DON'T FALL BEHIND, KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST, BUY NOW!
These three phrases
seemed to be prominent in the lives of the American population in the
1970s. The phrase “keeping up with the Jones’” comes to mind when watching
Orson Welles’ narration. Technology in this time was advancing too quickly, and
people were becoming too “sick” from this change.
The 70’s were definitely
a time for change. People wanted things quickly, and they wanted immediate
satisfaction. People would hitchhike just to get away from their lives at home.
This is a huge change from earlier decades, where people wanted to be at home,
they did not look for such radical change. In my opinion, this longing for
change correlated with the changing technology during this time. It was a
symptom of Future Shock.
In response to Future
Shock, Cheryl Russell, the editorial director at New Strategist Publications,
stated, "everybody
had this sense that something was coming, and nobody could really put their
finger on it, and then, of course, the Internet emerged" (Russell). Information could be accessed much more
quickly than before, and the way people lived shifted. Technology took over.
In my opinion, Future Shock was an overreaction. We must be more open
minded about new findings and new advances. NOAA says that last year, its
“satellites were critical in the rescues of 295 people from life-threatening
situations throughout the United States and its surrounding waters.” Without
this new technology, these people would have perished. I agree that we should
say no to certain technologies, but these advances are saving lives and
educating people.
Nasser, Haya El. "'Future Shock' Team Issues Predictions for next 40 Years." News, Travel, Weather, Entertainment, Sports, Technology, U.S. & World - USATODAY.com. USA Today, 14 Oct. 2010. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. <http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-10-14-futureshock14_ST_N.htm>.
MacDonald, Elizabeth. "How Technology Saves Lives." Fox Business | Business News & Stock Quotes - Saving & Investing. Fox, 21 Jan. 2011. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. <http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2011/01/21/technology-saves-lives/>.
Photo Cred: http://images.icanhascheezburger.com/completestore/2009/2/27/128802142641198962.jpg
Cat,
ReplyDeleteI love how you relate to how technology saves lives just as much as it makes problems. Your points make me think about both sides of the situation. I completely agree with you about future shock being an over reaction. I believe as long as we keep it under control, technology can only help us in many ways such as medical discoveries. Love the picture by the way! Made me laugh :)
I agree that "Future Shock" was an overreaction. You have a good point that if we do say "no" to certain technologies then we will miss out on important technologies that can save lives. There are two sides to technology advances. Some technologies are very important in improving society, but we can do without others.I also thought it was interesting how you related the changes that were going on during the 70's and the new technological changes that were happening.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, great title. The part of the post I thought was interesting was when you were talking about how this video is from the seventies. The fact that technology was already moving at such a rapid pace and people were concerned about it makes me believe technology has always been moving faster than some people would have like. it also makes me think about how in the future, people will look back at the technology we have now and say, "how did they live like that."
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