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Is Technology Inherently Good For Developing Individualism?

1032 Words5 Pages

In today’s digital age, the use of Internet service has become an indispensable part of life (Internet Users, 2016). Technology, particularly social media enabled by the use of the Internet, facilitates the expression of ideas and exchange of information. In 2014, social media has a penetration rate of around 64% in Hong Kong, with more than 3.1 million people logging on to Facebook every day and spending an average of 30 minutes per visit (Internet Usage In Hong Kong – Statistics and Trends, 2014). The prevalent use of social media has raised a debate on whether technology is inherently good for developing individualism and brings the prospect of living a good and fulfilling life. This essay will argue that the high usage rate of social media …show more content…

It is the majority’s consent that technology revolutionized how people acquire and exchange information with each other, on both individual and organizational levels. On the one hand, technology virtually removed the geographical and transportation barriers of exchanging a wide variety of information, including data, email, and media. This saved tremendous costs in both personal communication activities compared to the costs of sending air mails, and also corporate activities in terms of saving the time costs in sending legal and business documents between different parties in a transaction. The above benefits brought are the intrinsic value of technology, which has become indispensable in this day and age. With regards to the idea of self-made man enacted by Benjamin Franklin, the pursuit of individual self-interest spontaneously brings about a better society (Bellah, 1985). To maximize their own interests, businesses are incentivized to utilize technology in accessing and exchanging information, and together they are more adaptive to market changes and the market becomes more transparent and efficient. Even when referring to Chinese perspectives of individualism as proposed by Confucius, who advocates the importance of human, and thinks that self should be a great self and be related to the environment (Individualism in Classical Chinese Thought), technology lays a foundation for people to cultivate themselves and later influence each other from a community, regional, national to globalized level. From the above it is clear that the nature of technology is consistent with the major beliefs of

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He states that the internet is “the world’s most powerful engine for putting heads together” (Thompson 61) which means that the internet will close the gap between distant inventions and innovators. He also argues that the world’s most influential machine is “the Internet, which encourages public thinking and resolves multiples on a much larger scale and at a pace more dementedly rapid” (Thompson 61). By having the internet as a place to make connections between ideas, inventors, and innovators, it will not only expand their ideas but will also prevent the loss of

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As the phenomenon of the Internet becomes more accessible to most groups of people, it has been seen as both appreciation and criticism. In "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" by Nicholas Carr argues that the way we think and the style of reading has changed because the Internet is easy to use. In the article “Small Change,” Malcolm Gladwell discusses the pros and cons of social media on activism in modern times as compared through activism in the 1960’s. In Douglas Rushkoff’s documentary “Generation Like,” we gain a deeper understanding of how companies are increasingly working to target and exploit a teen’s quest for identity by empowering them thorough social media. In this paper I will explain how the Internet and social media have influenced

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As earlier stated, over the years people have become intact with technology thus society adapted to technology in their lives, making their lives easier. “Our use of the Net will only grow, and its impact on us will only strengthen, as it becomes even more present in our lives.” (92) The

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In both Nicholas Carr’s and Clive Thompson’s articles, there are resemblances and distinctions in how both authors view technology. Both author agree that modern day people depend on technology. In today’s society, people are more likely to pull out an electronic device to search information that is needed. Also, both authors also agree that social media is affected the way humans think. Social media has created an online “culture” that has changed the way people think and behave.

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Modernization of technology limited the freedom to think for one’s self. It has caused the people of the world to rely solely on orders and rules without thinking of the consequences of those actions. The technology once used to enhance your daily life, now runs it. All people who have succumbed to the advancement of technology have given up their freedom to think, and their ability to live life like it was meant to be lived.

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In his thought-provoking article “Social Media: The Screen, the Brain, and human nature,” Justin Vinh explores the multifaceted impact of social media on individuals and society. This essay aims to provide a focused summary of Vinh’s ideas and respond to one specific notion presented by the author. By critically analyzing the author’s arguments, examining our responses, and evaluating the author’s credibility, we can gain valuable insights into the effects of social media on our lives.

