Technology in Action

Each day it seems that some new boundary is crossed by technology. It is in all aspects of life that the advances in technology have led to changes in culture and the manner in which people live their lives. In no area is this more evident than in communication. The technological developments that have been created in the last ten years have caused a revolution in the manner in which people are communicating with each other. The change in communication has occurred because technology has provided new and efficient ways in which people can speak to each other. In everything from Facebook and social media to the newest smart phones which give people access to the internet on their phones, lives have been changed forever and that is technology in action.

Social Media

It has only been about ten years, but it seems that the world has always had Facebook. The positives of this medium are that information can be passed from person to person without a filter. Before all o the news came through the lens of the national media, and they could spin it any way that they wished. Now, news comes through social media before news outlets and governments get an opportunity to skew it one way or another. This is one of the greatest blows to institutional propaganda ever. It is difficult to control the way that a large group of people is going to feel about a subject if you are able to form your own opinion about it. This free thinking is a great example of technology in action and was never more apparent than in the revolution in Egypt.

Personal Communications

There was a time when a phone call could only occur on a land line and if you weren’t home then you left a message. Today, virtually each person in the world has a personal phone that they carry with them most of the time. This originally was just a way to stay more connected, now with the development of text messaging and smart phone messaging. People are continually looking to their devices to see what is happening at work, in their personal lives and in the world at large. This has led to a population in America that is constantly walking around staring at their hands. There is much less personal communication and pwople find it difficult to make it even a few moments without reaching for a technological distraction of some sort. This is technology in action and that makes all people more connected but provides less time for original thought and creativity that allows for personal growth.