Introduction
Technology can be comprehended to be the incorporation of technical skills, methods and various processes that are used in the production of a certain good or rather services. It can be alluded to be an improvement of the present processes used in production so as to increase efficiency and output of the whole system. Technology is, therefore important as it affects how we communicate with each other. Its impacts are rather wide, as technology had tended to have both negative and positive impacts, right from home settings, workplaces, and at national and international levels.
In a general review, technology has played a role in certain conflicts that we have today, and this might include the cyber warfare that modern countries continue to wage against each other. Communication has been improved between nations and so is the conveyance of vital government information between nations. This may, as a result, make a country to be susceptible to terrorist attacks. In as much we want to embrace technology, it is important to always look at both the positive and the negative impacts it may bring.
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One of the founding fathers of the United States of America, James Wilson, was seen to be a key player in addressing the various social issues that affected the American people. He was at the fore front in addressing the issues that generally affected the common man. Among the issue this great American man tried to address were, the various problems in a marriage, international relations, crime within our societies.
The marriage problem
James Wilson is seen to address the various problems that arise in the marriage institutions. In his book, he argues out that most of the problems that are associated with the poor could be associated with a person’s moral feelings which in turn, are the result of the various changes that people tend to incorporate into their families. This has seen the decline in marriage institutions within the American population as many of the youths have been discouraged to marry. Marriage as a social institution is on the downward trend in most English speaking countries. Unlike before, where marriage was the basic need for any sexual relationship, it has lost its supremacy today due to certain norms that have cropped up in the current generation where people opt to cohabit, divorce as well as rampant cases of nonmarital child bearing. This can be attributed blamed on current technological developments, which has facilitated the widespread proliferation of undesirable traits and attitudes. Cases of divorce were not common in the 19 th and 20 th century as it is today. Social media among other communicating platforms have been a driving factor to these trends. Today, teenagers meet on social media, hook up and at times, even go further to indulge in sexual acts. The cases of divorce within the marriage institutions has also been on the upward trend as most of the people tend to meet on social media or even dating sites and the courtship period is usually too short. What happens, in the long, run is that they end up divorcing as they later own find out that they were not compatible for one another. Within the marriage setup, technology has proved to be a big destruction. For instance, men will always be prone to give much attention to a new car he purchased rather than his wife or family. Children too are often distracted with video games and such like stuff. This, in the long run, does imply that there is no time created for family issues to be discussed and thus calling for fallout in marriages.
Crime and public policy
According to Wilson & Petersilia, (2011), crime can be analyzed in two ways: why do people prefer to break the law and why the crime rates in our various cities are on the rise and fall. In the United States alone, the rates of homicide cases have been on the rising trend and so is the crime rates which were seen to be on the rising trend from around 1960-1980. Many of these were attributed to the encroaching and this period which had no alternatives to help curb crime.
Cyber-crimes among others have been on the upward trend due to the advancing technology. Criminals have used their expertise in computing and other software computing to plan and execute crimes. Some classified government information has been tampered with and leaked to the wrong hands that may, in turn, use such information to carry out terrorist attacks against a nation among others. Some of these criminals have even gone further to hack into the banking systems to steal money from clients’ accounts. It is also a major problem today exposing our children to the internet at an early age as they may get access to certain materials such as pornography and other materials which may be against the public policy.
Some of the criminals have also created their own social groups within the internet and social sites in which they communicate and orchestrate their attacks towards a certain group. On the recent, we have seen more technological developments at the war front in which many Nations have developed rather lethal weapons of massive destruction that are likely to kill a large population in a city. Biological weapons have been on the rising trend in the last 10 years with most nations against them.
Two nations
Two nations tend to draw out the picture of the economy of the people of the United States in which we have to social classes of the poor and the rich. According to Wilson, (1998), the middle class in our societies do believe they are at their place, as a result, the ancient western culture but as of today, there is the second culture that has emerged characterized by the young, marginally employed, sexually adventuresome and socially aggressive people.
This culture is characterized by young men who are much lazy and do not want to do any form of hard work. To them, decent jobs are usually hard to find and would prefer to stay at home with their parents as everything that they need is at their disposal. All these would rather be blamed on technology which has given the youths the wrong picture of the wrong ways by which to get money, often quick money, rather than by looking for decent jobs. Most of the youths have opted to involve themselves into risky the online business, which puts them at the mercy of cross-border money launderers and puts them at the risk of acting in a manner that’s against the law. Tenner & Rall, (1997).
Moral sense
Wilson further tries to bring out the aspect that humans usually have a common moral sense. He is against the whole idea that morality is brought about by our cultural backgrounds but rather our immediate environment. Our immediate environment usually dictates our morals and is up to everyone to have self-control so as to be able to choose the right morals in the society.
Just as our environment dictate our morals so does the technology. Most morals in our society today have been passed to us through the various technological innovations that we have today. For instance youths today have indulged into some immoral behaviors such as drinking and sexual immorality due to the influence that the get from the various materials they access on the internet, and in print and visual media platforms, such as those of various celebrities involving themselves in bad habits and still have wealth. , therefore, creates an impaired illusion in the youth’s mindset that they can also be successful if they indulge in such behaviors. Cult groups have also used the power of money and technology such as the web to entice people into joining them too.
Family and generations
With the current trends in technological innovations being on the rise, there is a likelihood of disintegration between families in which everyone tends to get preoccupied with material stuff rather focus much of their attention on building family ties. Current homes are designed in a way that the kids spend most of their times playing video games or on the web. The ladies and the women are ever on the social sites with nothing constructive being done.
Technology today has given people the option of having test-tube babies rather doing it the normal way in which a woman was to get pregnant and bore a child. Our future generations are likely to have the same families we have today as people may opt to make the experimental babies rather than giving birth. These babies may also lack to have a defined lineage in which they can identify with. Therefore, technology may prove costly to the future generation who may never enjoy the same happiness we experience today in having families. Franklin, (1995).
Conclusion
On a personal view, technology is good but only if incorporated in the right proportions and offered to the right people. We ought to be cautious of the various innovations we make and their probable implications to the general population. In the case of any negative possibilities, man agent solutions should be offered prior.
References
Franklin, S. (1995). Postmodern procreation: A cultural account of assisted reproduction. Conceiving the new world order: The global politics of reproduction , 323-45.
Tenner, E., & Rall, J. E. (1997). Why things bite back: Technology and the revenge of unintended consequences (p. F1). New York: Vintage Books.
Wilson, J. Q. (1998). Two nations . Washington, D.C: AEI Press publisher for the American Enterprise Institute.
Wilson, J. Q., & Petersilia, J. (2011). Crime and public policy . New York: Oxford University Press.
