Multiple Topics:
Question 1: Is technology the job killer of the 21st century?
Increased intelligent machinery, automation, and a reliance on web-based services has caused a reduction in several types of jobs, but it has also created millions of jobs only not for the people who initially lost them. In this regard, technology cannot be considered as a job killer but rather as the price people have to pay for progress. This is evident in the fact that technological breakthroughs have led to the creation of more affordable goods, better medical care, and improved transport and communication systems which have made lives better and jobs precarious.
Two MIT scholars, Brynjolfsson and McAfee predict that many jobs will be taken up by intelligent machines and systems, but there is also a belief that there will be a shift to new jobs created by technology. In this case, workers are not replaced, but rather displaced. Economic data supports their argument and it is evident that information technologies and systems have taken over most white collar jobs in this century (Bessen, 2014). However, the shift to technology has not caused a significant impact in employment overall. In this case, statistics may indicate an economic imbalance in terms of employment and job retention but there is no evidence pointing towards a jobless future (Rotman, 2013).
This scenario is evident in the way bookstores continue to rapidly downsize as people buy books online while newspapers and magazines are now providing news online. Movie rentals have become a thing of the past as people opt to stream movies online on Netflix or HBO. Some industries have evolved to prove that technology does not kill jobs and can instead be used create new opportunities and gain a competitive advantage. There are countless websites that people can use to plan vacations but travel agents offer great bargains people cannot find on their own. On the other hand, librarians do not only shelve books but are now granting access to e-learning portals, running online book clubs and aiding in research.
Question 2: Digital Manipulation of data. Is it a big deal?
New digital data manipulation technologies have enabled people to manipulate digitized output such as video, images and audio which raises serious ethical concerns especially when these techniques are used in journalism (Williams & Sawyer, 2010). For example, in the year 2000, the New York Daily News editors created a digital composite image that showed U.S. President Bill Clinton shaking hands with Cuban President Fidel Castro in New York at the United Nations summit. In April 2012, a producer at NBC News was fired for editing the audio recording of the call made by George Zimmerman to the police on the night when Trayvon Martin was shot. The producer edited the recording to give the misleading notion that Zimmerman had asserted that Trayvon was black without being prompted by the police. In the edited version, Zimmerman is heard saying "This guy looks like he's up to no good. He looks black." However, in the original recording, the police dispatcher asked Zimmerman whether the person he was following was “black, white or Hispanic” to which Zimmerman responded, “He looks black” (Pavlik, 2012).
Question 3: Health issues from computer overuse. Is it a huge problem?
The overuse of computers and other information technologies exposes an individual to a host of health problems which include sleep disorders such as insomnia, headaches, back pains and depression. Other problems include vision problems, isolation and gambling addictions. Children who play violent computer games may experience various psychological and physical problems such as aggressive behavior leading to poor social relations and poor cognition (Better Health Channel, 2014).
References:
Bessen, J. (2014). Some predict computers will produce a jobless future. Here’s why they’re wrong.. Washington Post. Retrieved 14 December 2014, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/02/18/some-predict-computers-will-produce-a-jobless-future-heres-why-theyre-wrong/
Better Health Channel,. (2014). Computer-related injuries - Better Health Channel. Retrieved 14 December 2014, from http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Computer-related_injuries
Brynjolfsson, E., & McAfee, A. (2014). The Second Machine Age: Work, Progress, and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies.
Pavlik, J. (2012). Concept: Media Ethics in the Digital Age. Media Ethics, (Vol. 24, No. 1). Retrieved from http://www.mediaethicsmagazine.com/index.php/browse-back-issues/144-fall-2012/3998645-concept-media-ethics-in-the-digital-age
Rotman, D. (2013). How Technology Is Destroying Jobs | MIT Technology Review. MIT Technology Review. Retrieved 14 December 2014, from http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/515926/how-technology-is-destroying-jobs/
Williams, B., & Sawyer, S. (2010). Using information technology (9th ed.). [New York, N.Y.]: McGraw-Hill Irwin.
