Do personal technologies like phones, iPods, and computers connect or disconnect us? The opinions vary from person to person and generation to generation. Two opinions that we’ll look at specifically are from Andrew Sullivan, a blogger and columnist for the Sunday Times of London, and Anna Akbari, a professor at New York University. When looked at briefly, Sullivan and Akbari’s views seem to be like the opposite sides of the same coin. Sullivan argues from a more personal standpoint that personal technology shuts us out from the world. Akbari, on the other hand, sees technology and our personal devices as a way to open the world up to us and provides facts and results from professional studies that show the connection between people and their happiness. It would seem it’s pretty straight forward; as different as black and white, which makes it easy to make the assumption that Sullivan’s writing, while riddled with sarcasm, is completely negative, and Akbari’s writing, having created this “guide to happiness” is completely positive. At first glance, they’d almost sound like the stereotypical pessimist and optimist. However, upon closer analyzing, we find that both Sullivan and Akbari speak about the positive and negative effects technology has on our lives. So while Sullivan’s writing is more on the negative side and Akbari’s on the positive side, we see places where these two extremes of the spectrum find a common ground and that technology has the ability to both disconnect and connect us, both based on opinion and factual study. The underlying message from both authors is to find a balance between reality and virtual reality, knowing when to plug in and tune out and when to unplug and go live.…
Technology has been evolving ever since man invented the wheel. In any given era or time in history the technology or know-how has always been of the highest level; it is only later on in history that makes technology of the past seem old or "out-dated". Twenty-five years from now today's technology will seem obsolete, even though at this present time it is the finest man can manage. Lightman's second idea comes close to contradicting himself, but it still makes a valid point. The writer states, "Only a fool would claim that new technology rarely improves the quality of life". Lightman challenges his earlier statement by indicating that technology improves the quality of life. This is a "slight" contradiction because if technology "improves the quality of life", it aids in human happiness. It indicates that humans are happy when the quality of life is high. Indirectly, the writer points out that advancement in technology helps make people happy. I disagree with this due to the fact that a high-quality lifestyle is not the sole reason why people are happy. People find happiness in non-covetous things such as religion, family, reading, nature etcetera. Lightman's contradictory ideas lay out a perfect platform for an obscured meaning of progress. In conclusion, there is…
Some people might argue that there is also a good side of technology advances. According to Dr. Rick Nauert, a Senior Editor of Psych Central, there was an unexpected discovery that playing video games helped human-beings reduce the production of the stress-related hormone cortisol (Psychcentral.com). In order to prove this,…
Almost everyone uses technology to communicate. Even schools use technology to communicate with parents and students about grades and upcoming events. This is great. Technology has also created a society where people are more likely to pick up the remote on turn on the T.V. on a beautiful day then go outside for a stroll. People are more lazy today. Technology is great in many ways, but technology has also a negative impact on our future generation.…
Society has entered a very technological era. Technology is incorporated in our everyday life. Technology does make life easier but it also…
Technology Enhances the Human Experience “There are certain things that are fundamental to human fulfillment. The essence of these needs is captured in the phrase, to live, to love, to learn, and to leave a legacy.” – Stephen Covey Technology has never been as pervasive in society as it is today. Perceived as a double-edged sword, it has not always been well received. However, when used with care, technology has had a positive effect on the way people live as it permeates our personal lives and changes the landscape of the world around us.…
Think of the days when there were no computers or televisions, when all modern technology didn’t exist; society and life was utterly different. People depended on themselves and used all their common knowledge; people lived a simple, but efficient life. Not all technologies or innovations have had a positive impact on us. Technology negatively affects us by perpetuating the mindset of immediate satisfaction. The creation of various portable technological devices has slowly ingrained the idea of instant gratification. Cell Phones let us keep in touch at all times virtually anywhere, it has created a mindset of instant gratification and that whenever we want pleasure it should be put immediately in from of…
Is technology beneficial to today’s society? Some of the reasons why technology is good for our society is that there are lots of great inventions that technology has given to this world. Many inventions that help improve people’s lives and people don’t appreciate of what technology does for us. Technology is great and people are wrong about it.…
All of our technology has come a very long way over the years. From the very first phone or television that was invented, it is unbelievable how these same devices look and function in today’s world. You now have flat screen televisions instead of tube televisions. We advanced from the first phone to now having satellite phones and cell phones. Modern technology is very amazing in one aspect, but very crippling to us in another. We have become so dependent on it that we would be lost without all of our gadgets.…
In today 's world, technology is constantly changing from a new paperclip to an improvement in hospital machinery. Technology lets people improve the way they live so that they can preserve their own personal energy and focus on the really important factors in life. Some people focus their energy on making new innovations to improve transportation and the health of people that may save lives and some people focus on making new designs of packaging CDS. Technology is significant in everyone 's life because it rapidly changes what is in the market. But, some new innovations of technology are ridiculous because they serve no purpose in helping mankind.…
Many people today love the amount of advanced technology available that continues to evolve at a faster and faster rate with each passing day. Things that did not seem possible a few years ago are a reality today, which shows us that even our wildest dreams could become reality. We have access to cell phones that are more like computers, the internet and all of its outlets, electronic books… if you can think of something technological that would make life easier, chances are it has already been dreamt up. With all of these technological advancements, one may think of it as primarily good for our country. However, although the technology makes certain aspects of our lives easier, its effect on our society as a whole is primarily negative due to its lighting fast evolution.…
Many different elements affect how satisfied we are with our lives. The impact of technology on these elements can change how safe, healthy and happy people feel. Throughout history, people have looked for better ways to meet their needs and to satisfy their expectations. Technology has improved the way people feed, clothe and shelter themselves. Technology has also changed other aspects of everyday life, such as health care, education, job satisfaction, and leisure time activities.…
In today's globalised and modernised world, advancement in old technology resulted in modern technology and many discoveries have been made and quality of life of the people have improved as a result of availability of modern technology. Undoubtedly, modern technology has became a crucial and prominent aspects of our life. Although it has led to complications, it is actually reasonable to say that modern technology has very much improved the quality of life of people. Thus, I opine that modern technology does sometimes improve quality of life.…
Technology can be viewed as a beneficiary to our lives rather than monster waiting to bear its fangs. It goes without saying that technology has both greatly improved our lives by making it simpler. Yes, technology has deprived us of some skills such as doing simple chore but the benefits outweigh its cost. For instance, the invention of the phone has revolutionized the way we communicate with others worldwide. Technology is only meant to make our lives easier.…
The essay, ‘Computer and the Pursuit of Happiness,’ written by David Gelernter, deals with the influence of the computer and internet on individual and on the society. In this essay, Gelernter addresses three questions/ issues:…