Technology has always been sensitive issue throughout time, where the benefits and harm it has brought to our world has been of great debate. The first week of this course helped us to think deeper of the issues surrounding the impact of technology. Regardless of its pros and cons, I believe this module will help us be more aware of the rapid technological changes around us, and how to adapt to such a phenomenon.
Brief Overview of Week 1 class
The class started off with introductions from each classmate, as well as an introductory video on the rapid advances in technology:
I believe the video, despite being a pretty old one, was still a good insight of how far we have become technologically, and makes all ponder the world that we will be living in 10 to 15 years from now.
With this video that prompted us to put on our thinking hats, we delved into a deeper discussion about the history of technology, and the recent innovations we had. We then had another discussion based on this video, adapted from the book entitled “Guns, Steel and Germs”:
This video certainly sparked lots of intriguing responses within the class, especially with regards to the apparent differences of technological advancement between developed and developing countries.
Interesting Observations
Shift Happens
“We are currently preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist, using technologies that haven’t yet been invented in order to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet.”
How very true this statement is! I’ve shared with the class of what I know of the IT industry that is it’s a very fast evolving industry, and one has to keep up with technology to be able to compete in it. This statement resonated in my mind throughout the lesson, reminding me of the need to have the determination to upgrade myself constantly. At the rate of advancement we’re going, I’m pretty psyched and curious to see how the technologies will be like in the future, and no doubt I will be embracing it. =)
”Why you white men has so much cargo?”
Just as Jared (the American in the documentary) was thrown away, I had the same reaction as well. The New Guineans were just as capable, hardworking and intelligent as the “white men”, but why are they developing at different rates? Many in the class gave constructive opinions, many of which I agreed on:
1. Geographical Location
Something so small could actually make a huge difference for the country’s advancement. Ease of commodity & knowledge trading would be so much easier when the country is easily assessable. A good climate with fertile land is also essential for stock yield, a highly revenue generating industry. With resources and money aplenty due to the above reasons, it is no wonder the Americans were the luckier ones to be on the right side on the world map.
2. Communication Barrier
Due to the variety of dialects existing in Papua New Guinea, it is not surprising that communication is a problem, even within their community. A non-existent written language made it worst for any documentation of great ideas. Thus, skills and knowledge were hardly shared/transferred between the different denominations and generations of New Guineans .
3. Lack of Exposure to the Outside World
Due to the aforementioned points, this led to a stagnant advancement in their development in all areas. They were not able to build better transportation to seek for more knowledge, neither were they able to share knowledge with foreigners due to lack of documentation and language barriers. Furthermore, the New Guineans seemed to be happy with their current way of living, and not pro-actively seeking improvements, unlike the “white men”.
Key Takeaways
One thing I’ve learnt from the discussions was the key to surviving in the current state of the world: adaptability. It is important to be aware of such rapid change that’s happening all around, as well as to learn to react to them effectively. We have to advance as fast as technology is, or we’ll be losing out in the corporate rat race.
Exposure to the rest of the world is equally important as well. I feel that internet is the best way of staying connected to the world, regardless of your country’s status. The huge amount of information and knowledge are only a click away and that could make a difference in your way of living, being exposed to so many alternatives to many ways of life. However, literacy rates is also the key to ensure such exposure, as discussed in the New Guineans ‘ case. Without the skills to properly document all knowledge down, it is very hard for that civilization to move ahead and develop further, much less exchanging knowledge with the rest of the world.
Issues for further Discussion
Being exposed to SO MUCH technology in our lives, I do wonder if Singaporeans are heavily reliant on them?
Now almost everyone has a laptop, and a mobile phone. Each of us are easily accessible. Is technology causing for damage to us than doing good?
How would you strike a balance between life and technology?
I personally believe that technology is a great thing that has happened for our civilization, and that we should embrace it fully. My belief for the negative impacts of technology is that it is all up to the individual, who will be the cause of such negativity should he/she not handle the wonders of technology well. We all have to have our own balance and discipline to not allow technology to distract us from the real life.
Conclusion
TWC is starting to help me break out of my “tunnel vision” of technology being all about computers and gadgets, but to think deeper about it’s impact on a global perspective. I’m truly looking forward to gaining more insights of this wonderful and phenomenal evolution of technology and the world.
Rating: 8/10
1 comments:
Enjoyed reading ur blog! Interesting observations and thoughts...
Dr. G
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