Technological Growth and Cultural Change - Essay Example

?Technology and Cultural Change Introduction The technological advancement in the modern era has leaped mankind to a new level in terms of communication, intelligence, business and many others. The constant trend of improvement in technology continues to provide humans with innovative machines and techniques to attain more convenience and pace in different fields of life. The field of business has been made more structured and formalized due to the incorporation of enterprise resource management systems. The field of education has been made more accessible with the advent of virtual learning management systems. The field of medicine has become more accurate and fast with the acceptance of advance medical equipments. Technology has intervened deeply in the prevailing societies and it is due to this intense intervention that life cannot be imagined without its usage. Alongside the numerous revolutionary inventions and advantages of the current technological era, there exists a severe downside to the continuing source of improvement in the society. Technology has started instigating cultural changes in the societies. As a result of these changes, the historical norms, traditions and values are being influenced and taking new forms. The relation between technological changes and cultural changes shall be discussed in this paper in the light of contribution from different researchers in the recent history. 2. Relation between Technological and Cultural Changes Machines and technical equipments were originally invented to provide aid to humans in their work processes to make them faster and easier. With the passage of time, the uses of the equipments and machines started increasing and people began depending on technology more than themselves. Ross (1991) defines the technological culture as the “new age” that has formed a subculture of its own. This subculture has modified the face of the heritage that was once the source of pride for millions of people. Ross (1991) also highlighted that the people belonging to the “new age” have embraced science and technology as their religion since they want logic and reasoning in every aspect of life, rather than compassion and humility. Neil Postman is a renowned author who has raised his concerns in multiple publications regarding the cultural changes that are being witnessed in the prevailing times due to the integration of technology in the lives of individuals. Postman (1993) stated that tools were made to be used by humans but the prevailing times support the contrary; machines have taken over human intellect and thinking capability to such a great extent that it seems like machines are using humans. Cultural changes in the societies have been witnessed in different walks of life. Few fields have been discussed below that have been influenced by the technological changes: 2.1 Education Education plays an important role in the life of humans. The concept of education that initiated from the cherished sessions of academic discussions between students and teachers has become a prey of the technological advancement in the current times. The advent of virtual learning management systems and e-learning platforms has totally modified the traditional mode of teaching that had been benefitting individuals for thousands of years. These platforms have been accepted around the world and are continuing to integrate in the field of education at high schools and college levels. E-learning management systems promote the acquisition of education through web platforms. Although the respective concept increases accessibility of course material but encourages them to attend lectures and class sessions on the websites. Sher (2009) pointed out that the most adverse effect of virtual learning is the degree of isolation that the student experiences in the process. Postman (1993) stated that isolated learning processes have destroyed the conventional gains that can only be attained during productive class sessions and personal guidance from the instructors. Personal interactions between students promote supportive and cooperative attitudes that stay with the individual for a lifetime. Education not only helps the individual to acquire knowledge but also provides training regarding teamwork spirit; this aspect is being ignored in the new culture of e-learning processes. Postman (1993) explained that humans are programmed to filter information on the basis of their cultural values, traditions, intellect, religion and family. The correct identification of these aspects used to help the conventional man to retain important information and reject the rest. The bombardment of information through numerous technological means makes it a tedious task for humans to think straight and select the most useful information. The filters of information have also been influenced by different sources such as television, advertising, social networking sites etc. Huxley (1932) also agreed with this notion and stated that technological intervention proves to have consequences on the world views of the individuals. World view is generally defined as the perspective with which the world is seen. The traditional world views of family, religion, truth and history tend to produce rich cultures. In the current times, the world views seem to be influenced by the technological advancement; due to which ignorance and lack of direction is being witnessed in the prevailing cultures. The excess of information in the modern world ends up in states of confusion and less retention of knowledge. The availability of information at one’s fingerprints has made individuals dependent on the respective sources. The culture of acquiring knowledge and retaining information has been replaced by research activities of merely finding the suitable information for immediate usage. 