¶ … computers and culture, using the book "Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology," by Neil Postman, and other resources. Specifically, it will answer the questions: How have computers and computer networks changed human thinking, behavior, and lifestyle? What has been gained? What has been lost? What are the advantages of computers in communication? In education? In entertainment? In the economy? What are the disadvantages in these areas? Is computer technology creating winners and losers, or furthering social stratification? Have we become too dependent on computers? Do computers limit social skills and physical activity to a damaging degree? Why or why not? Computers have changed our national culture and our global culture, and not always for the better. When they were first developed for the mass market, computers were meant to increase productivity and cut down on paper work. Today, computers have permeated every section of our lives, and our culture.
Computers and Culture
Neil Postman states in his book "Technopoly," "Technopoly is a state of culture. It is also a state of mind. It consists in the deification of technology, which means that the culture seeks its authorization in technology, finds its satisfaction in technology, and takes its orders from technology" (Postman 71). Today, our society is indeed a technopoly, for we not only deify technology, we have become a nation dependent on our technological gadgets. From cell phones to PDAs, we are constantly "plugged in" to our computers, our workplace, and our families. One expert in Postman's book sums up our love of technology simply "We're a switched-on, tuned-in, visually oriented society'" (Postman 108). Technopoly exits and it is us.
Initially, computers were developed for government and extremely large businesses. These machines were huge, costly, and did not seem to have any practical personal use. Personal computers first entered the consumer marketplace in 1973, but it was not until 1981, when the IBM corporation launched its' IBM PC. In 1982, "Time" magazine took the unprecedented step of naming the IBM PC "man of the year," the first time a machine had ever won the distinction (Wessells 229- 233). The "personal computer" took off, and today, personal computers are not a luxury, they are considered a necessity in most homes. As one popular culture expert notes,
Over the past forty years, the electronic computer has made a meteoric ascent into the lives of millions. Once the rare and sacred objects of the high priests of engineering, computers have become familiar household items and indispensable tools in enterprises such as business, education, government, and medicine. In short, computers have become woven into the daily fabric of Western civilization (Wessells 229).
Thus, computers are a large part of our daily lives, and they have forever changed human thinking, behavior, and lifestyle. For example, even ten years ago, computers were still a luxury, especially to lower income families and individuals. However, the prices on computers have dropped dramatically, and today, just about anyone can afford a basic computer. Human thinking and behavior have changed dramatically as computers have "woven their way into the daily fabric" of our lives. Today, you can shop at home on the computer, never setting foot outside your door. You can conduct your business almost entirely by computer, and never see the supplier in Hong Kong or the buyer in Bulgaria. Our lifestyles have become much more sedentary - we lack of motivation to leave the computer screen, because these screens are mesmerizing, as one historian notes. "Whether as a TV screen or computer monitor, the cathode ray tube remains a two-dimensional mosaic display favoring acoustic simultaneity. Because the user of the video display terminal, like the TV viewer, becomes the screen, he or she experiences inner, convulsive sensuous happenings (Berg 126).
We are constantly searching for better, faster, and more efficient ways to complete our jobs and make our lives easier. The computer fits these needs perfectly, but unfortunately, the computer is also helping to "dumb down" generations of users. For example, because of the proliferation of computers in homes and schools, many children do not read as much - they spend their time playing video games or surfing the Internet. Postman wrote his book in 1992, and today, his works seem prophetic. "Will the widespread use of computers in the classroom defeat once and for all the claims of communal speech? Will the computer raise egocentrism to the status of a virtue?" (Postman 17). Social skills have fallen dramatically. Many children and young adults today have no idea how to...
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