Technology has expanded into every facet of our lives and continues to advance upon more and more ground. Some are eager to welcome this as a means to improve our standard of living since technology cuts distance between people, brings about new, more efficient medical treatments, and more. Others are skeptical of whether or not this extent of influence is more helpful or harmful to society. While seemingly benign, mass technological use acts as a detriment to society because it lends access to harmful means of communication and brings a variety of ethics into question.
The widespread nescience of technology’s adverse effect on the environment goes against standards of behavior that are seemingly held. Take the case of E-readers. Although, for all intents and purposes, E-readers are promoted as the greener alternative to regular books, the New York Times has reported that “the impact of one e-reader … equals roughly 40-50 books. When it comes to global warming, though, it’s 100 books” (qtd. in Morgan). People purchase E-readers in part because they think that “environmentally friendly” is another pro that they can add onto their list. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case, nor is it the only piece of technology to bolster unjustified claims. Often, people will believe whatever claim is advertised for a product and not follow up with their own research thereby continuing with an unburdened sense of ethics. Similarly, this mindset transfers itself over to the field of offshore oil drilling. Experts are adamant that the “technology to contain oil spills in sea ice environments simply doesn’t exist” (Williams). They are also adamant about the 30-50 percent chance of an oil spill in that region (Williams). Despite these blatant risks, ...
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Williams, Margaret. "Offshore Drilling in Alaska: Time to Slow the Rush." Yale Environment 360. N.p.: n.p., 2008. N. pag. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 23 Jan. 2014. .
Green washing: The disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image. In order for big companies to stay on top of the market today, they are forced to think of advertising strategies to help their public image and advertise their product. Over the years the system has become very complex and also very questionable. Companies are willing to lie, change their logo, and sometimes even their company name just to keep their name and image clean in front of the public just to make sure that they are making their money. Green washing helps this by advertising to the public that they are environmentally supportive and responsible. Most people that are into buying “green products” do not even realize that the company they are buying from is green washing in some sort of way just so that they can attract attention to the public. Green washing companies may advertise that they are “eco-friendly”, but when it comes down to it, the facts hidden behind the curtains beg to differ. Just like in the green washing video we watched in class, the companies may look great compared to the worst companies, but that does not mean what they are doing is still productive for our environmental movement. One company that has been notorious for their green washing efforts for the past couple of decades is the Oil/energy company: British Petroleum a.k.a. Beyond Petroleum. They are one of the world’s largest leading oil companies who has also becoming a large energy supplying company with presence in petrochemicals, gas, and solar divisions. Over the past twenty years BP has been the cause of several deadly disasters in the oil business in the U.S. and around the world. Despite their green washing effor...
Baird, (in Easton 2013) argues in favor of drilling offshore for oil, saying that the benefits outweigh the environmental impacts, and how it is necessary to please popular demand. He also talks about how it is impossible for us to become entirely independent of foreign countries for oil, yet we still need to drill offshore to regulate prices and maintain the growing demands. The major weaknesses in this argument are how it focused too much on popular demand for oil rather than ethical concerns and how it downplays the possibilities of alternative fuel sources in the near future. Ethical concerns that Baird neglects include the impacts on the environment as well as the safety of the workers, as accidents such as blowouts and spills are very common in offshore drilling, which harm workers and devastate the local environment. This makes Barid's argument less effective, because while his main concern is money and popular opinion, accidents and environmental concerns can end up being very costly, and alternative fuel sources are becoming more and more popular.
The technology of the Internet, or more accurately, the World Wide Web, allows people to connect and “converse” from those distant points without traveling. Video and audio technology allows people to talk and to see each other when they are thousands of miles apart. With both travel and communication, positive use of technology can create a better world, one in which people understand each other much better. However, technology can affect the world and its population in negative ways as well. People have been fighting each other for thousands of years, starting by throwing rocks and sticks at each other. The technology of weapons has placed human beings in the position of being able to destroy not just a few dozen people at a time but to eliminate life itself. Technology has certainly affected society, in both positive and negative ways. Whether the effects are good or bad depends on the choices human beings make. Our lives are more comfortable in many ways and we are much more healthy in general because of technology in medicine, food-preparation and storage, home construction etc. From the first technological advance of Morse code to today’s Skype, the ability to communicate with people has changed dr...
Technology is a giant part of life for the new generation. Nowadays, kids can learn how to use an IPad faster than tying their own shoes and it is very uncommon to not own a computer or smartphone. Also, electronics are more common in houses than they were years ago. Technology, while it makes tasks easier for humans, can also be detrimental to society because of how easy it is to misapply.
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.
