Introduction
The most powerful and prominent force in the world has without a doubt has been, the rapid advancement of technology following the industrial revolution. From the introduction of the steam engine by James Watt to the mass expansion of railway lines, technological advancement has increased productivity and globalization exponentially. By breakthroughs in communication, transportation, and information technology, the world in which we reside has become unrecognizable to what it was 200 years ago. This essay encompasses these three ways in which technological advancement has completely restructured and revamped the world of as we know it. Cementing itself as the most powerful force on the planet.
Steam Power
The most notable progression …show more content…
Its effect on literacy and society has been unrivaled until recently, with the introduction of computer systems and the internet. Although the history of the printing press can be traced back quite some before, the most widely recognized and influential was Guttenberg’s press. Guttenberg combined the technologies of paper, oil-based ink, and the wine press to create a hybrid technology: the printing press, allowing mass production of printed books. (Jones, 2000). This then eventually replaced the need for the handwritten manuscripts and documents. The printing press gave society the ability to mass produce information like never before, increasing the knowledge of everyday citizens exponentially. With the introduction of the printing press, the mass-production of nearly identical books of high standard could now come at an affordable price, books were now easier to obtain and more available to the lower classes than they previously were. It is estimated that by 1500 there were “fifteen to twenty million copies of 30,000 to 35,000 separate publications.” (McLuhan, 1962, p.207). Another way by which communication has ultimately been influenced by our obsession with current events, the speed in which news travels and how quickly we’re informed. A major leap forward in the velocity in which we communicate was the humble typewriter, perfected and patented in 1860 is changed the face of writing and advancements in communication …show more content…
The ability to within seconds, access thousands of years’ worth of knowledge with little effort has instilled a sense of awareness in the population of the world unrivaled by past modernities. The world in which we live is constantly becoming more digitalized, this has proved to have many benefits but is not without shortcomings. For example, the rapid digitalisation stemming from the early nineties has incited a new culture, “The Wired Generation” (W C. Jacobsen, R. Forste (2011). and with the ease of information becoming more prevalent, education is becoming more accessible; and with education, comes a greater social acceptance of minority groups. The correlation between education and social acceptance of minority groups is well documented. For instance, even reaching as far back as 1978, several doctors have found a connection between educated individuals and levels of acceptance toward homosexuals. (Irwin, P, Thompson, N. L. (1978). This is one example of how the Internet has benefited society as a whole. Alternatively, it is often argued that with digitalisation, our privacy is somewhat in question, Ashford, W. (2016, May 18). The rise of “Whistleblowers” Like Julian Assange and Edward Snowden raise questions as to whether there is a general distrust in the population of intelligence agencies or whether a few self-righteous do-gooders have decided to play messiah. With
The most powerful and prominent force in the world has without a doubt has been, the rapid advancement of technology following the industrial revolution. From the introduction of the steam engine by James Watt to the mass expansion of railway lines, technological advancement has increased productivity and globalization exponentially. By breakthroughs in communication, transportation, and information technology, the world in which we reside has become unrecognizable to what it was 200 years ago. This essay encompasses these three ways in which technological advancement has completely restructured and revamped the world of as we know it. Cementing itself as the most powerful force on the planet.
Steam Power
The most notable progression …show more content…
Its effect on literacy and society has been unrivaled until recently, with the introduction of computer systems and the internet. Although the history of the printing press can be traced back quite some before, the most widely recognized and influential was Guttenberg’s press. Guttenberg combined the technologies of paper, oil-based ink, and the wine press to create a hybrid technology: the printing press, allowing mass production of printed books. (Jones, 2000). This then eventually replaced the need for the handwritten manuscripts and documents. The printing press gave society the ability to mass produce information like never before, increasing the knowledge of everyday citizens exponentially. With the introduction of the printing press, the mass-production of nearly identical books of high standard could now come at an affordable price, books were now easier to obtain and more available to the lower classes than they previously were. It is estimated that by 1500 there were “fifteen to twenty million copies of 30,000 to 35,000 separate publications.” (McLuhan, 1962, p.207). Another way by which communication has ultimately been influenced by our obsession with current events, the speed in which news travels and how quickly we’re informed. A major leap forward in the velocity in which we communicate was the humble typewriter, perfected and patented in 1860 is changed the face of writing and advancements in communication …show more content…
The ability to within seconds, access thousands of years’ worth of knowledge with little effort has instilled a sense of awareness in the population of the world unrivaled by past modernities. The world in which we live is constantly becoming more digitalized, this has proved to have many benefits but is not without shortcomings. For example, the rapid digitalisation stemming from the early nineties has incited a new culture, “The Wired Generation” (W C. Jacobsen, R. Forste (2011). and with the ease of information becoming more prevalent, education is becoming more accessible; and with education, comes a greater social acceptance of minority groups. The correlation between education and social acceptance of minority groups is well documented. For instance, even reaching as far back as 1978, several doctors have found a connection between educated individuals and levels of acceptance toward homosexuals. (Irwin, P, Thompson, N. L. (1978). This is one example of how the Internet has benefited society as a whole. Alternatively, it is often argued that with digitalisation, our privacy is somewhat in question, Ashford, W. (2016, May 18). The rise of “Whistleblowers” Like Julian Assange and Edward Snowden raise questions as to whether there is a general distrust in the population of intelligence agencies or whether a few self-righteous do-gooders have decided to play messiah. With