to).

3. Workflow Software-- This refers to human-free machine to machine communications and the emergence of software protocols. Friedman refers to this as the "Genesis moment of the flat world" and believes the first three forces introduced a global platform for multiple forms of collaboration.

4. Uploading-- This refers to uploading and collaborating on online projects, including: blogs and open source software.

5. Outsourcing

6. Offshoring

7. Supply-chaining

8. Insourcing-- He examines UPS as an example to demonstrate the employees perform services other than shipping for other companies.

9. In-forming-- This refers to the ability to access tremendous amounts of information (about things and other people) on the Web.

10. The Steroids-- This refers to wireless, VoIP, and file sharing.

My intentions are to identify to what extent technology effects and influences humanity. As a result, I will acknowledge the different technological growth eras and use examples how technology does and can impact humanity.

The primary question this assignment intends to answer is "What influences can technology have on humanity?" Additional questions include: "What impact has technology had on the world" and "What impact does modern technology have on humanity?"

However, although many benefits are reaped, the significant technological growth has resulted in abuse and nuisance and can eventually result in loss of knowledge, lack of physical movement, etc. The most common abuse is crimes related to fraud, stalking, and identity theft. Furthermore, the movie Wall-E makes a good point of the future and technological possibilities effecting humanity.

Annotated Bibliography

Ayers, S. (1999, July 7). The Cultural Impact of Computer Technology. Retrieved from

http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1999/7/99.07.07.x.html

In this article, Sheldon Ayers, a teacher, administrator, and seminar coordinator for Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute, observes several technological innovations being made and exploring how the advancements are effecting culture, relationships, and individual lives for teaching purposes to his students. In his article, he refers to the past, present, and future of technology, including: events and influences of the Industrial Revolution which indicates a fast-paced technological advancement in history that has impacted the world in the past, during the present, and in the future.

Friedman, T. (2007). The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century. New York, NY:

Picador.

Thomas Friedman, a renowned author, reporter, and columnist, shares his insights on globalization in this book: the world flattening. Within his supporting details, "the ten forces that flattened the world," he describes different incidents/ introductions that have occurred, all of which refer to technology in some way or another.

Burke, J. (Writer), & Jackson, M. (Director). (1978). Death in the Morning [Television series 

episode].In M. Jackson (Producer), Connections. United Kingdom: British Broadcasting 

Corporation.

In this episode of the television series by James Burke, a British broadcaster, science historian, author and television producer, he observes precious metals' standardization in conjunction to the ancient touchstone. In this video, he references the beginning of technology and how it changed the world forever.