GROWING TRENDS IN SCIENCE &

TECHNOLOGY

LEARNING GOAL

You will …

… demonstrate an understanding of how technology influences society.

You will do this by …

… identifying how current trends are influenced by culture, tradition and language

… describing how technology impacts these influences

SOCIALIZING AND TECHNOLOGY- Today, social status is closely tied to the ability to communicate and be part of virtual social networks.- How would you feel if one of your friends refused to use any social networking tool to communicate with you?

SOCIAL NETWORKS

-We have always been socialized and encouraged to interact with family and friends

-This has driven the popularity of social networking

-In an average month, 15 million Canadians log onto Facebook

-Canadian average is 190 friends, Global average is 130 friends

-why is Facebook so popular?

“THIS IS WHO I AM”

- Facebook provides a secondary purpose of helping us define who we are and how we are seen

- Cooley’s theory: looking glass self – Facebook helps us understand who we are

IMPACTS

- links to depression – “upward” comparisons

- links to obesity – lack of physical activity

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CELLULAR TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIALIZING - flooding the marketplace

- 47 percent of U.S. teenagers say their lives would be worsened if they lost access to their mobile devices

- 57 percent credit their devices for improving their lives

- used for entertainment – gaming, movies, shows

- used for safety – provides a sense of security to teenagers

- used for quick communication – texting

- Over 1 BILLION text messages are sent globally each day

PROS – allows for multi-tasking, provides fun communication CONS – pauses of communication, distraction

CONTAINMENT THEORY

- a subset of social control theory

- there are 2 ways individuals use the internalization of values to control primal urges: Inner containments – our self-esteem and moral developmentOuter containments – social controls such as teachers, police, parents

- The hope is that agents of socialization have taught us social norms and values to control ourselves

- the internet gives users the ability to hide (to a certain extent) from outer containments

- the internet also allows us to access copyrighted material without paying

MARSHALL McLUHAN

- technology is an extension of the human

- computers are an extension of our nervous system

- technology extends us past what we can see and hear in the space we are in – are we really here?

IMPACT ON THE FAMILY (Family Systems Theory)

- what impact does technology have on the family as a dynamic, self-regulating system?

- children are growing up with technology integrated into their lives from an early age

- wireless technology allows for multiple connections with personal content

- what is the internet being used for, education or entertainment?This will affect the influence it has on family dynamic

TECHNOLOGY IN THE FUTURE – NEW OPPORTUNITIES OR NEW PROBLEMS? THE SIMULATED SOCIETY (Jean Baudrillard)

- technology moves us away rom the natural state we started inRain – an inconvenience rather than needed for foodWildlife – large predators to be killed or controlledCities, towns – made of concrete and plasticNeighbours – we don’t know who’s next door, but we know our gaming partner in Asia or Europe

THE POWER OF SOCIAL NETWORKING

http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.ca/

VIRTUAL SPACE – THE NEW FRONTIER?

- selling virtual items in games

- virtual threats, virtual crimes

- game addiction

- Does gaming cause addiction or are addicts drawn to gaming?

- Are there any benefits to virtual space?

TECHNO WASTE

- devices become obsolete quickly

- contain mercury, lead, arsenic, chromium

- Social Exchange Theory – keeping current with technology takes precedence over environmental concerns