HW 20- Big Paper Revised Draft

When we think of a modern society, we think of one involving technology. We think of one with machinery and computers. Technology has permeated our lives in such a way that it is entrenched in everything we do. Our overuse of digital devices persists in our culture because many, if not all, aspects of our lives become dependent on it, socially, economically, as well as personally.

Social Dependence
Finding friends, classmates, dates? No problem. There's a site for that. From social groups to online dating, people have turned to the Internet to connect. Sites such as Facebook and Match.com fills this quota in a simple and convenient way. With a click of a button you are "connected". There are more than 300 million active users on Facebook. 50% of these active users will log on to Facebook on any given day. The fastest growing demographic are those 35 years old and older (Facebook). This means even the older generation is getting in on this. This has changed the face of social networking in many ways.

"Technology, especially cellphone and texting technology, dissolves obstacles. Suitors now contact each other in an instantaneous, frictionless sphere separated from larger social institutions and commitments." (Brooks).

Its simple to post on someones wall and its an extension of the cell phone and e-mail. We still have that. When people are too far to see face to face, to supplement the relationship people can talk to them on the phone or e-mail until they can be able to see someone in person. Until then, the phone, and words in the mail, will be your contact. In today's world that is common. Technology is made available in all forms of communication, from talking on the phone, to sending a message online and people have become reliant on technology as a way of social contact.

That's for the people you know. For romantic relationships sites like Match.com or Chemistry.com have become the modern matchmakers. It opens people to meet people they might otherwise have not met. It's their device to romance. Of course, people actually have to meet up in person. The downside to this is that people often can and will present themselves in way that is not completely accurate to who they are. Either by editing out things that might be a turn off to a potential mate or filtering e-mail responses to be a certain way. Suitors now contact each other in an instantaneous, frictionless sphere separated from larger social institutions and commitments.The world of Internet dating is not always truthful. Of course, who in real life ever is? In some ways that is representational of the actual world, presenting a persona that you want to represent yourself. In the digital medium it just makes it easier to do so. As a new medium for setting up meet-ups, people are liable to using these match-making sites as a main place to look for romantic partners.

Economic Dependence & Connections
Since the 1920s the US has been a nation of consumerism (Shultz). As Post World War I America grew in prosperity Americans earned higher salaries, worked shorter hours, and invested in the stock market and they began to shift their focus to leisure time activities. "American society became increasingly standardized as automobiles, electric appliances and mass entertainment became available to ordinary" citizens (Filip). This was the beginning of the rise of consumerism and technology was now incorporated in the lives of the masses. (Filip).

Today our consumerist culture is aided by this technology. Using the technology that is available companies are able to reach a wide demographic. In Feed, Violet says "They're also waiting to make you want things. " (97). She is talking about the corporations and in our society corporations do the same things. Their goal is to make us, the consumers, want things, to need things and if they've done that they've done their job. They do this by putting advertisements in places where we can see it (Andy). When we watch TV or use the Internet there's always an ad lurking nearby. When we're walking down the street, there are billboards on buildings to displaying the latest product or a brand. What they want is for one of those ads to appeal to us and have us purchase their product. To get the product out there in front of the consumers, companies will run ads and those ads will be placed to hit their targeted demographic. For example ads from companies selling fitness gear are more often placed in fitness magazines and sugary cereals are placed on lower shelves where it is at a child's eye level. The economy is dependent on this cycle.

Personal Dependence
We use digital technology to keep us entertained and stimulate us. Things such as television, the Internet and video games distracts us from the dreaded boredom. Phrases like "I'm bored." often pass the lips of today's teen. Its funny, because when my mom sees me online she says that I am boring for being on there. But we use technology to keep us entertained and in many ways it is one of our main sources for our entertainment. Television, video games, and Internet keep us in a constant state of frenzy, going from one thing to the next. Sometimes the result of it is that we are overstimulated. Since the invention of electricity the hours that the average adult sleeps has dropped from 10 hours to 6.9 hours (NBC). Part of the reason why is because technology keeps people plugged in and the artificial lights disrupts their sleep cycles and their internal clocks. So instead of resetting like it normally would their times are scattered sporadically and they may not feel sleepy until much later. This is true for me. Sometimes I'll sleep later than I should and the only thing that's keeping me awake is the increased production of cortisol and adrenaline, pumping through my system (Breus). This rush of anxiety we sometimes mistake for energy that we'd get when we're sleep-deprived (Breus). Using this hormone rush to further stay awake makes me feel wired at first but I end up even more fatigued (Breus). Even with this result, technology is often the first thing we turn to when we have nothing to do because we can count on it to provide some form of stimulation.

Mental stimulation is not the only use of technology. Some forms of it encourage the lack thereof or as little as possible. Many people utilize tools like spell check as a replacement for proofreading. This along with our frequent usage of things like text messaging or messenger develops a familiarity in writing a certain way that involves technology. Its an impediment to our spelling and vocabulary. Online its faster to acronym and short spell words like "what" to "wat" or "I don't know" to "Idk" but as a result there are more moments where we get used to the misspelling and almost forget how to spell the actual word. But we think spell check will catch such instances. Our frequent usage has developed into a lazy comfort where we use technology as our crutch in dealing with things like writing.

Opposing Point of View
But some may say that we are not wholly dependent on technology and that it is possible to get on with our lives without it. For example, many developing countries like Africa or Asia are able to get by without technology. Part of the reason is poverty rates (Kleeman). It is simply not an option. They are able to make do without technology in their daily lives. That's because just having enough to eat on a daily basis is a greater problem than having a car or a computer. Technology is not necessary in their lives. Many people will walk or ride a bike instead of driving in a car. But even developing countries are trying to gain technology and though they have less of it, technology is becoming incorporated in their lives as well. One case being China, who's attempting to catch up to their predecessors, one way is through the growing use of technology, even in its rural areas. As a result for a growing amount of people in those areas technology is slowly taking over.

I find myself guilty of turning to technology for many of these things I mentioned. It is so ingrained in my way of life that it's hard not to. But what does this say about the future if things continue along this path; would we soon find ourselves in the land of mechas--part human, part machine? Or in some way, has that already happened, and if so, was it worth it?

Works Cited

Anderson, M.T., Feed. Somerville: Candlewick Press, 2002. Breus, Michael, Good Night,

Ehrenfeld, Temma. "Seven Facts About Body Rhythm." Newsweek (2008).
Http://www.newsweek.com/id/144396. Newsweek, 2 July 2008. Web. 4 Nov. 2009.

Sleep Facts and Stats. Your Total Health. NBC, 2004. Web.

Filip, Lulia. "Rise of Consumerism and Mass Entertainment." History. Suite101, 3 July 2009. Web. 5 Nov. 2009. http://modern-us-history.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_1920s_rise_of_consumerism_and_mass_culture.

Shultz, Stanley K. "The Politics of Prosperity: 1920s." Lecture. H102: Lecture 15. William T. Tishler, 1999. Web. 2009.

Facebook. RSS. Statistics. Statistics. Facebook, 2009. Web. 04 Nov. 2009.

Klemann, Jurgen. "Some Thoughts on Living in the Less Developed World." Emerging Markets. Escape Artist, 05 Nov. 2009. Web. 05 Nov. 2009.