People have become overly dependent on technology Essay

People have become overly dependent on technology - Essay Example Technology can be defined as human innovation that develops systems and applications to meet human needs, to increase the quality of life or to solve problems. To see the impact of technology in the life of an average American, one only has to put himself in the shoes of an average American. Whether you are a student or an adult, you wake up when the digital alarm clock rings, you catch the latest news on television while eating your breakfast, you type documents using your computer, you visit social networking sites to keep in touch with family and friends and when you come home, you rely on the Internet to play online games or to watch your favorite videos. This clearly shows our over dependence on technology. A recent Harris Poll from Harris Interactive reveals that nearly 65% or two-thirds of Americans think that today’s society is very dependent upon electronic gadgets. Despite doubts about technology’s role in increasing personal productivity, the majority of Amer ican consumers is of the opinion that technology will play an important role in the nation’s recovery from financial crisis and in assuring the continued prosperity of the nation. The information was gleaned from an online.If we just stop and reflect how technology has influenced our lives and how we have become so dependent on technology, then we realize that we cannot live without it. With the advent if e-mail and social networking sites, there are no more letters in our mailbox. ... With so many online games and video games, there are fewer children playing outside. Whatever happened to the times when people walked to the stores to buy newspapers, when children played football in the park or when fitness buffs jogged? Instead of finding them in these places, one has to look indoors to find children, teenagers and adults with either a mouse or controller in their hands or on tread mills to exercise. We have become slaves to our technology. Of all the technological innovations, it is perhaps the computer that has the greatest impact on human beings. Computers have found their way into almost every aspect of our lives. They enable us to work from anywhere and keep in touch with family and friends especially those who live far away. They provide us with entertainment, allow us to chat and perform many other functions. Computers with internet connections have made the world a â€Å"global community†. All this is only possible with advanced technology that is m aking us more dependent on its usage. Technology has also helped to increase workplace efficiency. People depend on technology such as phones, computers, fax machines and printers. Imagine an office without such technology. Work will be done at a snail’s pace and there are bound to be errors. Today, even businesses rely on technology. E-commerce, that is the ability to do business globally via websites, has provided a larger market. Businesses are now open 24 hours a day, seven days a Sebastian 3 week. Technology has enabled people to do online shopping from the comforts of their homes. The Internet, cell phones and other technological may have contributed

Conflicts of the Twentieth Century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Conflicts of the Twentieth Century - Essay Example Through World War I, World War II, and the Cold War, the nations of Germany and Japan played critical roles. In the years before World War I, Germany's nationalism reached full tilt. The Germans were proud of their empire, military, and industry. They were keen to defend their empire against others, especially the British, who were shocked to find Germany's industrial output topping their own. In 1905 and 1911, competition for colonies brought France and Germany to the brink of war. Diplomacy prevented the outbreak of war then, but Germany did gain some territory in central Africa (Blum, Cameron, and Barnes, 1970, 320). Militarism in Germany also helped drive the world closer to war. The public viewed war with romantic eyes, and the notion of Social Darwinism suggested that, if a nation could become powerful enough to take what it wanted, then it ought to have it. As nations spent more and more money to create grand fighting machines, it must have seemed almost a shame to them to have no excuse to use them - much like a new yellow belt in a Tae Kwon Do class who is eagerly waiting for the school bully to give him an excuse to practice his martial arts. Germany's army and navy swelled in size to protect its empire and homeland, and other nation's reacted accordingly. Germany's military leadership encouraged aggression. Helmuth von Moltke, a high-ranking strategist, declared, "The German people must be made to see that we have to attack because of enemies' provocation. . . . [W]ar must seem like a deliverance from the great armaments, the financial burdens, the political tensions. . . ." (Snyder, 196 0, 377) Germany's participation in the alliance system also helped create the conflict of World War I. Kaiser William II encouraged Francis Joseph to take a firm stand against Serbia. The alliance system affected the nations of Europe and America, too. What should have been a small, localized conflict turned into a deadly contest between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy on one side, and France and Britain (and eventually the US) on the other side (Unger and Unger, 1990, 257). Germany's role in World War I had direct effects on Americans. Unrestricted submarine warfare by the German's helped draw America into the war. Americans on European vessels such as the Sussex and Lusitania would be killed while crossing the Atlantic. (They had been warned not to cross on those European ships, but this detail is often omitted in our national memory). America would be "threatened" from the south as German leaders encouraged Mexico to launch an attack against the US to regain its land lost in the Mexican-American War. The Zimmerman note sought to bring Mexico into the war. Germany forced America to decide between isolationism and a defense of democracy (Unger and Unger, 1990, 145). Likewise, Germany's role in World War II is hard to overstate. They were well-equipped for war, with plenty of material resources and a new leadership that captured public attention. Taking advantage of political instability and a fear of communism, Hitler speeded the rise of the Nazi Party. Concentrating on the unfairness of the Treaty of Versailles, the Jewish "problem," and a bad