Introduction
Technological advancement has led to a variety of changes in the social life of humans in the world today. People have changed the way they talk, dress, food they eat, and how they communicate to one another. The means and speed of movement from one place to the other have also changed due to technological innovation that make it faster. Critical analysis of the effects of technology on the society and its values leaves us with the question has technology brought more good or harm to the world? Several authors who have specialised in sociology written some work trying to scrutinise this issue.
Summary of the texts
Authors such as Sherry Turkle in the work The Flight from Conversation tries critically to look at the effect of advanced communication system and network that has been developed due to technology to the society. In the article, the author identifies that despite the fact that technology is good, the mere replacement of conversation by communication is having the opposite effect as it was intended to have on people. Instead of bringing people closer it is drifting them apart which results in a lonelier feeling. She clearly puts emphasis on the point that communication is a totally different thing from the conversation. From the article, it is clearly seen care and tenderness cannot be expressed through communication developed by the technology but through conversation. All is not lost though.
In another piece of work "Is Facebook Making Us Lonely? Stephen Marche analyses te effect of technology on the percentage of loneliness especially in America. The article talks of a person who died in the house and the body went unnoticed for the greater part of the year. After the discovery of the body, it was noticed that the person had tried to evade loneliness by engaging in social networks that broadened the connections but had also grown shallower. Minimal physical contact happened with the friends with the network, and nobody knew the physical or deeper emotional wellbeing of the other apart from mere communicating using technological devices such as a laptop and phones. The quality of communication matters most and not the quantity as see from this article. The article goes ahead to explain the difference between solitary and loneliness stating clearly that solitary is physical and good sometimes for self realisation, but loneliness is more of psychological and emotional.
Lee Siegel in the article "Go the Same Way, or Go the Wrong Way?" looks at the notion developed by the today's generation. Things and decisions are made based on the thoughts of another person or the doings. Decisions made by people are based on what others are din or will think when making various decisions. The article compares the nineteenth century with the present time. in the former case, people used to make decisions based on self actualisation and drive and not based on others. It has changed a great deal as people nowadays are more concerned about thoughts of others when making even decisions concerning their personal life issues.
Ideas and rhetorical features
The idea in this texts is looking at the ill effect communication technology has brought to our society today. Cases of depression and loneliness have been on the rise whereas the communication industry is advancing more and more which means that something is a problem despite the connection the technology brings in the world today. The question comes in why is the public still dwelling so much on this despite the effect? Why is the public not keen enough to notice the ill effect of communication technology to the society?
Similarities and differences
One common thing that is clear from the texts is that the technology has changed the social life of many individuals in life today. People are getting lonelier despite having a network of friends and people to talk to all over the world. Majority of the population is basing their social life on this network that is shallow but are blinded by the communication devices and social network available in the world today. The major difference that noticeable is that two texts talk about the loneliness brought by the communication technology and the other about the decision making aspect of the people. People are no longer independent in decision making and keep referring to others or the internet for solutions.
Outcome from study
conclusion
Many individuals in the world today suffer in silence and out of lack of knowledge about the effect of a good social life. Assumptions that socialising on the internet compensate for real friends is a dangerous thing, and one should be cautious with. People should be educated on the importance of preserving some cultural values that brought people together physically and enhanced sharing and exchange of ideas in people.
