SIMONE BUSCH
NEW COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES
ACADEMIC ESSAY


In today’s society, technology is advancing further and further everyday. A prime example of this is the computer. The computer is any programmable electronic mechanism that can collect, retrieve, and process information. This description has grown significantly over time as the computer has come a long way from the likes of a simple calculator, to a complex and intricate piece of machinery that has the ability to control our existence. However, with this development there are many different opinions on whether this innovation has had a positive or negative affect on our civilization. Throughout this thesis, it will be argued that although the computer and its improvement upon society has had a constructive and optimistic impact, with this has come the declination of interpersonal communication, reliance on such equipment and many other negative traits which inturn has caused a breakdown of our social order.

Firstly produced commercially by IBM in 1950’s, the computer has come from many origins and has numerous competitors within its field. “The development of the modern day computer was the result of advances in technologies and man's need to quantify” (http://hitmill.com/computers/computerhx1.html, HREF2). It all started in the 1820’s with Charles Babbage who invented the ‘Difference Engine’ which was designed to calculate and produce mathematical tables (Stockwell, 2007). However, this mechanical production was not completed in his lifetime as a result of a lack of government funding. After Babbage, Alan Turing came onto the scene, who did most of the serious work required for the development of the computer as we know it today. During the Second World War, Turing worked with mathematicians and cryptographers to create and develop the first working computer, The Bombe. This development was exceptionally significant as it was then used to break secret German 'Enigma' codes. From this followed the investigation of programming, neural nets, and the prospects for artificial intelligence (Hirst, M., Harrison, J. 2007, p.198-201). Turing then devised the ultimate test to determine the intelligence of the computer. This involved a judge speaking to both a computer and a person in written form only, and if the evaluator could not tell the difference between the two, it was then adequate to suggest that the computer was somewhat intellectual. This then started an epidemic.

In 1975 Bill Gates started a company, now well known, called Microsoft, and the first PC was released. Apple, another corporation created by two friends, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, joined the race and created the ‘Apple I’ which they then sold for a profit of $USA666.60 (Stockwell, 2007). Since this innovation, Microsoft and IBM have again come into the picture and it has been a constant battle for the latest and greatest technological advances concerning the computer. It was in 1991 that the World Wide Web was created by Tim Berners-Lee, and by 1992, the number of hosts broke beyond 1,000,000. (http://www.pbs.org/nerds/timeline/. 1995). This is just one example of how rapid the technological advances for computers are increasing. Noticing this, more competitors have joined the pursuit of the development of computers and as a result we now have the most up-to-date equipment, commonly known as a laptop or personal computer. But is this a blessing or a curse?

When thinking about computers and the effect they have on the day to day activities, it can be suggested that computers have had a considerably positive impact on society. Computers are fast and innovative, and are a tool for freedom, commerce, connectivity, and other societal benefits, as well as being seen as an improvement in the social order (P. Brey, 2005, p.2). Without the advancements of technology, the world would not move forward and new developments would be undiscovered, leaving our society at a stand still pace. Thomas K. Landauer, author of the novel, The trouble with computers, writes, “…computers do or must contribute substantially to productivity, or at least to net well-being.”(1995, p.83) Additionally, Enoch Lau suggests that “Computers are certainly not detrimental to our lives today. They help spread information like never before, and therefore allow people to communicate to someone halfway across the world.” (http://www.publish.csiro.au/helix/cf/issues/th69c.cfm, 2007). With the advancement of computers have come programs such as email, Word processor, Google, and MSN. Even data copying or memory disk such as the floppy disk which was created as early as 1971. (http://inventors.about.com/library/blcoindex.htm. 2007). All ground-breaking and modern devices that have helped society advance to what it is today. However, it has also been thought that not only have computers advanced civilization, but have caused many problems for the present and future.

Whilst technology has been credited for the progress and development of our culture, it has also been recommended that with this success computers have brought many negative effects. Jared Stevens proposes that the reliance on computers is just one example of this (http://www.publish.csiro.au/helix/cf/issues/th69c.cfm, 2007). Timothy N. Trainor and Diane Krasnewich (1987) state that “It probably is safe to say that everyone in today’s society is dependant upon computers. That is, the average person depends on, is served by, or actually operates some type of computer several times each day.” (p.7). People are becoming increasingly dependent on computers, creating more than this primary dilemma. Computers have also created a lack of interpersonal relationships such as face to face discussion or even mailing letters. To compensate for these acts we now have choices such as email, an electronic program that creates the ability to send a letter to anyone connected to a computer, and msn, the capacity to have a one-on-one direct conversation with any one in the world through the internet. More problems associated with the computer include the prospect that people are too uneducated to learn how to use this new technology. Sadly, not only does this category include the aged, but individuals who do not have the educational background to know how to use a piece of equipment such as the computer. A lack of funds also creates difficulties for people as not all may be able to afford appliances such as a PC, or home computer and as a result they are ultimately distancing themselves from society without choosing to. Ultimately, these complications cause threat to existing social structures and establishment, to culture, and human relations (P. Brey, 2005).

In conclusion, there are many opinions and reasons for and against the invention and continuous use of computers. There are those who identify both the benefits and harms of the computer as it currently exists, and who are familiar with its convenience and worth while worrying about the its active negative impacts. However, through various research methods and explorations, it can be suggested that the pessimistic attributes of a computer outweigh the optimistic traits, and these need to be carefully considered when discussing the good and bad of today’s technologies and the developments they have made on the present society. Whilst this equipment has given our culture significant progress, the severe effects that have come with this evolution need to be seriously assessed.

References

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