2.2 Art and Entertainment Art is not known to be a mere source of expression, rather as a medium that records the history of mankind. Since the inception of life on the planet, art has possessed a significant place in the society as it encompassed the aspect of uniqueness and originality in every piece. The concept and perception behind art was understood in a justified manner with relation to the place and time of its inception. The methods of technical reproduction have reduced the meaning of art to a great extent. Even accurate printing techniques are not able to deliver the feel and impression of art as the original pieces did. Benjamin (1936) stated that the essence of the work seems to wither away with the technical reproduction of art. Photography, film and computer animations have overshadowed mostly all traditional forms of art. According to Scaff (n.d.); such forms of art lack the element of authenticity and originality that was reflected in the paintings of great artists. People have grown to prefer the replicas of art due to the greater level of accessibility and affordability, thereby reducing the trends of gallery exhibitions and investing time in comprehending the essence and purpose of the art pieces. Massive production of replicas of paintings has made the respective field into a big industry and has made it devoid of the traditions that surrounded the field for hundreds of years. Television is one of the most remarkable technological inventions that had been created as a result of elaborate research and study. The consequences of this invention could not have been imagined by the inventors in those times. Williams (2003) stated that the initiation of news and harmless entertainment broadcasting on television has turned into addictive content that influence the central processes of families and cultures of societies. The excessive viewing and dependence on the respective technology makes adults and children lose the value of togetherness and communication amongst each other. The technology of television has the most power to influence people’s ideas and concepts since it is present in their homes and outputting information around the clock. An article in the Concise Columbia Dictionary of Quotations (1990) pointed out that cultural values are threatened when the shapers of the media, i.e. advertisers and large corporations deliver messages that might be only directed for their own betterment. They can make people accept something that might have been considered obscene few years earlier. Cultural norms and values are being replaced by self-benefitting notions of large corporations. An important point has been highlighted by Penley and Ross (1991) in their book; they stated that technology enables massive reproduction of images, films and television. This replicated media is transported to places around the world. They referred to such actions as ‘cultural piracy’ and explained that the presence of such media in foreign countries influences the native cultures and inhibits in the growth of their own norms and traditions. The gradual invasion by foreign cultures is often left unnoticed by many due to which the cultural values fade away and lose their existence. 2.3 Medicine Fredrick Taylor is a renowned name in the field of management since his ideas became the foundation of the principles of scientific management. Taylor (1911) laid out some guiding principles for the smooth functioning of production processes in industries in 1911. The principles advocated strict adherence of rules and descriptions that had been laid down for the respective positions of the employees in their organizations. These principles were devoid of any emotions or personal judgments from the employees. This concept started being followed by people other than the production industry as well and became accepted as the successful mode of operations. Its acceptance changed the culture of operations in numerous fields as people began to rely more on the mode of operations rather than their own human intellect. Postman (1993) stated that the introduction of machines and technology in every field has made people rely more on the results and conclusions of the machines than their own judgment. The field of medicine is a good example of this cultural change. Doctors have held respectable places in societies ever since the inception of life on the planet (in whichever form they have been present). Postman (1993) stated that the confiding relation between a doctor and his patient has been common in the history of mankind. The advent of technological equipments has altered the traditional values followed by doctors. Advanced medical equipments have been introduced in the field of medicine that are used to detect the symptoms of the patients and hence provide diagnosis for the patients. Postman (1993) stated that the act of observing the patient on a personal level, while inquiring about the probable symptoms, has become rare. Medical equipments are used to diagnose the cause of distress and thus identification of the treatment. In the prevailing cultures, the doctors’ conclusions are not considered valid unless they are backed by some technological test or observation. These cultural changes make the doctors and patients rely on the machines more than the expertise of the doctors. Medicine is a constant learning process where one’s knowledge increases with experience. The dependence on technology inhibits their process of growth. Postman (1993) explained the dependence of physicians on technology by stating “doctors would lose their ability to conduct skillful examinations and rely more on machinery than on their own experience and insight” (99). 