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Some of the negative results of the increasing use of social media are a greater change of friend groups and acquaintances, increased awareness of the livelihood of our fellow peers, and more exposure to the world around us. With all these results, it is easy to see why young adults continue to become distant and flexible later on in their lives than those of previous generations. One of the most prominent consequences of the continued use of social media is the increase in average age of

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Given the prevalence of social media sites, it seems as if everyone has to run two lives: one in the physical world, and one in the online world. Running both of these lives isn’t easy, as spending too much time in one can take away from the other. Given this pressure to run an active online presence, the internet has made us less social as we spend more time curating our online image and less time interacting with people around us. In his essay Is Google Making Us Stupid?, author Nicholas Carr argues that the internet adds to a lack of focus: “For me as for others, the net is becoming a universal medium, the conduit for most of the information that flows through my eyes and ears and into my mind… and what the Net seems to be doing is chipping away my capacity for concentration and contemplation”

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Social media has the potential to connect people from other sides of the globe, but has it disconnected people from those closest to them: themselves? To discredit social media for all that it has done would be wrong; however, social media has potential negative effects on a human’s behavior and psyche that are too blatant to be ignored. Social media helps showcase aspects of people’s lives. From the sharing of baby photos, to your recent meal, to a beautiful photo of your last vacation, the motives behind these experiences are becoming questioned. As an aphorism from Confucius’ Analects states, “The Master said, in old days mens studied for the sake of self improvement; nowadays men study to impress others” (Source B).

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With the rise in technology in the last few decades, its effects are more visible with the invention of not only computers, but also smartphones and powerful search engines like Google. Technology impacts different aspects of our daily lives; for instance, search engines and computers contribute efficiency, but smartphones and other software create barriers between people. Some experts consider technology is a tradeoff in efficiency, but some favor one over the other. In the book They Say, I say, experts like Kevin Kelly, Nicholas Carr, Clive Thompson, and Sherry Turkle express their views on the effect of technology recently and in the future. For example, Kelly and Thompson argue technology rewards us with extreme efficiency and integrates

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Humans always seek to convince each other that their opinions are in fact superior to other conflicting ideas, and none have mastered this art better than those who seek to run for various political offices within the United States. Through a variety of persuasive techniques, the ultimate goal is to gain the utmost respect and trust of those that they seek to gain support from. As we find ourselves in the midst of an election year, our intellect is flooded with speeches and new ideas as it pertains to modern issues. Bernie Sanders is no different and uses similar technique in order to convey his own political ideologies by convincing us of his knowledge of wealth disruption through statistics, passion for this country through emotion driven

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The characters then strive for higher scores which has the ability to influence their employment prospects and access to services such as taxis and flights. This critical view of social media highlights how self-absorbed individuals have become. Therefore I believe that humans have become so selfish that techniques of unselfing can’t ever work. With the emergence of inflated egos and encouragement of individualism in Western culture, it is difficult to see how anyone can adequately practice the ethics that Murdoch is proposing.

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219 Words | 1 Pages

In his essay Self-Reliance, Ralph Waldo Emerson argued that individualism was the most significant aspect that a person should live upon. In today’s society, Emerson’s claim is impractical because people have adapted to living within the internet. Many people are easily convinced by public posts on social media. According to Sultan Alzahrani and Christian Bach, the International Journalists of Innovation and Scientific Research, “the findings show that social media has an adverse effect on the personality development of adolescents.” (T1)

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More importantly, it has the ability to bring people at par with one another providing them a common advantage, irrespective of their locations, social and cultural backgrounds. It has reduced the distances and brought world closer. It has broadened the outlook of people by enabling them to gain an understanding of other cultures, meet people from different geographies on earth, maintain and strengthen family relationships, communicate effectively with others. When people today mostly work away from home, technology keeps them connected to their family. Users can find anything being promoted, discussed, or tagged on the Internet, whether it is consumer products, scientific ideas, youthful infatuations, or terrorist agendas (Wellman and Gulia, 1999).

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Chapter 1 Background of the Study Introduction In the contemporary world, most people use social media for news, entertainment, to seek information and to be updated every day. Nowadays, the use of social media has greatly changed how people interact with other people. Today, most people only consider the benefits that the social media brought to the people without thinking about the possible negative implications of using it.

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