final paper

EQ: how has technology altered our society through the years?

Introduction:
Over the past 50 years, technology has advanced rapidly. In places, mainly America, technology is mostly the foundation on which we survive on. we have become so dependent on it that we cannot live without it. our society is fueled by digital representations. Everyday we are surrounded by it. No matter if we notice it, we are trapped in this digital world, which is having major effects on society, mainly the united states of America in which Digital representations have created a corrupted society throughout years.

Argument 1:
Our society has evolved immensly over 50 years. Americans now are living lives that are mainly stress free. Is technology to blame for this rapid evolution? people have easier lives than ever before. Americans are despised by many, because of the ways that we live. We can do anything with the technology that we have. Ours lives have become easy. People make a living through technology. Someone that i interviewed on the street was asked a series of questions and this was how he answered. "I spend about 10 hours a day digitally. Its like the society we live in now relies on tech. I mainly use it because i own my own business and i have to track many things and technolgy is very beneficial to me. I spend thousands of dollars a year on it as well." The man was well dressed and had a very nice phone, which can prove that people actually make their livings through tech. Also thwo other people i spoke to said that it was bad and wouldn't let their kids use it. An iteresting thing was that the people who were against tech were in nature. they were in the park selling fruits and had no digital devices in view. This may contribute to the idea of living natural good lives. These people seemed like they were living honest lives, while the guy on the street with the suit seemed kind of miserable and uncomfortable in a suit all day. This was very interesting . The possibilities are endless when we are given a digital device. We can mainly do anything that we choose to do. We can shop online, we can even get an education online. with the advancement of technology, Americans won't even have to leave their homes. We are despised for living such easy lives and watching other countires with people who work hard labor jobs barely survivng. Where do we see these things? We see mostly everything through technology. We no longer have to live like our ancestors use to. We have things now that can even think for us. Google search bars can predict what you are thinking, all you have to do, is give them the slightest idea of what you were thinking about. Now we have robots that can clean for us. The lives that we live are taken for granted and we don't even notice it.

Argument 2:
Technogical representations in America have also created a socitey where we do not have to communicate physically or socialize physically. We can now do these things in a virtual world. We have become less social and now can do all of our socializing in a virtual world. voices are almost no longer necessary. We are continuously upgrading to things that seem like they are making a difference in our lives. we get pulled in to these ads that say that this phone has faster speeds to getting messages across. Or we are looking at the sleekest looking device, even if its a crappy device. phones are becoming super advanced. phones with interent and cameras, also some with live t.v and even have room in them for games and music. All of this in one device can make people save thousands of dollars by not having to by t.v's or computers, but we buy these things anyways. The ways that these big corporations promote their products are working to perfection, if they are racking up billions, while we kill ourselves slowly, with the things they create. "phones damage key brain cells and could trigger the early onset of Alzheimer’s disease. …Researchers have found that radiation from cell phone handsets damages areas of the brain associated with learning, memory and movement." (controlyourimpact.com). We do not think about ourselves when we are stimulated digitally,as long as we are happy, and interested, then we have no other worries.

Argument 3:
In America it is sort of like we need these things for survival, we don't know how to live any other way. Our economy runs on being one of the most technologically advanced things we have. Without that, we wouldn't be one of the wealthiest countries on earth. we stay on top of our game with these things. We wouldn't want to lose that. "At this moment in human history, we have no choice. We are 100% dependent on technology. Unless, of course, you want to go and harvest your food yourself by hand, have a life expectancy of 40 years old, and a child mortality rate of over 20% of live births."Technology can keep us humane. Unlike the 2003 blackout did. When that happened, people were looting stores, and starting fires in parks. It was like people were knocked back in to prehistoric ages. people slept on floors and walked for miles to get home. It was scary for people because they were trapped in this scary situation where technology failed them on a massive scale that caused mass chaos. We were knoced back to the stone ages. We survive on these digital representations, and that has created sort of an artifical society where people aren't their true selves.

opposing viewpoints:
Although technolongy can affect us in negative ways, it can also improve ur lives. We are always helping people through technology. Through our advancements in technology, we have saved millions of lives, we have improvwed medicines and we have helped people live easier lives with less stress."The constant improvement of digital technology has helped the economy while simultaneously reducing resource consumption and social communication in our age has lessened loneliness and helped people live happier lives." (Andy snyder.) this quote shows that people have become more active in talking and reaching out in the world. The advancements in terchnology have improved our lives so that we can survive for many more generations. we no longer have to worry about getting injured and having a high chance of dying. we can be treated and saved with ease, which we couldn't have done without the advancements of technology.


Connection:
This can connect to the book feed, because Feed demonstrated a world of people who's survival depended on this computer that was in their heads. as we saw their world was changing. As a society they were changing as well. We saw how they were trapped in this virtual bubble where people only thought about the superficial things in their lives instead of focusing on where their actual lives were headed which was when one character violet opened up everyone's eyes on the world that they lived in. this can also relate to the movie WALL-E. This movie showed how earth was destroyed by us and we had to leave our planet untill it was cleaned up by robots. It showed how people didn't want to confront their problems, they just wanted them to be solved. It showed how we weren't aware of our surroundings until we were unplugged from our digital life.

Conclusion:
Digital representations have created a society where people have lived dishonest lives. It has created a corrupted society by trapping each person in this virtual bubble, and has created a society that is hated by many but also a society that many thrive on. Its like we are all joined digitally and refuse to have it any other way.

Works cited:
WALL-E
FEED
Personal encounters
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080212215718AAyqVsL