The Positives of Gaming and Addiction - Term Paper Example

Technology and Society Introduction Technology has for a long time affected the way people live, what they eat, how they playand how they work. Since the dawn of civilization millions of years ago, there have been many technological developments that have occurred in the world. Each of these technologies were seen to change the way people lived and improved the living standards for millions f people. Most of these technologies were viewed well by society because the society could see the benefits of the technology. Information technology, and especially computer technology is one of the latest technologies that have been invented and is argued to have considerable impact on the global society as to how they live. The advantages of technology are many and it cannot be disputed that this technology has changed the way people live, for better (Hawkins, 1989). Whether it is the internet and the many platforms it offers for business, communication and even entertainment, or it is the efficiency of having a word processor that is way better than the traditional typewriter, it can be seen that the computer has revolutionized the way people live. The worries However, even as the computer has had so many positive benefits, it also has brought in some worries that some people continue to think may bring in a social apocalypse in the future. The computer technology is probably the only technology that has completely overhauled the way people live and the way people relate. In other words, it has chanted the social fabric. Less social beings (techno zombies) One of the things that have worried many people and especially sociologist is the fact that the computers have made people to be less social. With computers being interconnected through networks such as the internet, a lot of people have realized that they can do much of the things they need to do from the comfort of their homes without having to go out to the world. These days, people can take their education online, buy things online and have them delivered to their doorsteps, even socialize online using social media such as facebook.com and twitter. Because of this, people have less face-to-face communication with each other and this is feared to be a negative impact of the information technology of today. As more people continue to disappear behind their computers and have fewer social interactions as they use the computers and computer networks to interact with the rest of the world, they are going to be less social and the social fabric will be ripped apart, leading to the end of civilization as it is known today (Hjorth, 2008). However, with regard to this, there is a debate with regard to whether this is a good thing of a bad thing. On the one side of this debate are the people who believe that just because people are spending more time with their computers does not necessarily mean that the social fabric has lost its structure, but that this is just one more phase of the evolution of the society with regard to how people relate with each other. Others on the other hand feel that this is a risk that must be avoided as much as possible. The fear of technology and especially computer technology has been seen for some time now and in the USA, it even attracted some kind of fanatics with the rationalist who believed that everything must be done to prevent further development o such technology. In the 1970s, there were some terrorist actions carried out by an American who was determined to make sure that technology could not grow further. His worry was that if further advancements in technology were made, it will lead to a society that is hard to manage and that is way too un-cohesive. Today, it is many years later and the information has grown many stets up especially with the introduction of the internet and the development of the personal computer as well as the smart phone and the tablet. The society is still intact and although there are many social problems in the today’s world, these problems can hardly be associated with the computer and information technology. Gaming and addiction Most people who are afraid of what the modern computer and information technology can do to the society have been quick to cite the online gaming phenomena. The online multiplayer gaming platforms are many and make up an industry that is worth billions of dollars. The issue with the online games is that they have created many people who are addicted to the online world so much that these people can hardly be able to interact with other people outside the online world. The figure of persons who have been affected by this problem continues to increase by the day even as the number of players who are seriously involved in online multiplayer games have also increased. As a result, it can be argued that technology does have its problems. Critics of the computer technology believe that if there are no enough measures taken, everybody in the society will end up being an online addict and therefore making it hard for people to interact with each other on a one to one interaction (Winston, 2002). However, other experts have argues that the few number of people who have become socially dysfunctional are not an indication that the whole society will become socially dysfunctional after using the computer and the networks for too long. The argument is that even before the computers came, there was still a small sections of the society who would have some psychological disorders that would made them socially dysfunctional. The companies that design and sell the online multiplayer games have also been accused of being evil capitalists that take advantage of the people who play these games, without regard of the fact that this is affecting the lives of so many people in a negative way. Online multiplayer games as an alternative for people who wouldn’t fit in the normal word While there are those who critic the companies that provide the online multiplayer games, there are those who have commended it. These people argue that the online games provide for an alternative world for many people who would otherwise have no social lives at and that since these people can socialize through online gaming, they have been given an alternative to be social begins. The online multiplayer games create a parallel world for millions of people around the world where they can create their own virtual world and be themselves (Harrington, 2011). What is good is that contrary to the perception that these online game players do not have social lives, most of them end up interesting with their playmates in real life and even end up having normal relationships such as marrying. Most of these have their own forums where they meet at least once a year to have a face-to-face socialization with each other. In this regard, contrary to what most people may think, the online gaming platforms can and does also provide for people to be able to socialize better and know each other not only on the online platform, but also in the real world (Shiratori, 2006).Artificial intelligence and he future of humans The other issue that has raised the question of how the computer technology can affect the society is the issue of artificial intelligence. Although this has not been wholly achieved, there are many research centers that are working to create a computer that use artificial intelligence, that is, a computer that mimics the intelligence of a human being. The time at which this it is believed to have happened in around 2035 and some scientist refer to this as the singularity. This has been anticipated with mixed relations with some saying that this may lead to an apocalypse. Some feel that the artificial intelligence computers may end up being too intelligent and decide to go against the human race, thus decisions to wipe the human race. Others argue that this kind of a situation could not happen and that an intelligent computer will always be under some level of control from humans. Yet, there are those who are not in any of the extremes of this debate and argue that although it is necessary for the search for artificial intelligence to go on, it is also necessary for the right cautions to be taken in order it make sure that the artificial intelligence does not end up being a disaster for human beings. In this case, it is evident that the computer technology is one of the technologies that have completely revolutionized humans and their social order. With technology, even social classes have been rearranged and there is a new social order in the today world. This can also be seen in the mass media where the modern person no longer depends on the mass media to get information. Today, a lot of the information and news that the people get is generated and disseminated by their peers through social media such as face book, twitter and other numerous social media platform. While this may look like an inconsequential phenomenon, the truth is that this has researched and reorganized the political power in the society’s order of the modern society. Informed people are powerful people and as much as the social media has become a tool for so many millions to inform themselves about issues, the political class knows that things are no as they used to be. They understand that they can no longer be able to manipulate the masses as easily as they use do through the mainstream media. As a result, it can be said that between has had a fundamental impact on not just the social order but also the political order of things in the modern world. Conclusion Any major technology that has ever been invented came to interrupt the social order. This is the same with modern computer technology, only that the computer technology has done that in a massive way thus creating the impression that it is the only technology that has affected the social order of things. It can be argues that this technology will definitely continue to have negatives as well as positives. It is beneficial to understand that one cannot have his cake and eat it. In their words, the modern society cannot expect to benefit from the amazing computer and information technology and not have to deal with its negative side. However, since the negatives seem to be dwarfed by the positives, it is in the interests of the modern society to embrace the technology and try to capitalize on the positives as opposed to the negatives. References Harrington, L. (2011). Technology and Society. New York, NY: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Hawkins, J. (1989). Microcomputers in schools: Impact on the social life of elementary classrooms . Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 3, 4 , pp. 361–373. Hjorth, L. (2008). Technology and Society: Issues for the 21st Century and Beyond. New York, NY: Prentise Hall. Shiratori, R. (2006). Gaming, Simulations and Society: Research Scope and Perspective. New York, NY: Springer Science & Business Media. Winston, B. (2002). Media,Technology and Society: A History: From the Telegraph to the Internet. Londion, UK: Routledge. Read More