The multitude of positive things that technology has provided society with, outweigh the negatives. Even though computers are expensive to buy and leave many behind in the digital divide. The benefits of technology are hard to turn down. Even though the Internet and social media enable the spread of fake news, Facebook and Twitter are working hard to fix the issue. The addiction that society has with smartphones is quite troubling, but if society remembers to just put down the phone, it will be alright. All of the technology in today’s society is beneficial in some way, but society needs to be aware that is also traps them as
This article offers insight to the controversial topic of whether or not to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska. It’s main solution is to converse with environmentalists on the issue to determine if it is worth the risks and suitable for the environment.
The state of Alaska is home to some incredibly beautiful examples of nature, and also happens to be home to a large wealth of oil. Since the discovery of the amount of oil off the coast of Alaska, there has been debate of whether to take advantage of this resource and drill the Alaskan oil reserves, or to leave it alone and preserve the nature and wildlife surrounding the state. In the article, “Offshore Drilling in Alaska Should Be Expanded” by author Marvin E. Odum, and the article, “Offshore Drilling in Alaska Should Be Limited” by author Margaret Williams, the two authors convey opposing viewpoints on the same topic. Similar argumentative tactics are utilized in each piece of writing, however Odum’s article ends up being more effective than Williams’s due to a better use of those tactics. The main tactics that the authors used were their facts and evidence, their presentation of their opinion, and their ability to keep the reader interested in their article.
Societal changes stem from many forces including economic and cultural. From some theorists perspective that technology is neutral, technology would not become an important force-- it would act as a tool to advance already existing attitudes. On the contrary, technology is not neutral, the mere existence influences the everyday life of people in society. Technology cannot be described as an empty item controlled with specific intentions of the user; rather, technology can persuade and manipulate the actions of people both positively and negativity. Some perceive technology as the force behind a narrow focus of enhancement that disregards anything it has undone-- old world morals and meaning. Others convey the importance of technology through
In conclusion, there has been multiple concerns about technologies and how it's affecting our lives and people around us. It is been a back-and-forth subject matter on both sides and they are equally even. Even though technology is somewhat a bad thing it's also a good thing. There are many peoples in the world who says that technology is not good for you and it harms you etc. But all like this are wrong because almost it is not possible to ignore technology in your daily
Whether technology is with us or hurting us, we still have to use it and it affects our lives daily. We need it to get a hold of someone. We need it to do our jobs. Most importantly, we need it to keep our lives away from harm. There are many ways to manipulate technology, but technology has more good to it than bad. There are those who use it for good, like investigators so they can figure out the real story. Then there are those who use it for bad, just like those who commit cyber bullying along with other minor and major things. We need technology regardless if people argue they like or not. There is no way to stop technology and keeping people from making it better. With the developments in technology, we may be able to enjoy all the pricey luxuries and still enjoy life at the same time.
There are many and varied opinions on technology. But most of us can come to a consensus that technology is advancing our world at a rapid speed. Surgeries that were once life threatening are done within an hour with a robot, or a CEO can hold a meeting with someone across the country. Many issues of the past have been conquered by the advancement in technology. However, despite these great advancements, technology has allowed room for more issues that we must overcome.
Technology has more negative effects on today’s society than positive. Due to technology in the past few decades Canine Shock Collars have been increasingly popular. Students in school pay more attention to texting than they do their classes. Violent addictive video games have made their way into American homes. Parents encourage their children to not text as much, but them to face the problem of constant communication. The Internet gives the students easier ways to cheat in school, and reinforces laziness. Internet Porn gives every bored male a chance to look at the seediest film in the comfort of his own home. Technology has taken the innocence and mystery away from the American family.
Technology is unavoidable in our modern lifestyle. You wake up, you use technology; you use technology while cooking, while eating, while driving. While you’re lying in bed before you fall asleep, you use technology, technology wakes you up in the morning. Is all the technology around you good for you, or is it harmful to your health? Was our society healthier or safer before all the advancements? So many questions and concerns about all of the technology we crave, but there are very few people who know the answers. Technology affects all parts of human life. It can create jobs, motivate people to get active, and assist people in learning, but this does not balance out that there are dangers that follow the use of technology.
Technology is making our life easier than before, but are we getting too much dependent on it? Technology is getting improved by past decades. It has become a part and parcel in everyday life. Without it, people would have a lot of trouble to keep pace with the whole world. At the same time, todays new generations incredibly dependent on it. They do not want to use their brain as there are lots of search engines they can easily access and can find out what they want. Technology creates problems about pollution and global warming and at the same time people are using technology to reduce these problems. Overdependence on technology is harmful for humans’ existence because it creates addiction that makes people inactive, decrease job opportunities and causes physical or mental disorders that is a great threat for mans’ life.