7020 - The Influence Of Technology (Lesson)
The Influence of Technology
The quote above was in reference to the massive computers originally only available to first world nations.
Personal Computers
The device on which you are reading this content is the descendant of earlier “supercomputers” of the mid-20th century. These “supercomputers” occupied a massive amount of space. It was not uncommon for one computer and its memory to take up an entire basement or facility. The biggest change in computer size came with the introduction of the microprocessor. By utilizing new materials and technology, the microprocessor greatly reduced the size of computers. Computers became more practical for business and personal use since they didn’t occupy an entire room! As the size of a computer’s components decreased, the availability of the device for consumer use grew. Over time the cost of the materials declined with mass production; and common techniques made devices more available to a wider range of people from all socioeconomic levels. Greater access to computers in homes and communities provided greater access to their capabilities. Wide availability of personal computers dramatically changed with the introduction of the Internet.
The Internet
Perhaps the greatest technological innovation of modern generations has been the availability and transformation of the Internet. Originally developed by the United States government and military specifically for data sharing and communication, the Internet has evolved into a global repository for information and communication. As the Internet expanded to businesses, homes and communities, the globalization of information grew. Still today the full capabilities of the Internet are being harnessed in corporations, governments and homes and even schools throughout the world.
An extension of the outreach of the Internet was the innovation of email. Email is short for “electronic mail.” Originally email was utilized by government agencies and businesses to communicate internally within their organizations. As the technology became more readily available, email became a more common form of communication. Email had a drastic effect on the way we communicate. Typical forms of communication were revolutionized to take advantage of the instantaneous communication advantage of email. Not since the telegraph and telephone has communication been so drastically changed. That communication change trickled into sales, production, transportation and other business, government and personal industries.
Social Media
A more recent innovation in modern technology has been the introduction and use of social media platforms. Early forms of communication allowed for interaction among users from page to page. Other platforms such as Facebook were introduced to provide a connected stream of interaction among users. Other forms of social media such as Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat were introduced after Facebook became a global sensation. Combined these platforms changed personal interaction, access to information, sourcing for news and business relationships. While positives can be found in social media’s ability to dictate change, it can also be connected to more negative implications including cyber bullying and associated depression.
What does it look like now?
PHOTOGRAPH OF KEYBOARD BY TODAY TESTING, CC-BY-SA-4.0