2.4 Social Values Technology has promoted the relevance of efficiency and speed to such a great extent that people have been made to believe that these aspects are related to the progress of any society. The modern man aims to attain them in his routine processes of life, thereby ignoring important aspects of interconnectedness and social values. Internet is considered to be one of the most remarkable inventions in recent history of mankind but it’s adverse effects on the cultural and social values of individuals are seldom accepted. Reid and Reid (2007) explained that the wide acceptance of SMS, e-mails and instant messaging services has taught people to converse impersonally at a faster pace. Goggin (2006) stated that the adoption of such means of communication has replaced the desire to interact on a personal level; such changes in the behaviour promote isolation among individuals in the societies. Technology has intercepted so greatly in the current generations that individuals stay connected with their peers even they are mobile. Gergen (2002) explained this cultural change of staying connected with peers with the phenomenon of “absent presence”. He pointed out the origin of this term as book reading in the ancient times; the interesting content in the book would take the reader into another world of imagination and he would cease to have his concentration in the real world. It has been often witnessed that individuals stay engrossed with the activities and games on their mobile devices rather than personal meetings with their peers. The lack of concentration in the on-going activities and discussions is becoming a barrier in the production of productive discussions in the society and hence a fruitful exchange of ideas. Societies and cultures flourish with the exchange of productive and innovative discussions. The lack of availability of the viewpoints of others is making people opinionated and intolerable to any new idea. Lack of mutual interaction and support among the members of the society has directed societies and cultures towards individualism, instead of collectivism. Jiang (2000) stressed on the inseparability of culture and language and stated that culture would not be present without language. Time has made mankind witness a severe downgrade of language in the prevailing cultures. As stated earlier, speed has become one of the greatest aims of mankind in the modern world. It is due to the desire of increasing pace that people use SMS and instant messaging services. The language that is used in sending SMS and instant messages is far from the original form of languages that have progressed over the years in return of the countless contributions of the authors and poets. Sutherland (2002) referred to this cultural change in communication as masking dyslexia, promotion of poor spelling and an outcome of mental laziness. 3. Conclusion After conducting an extensive study on the relation between technology and culture, it can be stated that evident cultural changes have been witnessed in the prevailing times. Machines and technical equipments, that were once invented to facilitate work processes for humans, have made man dependent on their intelligence. The human intellect and judgment is not considered reliable in the new age if it is not supported by technical artifacts. The cultural and traditional values related to art have been minimized by the advent of reproduction techniques. The essence and vision of the artists is rarely considered important since the respective field has been turned into a money making business. The valuable relation between student and teacher has been replaced by virtual learning management system that forces the student to study in an isolated fashion. The noble profession of medicine has been invaded with numerous medical equipments that are considered to be more reliable than the expertise and skills of doctors. Technology has introduced abundant sources of information to humans. Media, internet, photography etc also influence the filters and world views of the individual; this makes it difficult for them to retain useful knowledge from the ocean of information. Speed and efficiency have become more important than mutual relations and personal interactions. Language is a valuable part of culture that is being threatened by the excessive use of instant messaging services. Impersonal interactions over the internet and mobile devices are reducing exchange of ideas and viewpoints, thereby limiting the growth of cultures and flourishing of societies. References Benjamin, W 1936, ‘The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction’, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. Gergen, K 2002, Perpetual Contact: Mobile Communication, Private Talk, Public Performance, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Goggin, G 2006, Cell Phone Culture, Taylor and Francis Group, London. Huxley, A 1932, Brave New World, Harper Collins Publishers, New York. Jiang, W 2000, ‘The relationship between culture and language’, ELT Journal, Volume 54, Issue 4. Penley, C., Ross, A 1991, Technoculture, University of Minnesota Press. Postman, N 1993, Technopoly- The Surrender of Culture to Technology, Vintage Books, New York. Reid, DJ., Reid, F 2007, ‘Text or Talk? Social Anxiety, Loneliness, and Divergent Preferences for Cell Phone Use’, Cyberpsychology and Behaviour, Volume 10, Number 3. Ross, A 1991, Strange weather: culture, science, and technology in the age of limits, Verso Publishers. Scaff, JH n.d., ‘Art and authenticity in the Age of Digital Reproduction’, Digital Arts Institute. Sutherland, J 2002, ‘Cn u txt?’, The Guardian, 11th November. Sher, A 2009, ‘Assessing the relationship of student-instructor and student-student interaction to student learning and satisfaction in Web-based Online Learning Environment’, Journal of Interactive Online Learning, Volume 8, Number 2. Taylor, FW 1911, The Principles of Scientific Management, UK: Harper & Brothers. The Concise Columbia Dictionary of Quotations 1990, Perception, Culture and Technology, Columbia University Press. Williams, R 2003, Television: Technology and Cultural Form, Routledge Publishers. Read More