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Societal Issues

Societal Issues . Week Three. Advantages of Computer Technology . Reaches of technology allow more people/businesses to move to small cities and still profit Net can “conquer distance” - education, entertainment, information People anywhere can communicate

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Societal Issues

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  1. Societal Issues Week Three

  2. Advantages of Computer Technology • Reaches of technology allow more people/businesses to move to small cities and still profit • Net can “conquer distance” - education, entertainment, information • People anywhere can communicate • Communication can be anonymous to avoid embarrassment

  3. Negative Effects • On-line shopping - Hurts local community vibrancy • Isolation- Reduce face to face gathering • Greater stress • Downplays importance of community • Addiction to cyberspace

  4. Other causes of declining social relationships • Modern transportation and communications • encourage increased mobility • Changes in family patterns • later marriage, more divorce, working mothers • Television • Less free time to spend with family

  5. Workplace Vs. Time • How has the workspace changed over time? • What has changed and why?

  6. Changes in the Workplace Location Over Time • Farming • Industry • What about the Nature of work?

  7. Why do we work? • Survival • Needs • Career • Social development • Sense of accomplishment

  8. Information have and have nots: the Access Issue • Access to information may give some people a large advantage over those without access • Social and economic division - leads to violence and political disruption • Human costs - joblessness, wasted potential, and poverty

  9. Principals of Universal Access • Everyone must have a place to go to gain access • Hardware and software easy to use • fits the needs of all users - disabled • Simple training in effective use of tools • Pricing must be affordable for everyone • Access to full range of features

  10. Solutions • Reduction of prices will lead to spread of technology to all social classes • Spread of “rental” facilities • like washing machines and copy machines • Training needs decrease due to common user interfaces, GUI • Donations/recycle

  11. Methods to obtain universal access • Force reduced rates for poor • Government subsidies, paid by taxes • Tax information providers • Tax e-mail and communication providers • Government programs to pay for computers in public areas

  12. Criticisms • Other technologies have not caused big problems between classes • education crucial for success of individual • Mandatory taxes - inequitable, inefficient, and unnecessary • Low access rates can be budgeted if a valued priority in life - like TV, driving

  13. Loss of Skills and Judgement • Computer technology encourages certain uses because it makes things easier • IE: Spell checker • Concentration on features instead of underlying knowledge • Encourages mental laziness

  14. Writing, Thinking, and Memory I have a spelling checker. It came with my PC. It plainly marks four my revue, Miss steaks aye can knot sea. Eye ran this poem threw it, I’m sure your pleased too no. It’s letter perfect in it’s weigh, My checker tolled me sew.

  15. Loss of Job Skills • Dependence upon computer technology to perform work functions • Drawing or drafting • Dictation • Auto-pilot on aircraft • Deskilling of Labor? • Loss of Jobs?

  16. Political Freedom • Government Control • Increases government's ability to amass information - monitor movements • Restricts uses that contribute to freedom • Aids desirable law enforcement • Enforce oppressive laws • Carry out illegal activities against people

  17. Political Freedom Continued... • Government Control • Protect and increase their own power • Ban uses of technology such as encryption • Some countries use censorship and ban transmission Audio

  18. Neo-Luddites • People who oppose all technological progress • Views are tied to a particular way of life for people • Burned factories in response to industrial revolution

  19. Specific Criticisms - Computers... • Cause massive unemployment and deskilling of jobs • Manufacture needs • Cause social inequity and disintegration • Separate humans from nature • Destroy the environment • Are dehumanizing - lead to isolation

  20. Specific Criticisms - Computers... • Benefit big business • Benefit government • Used in schools will thwart development of social skills, human values, intellectual skills • Do little to solve real human problems

  21. Luddites and Other Negative Views • Capitalism • Business • Markets • Consumer products • Factories • Other modern forms of work

  22. Intelligent Machines • The “Forbin” Project • Terminator example • Battlestar “G”

  23. Social Computing • Facebook • Twitter • Texting • SMS • Legal issues

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