Our Technology-Infested World

by Ana Butler
New patterns involving technology are developed every day. This dynamic and global
movement has sent the world into a new era. This new era is full of digital devices, virtual connections,
and artificial intelligence. Man and machine are coexisting and linking in a pattern of give and take, for
increased reliability. Several changes are upon this new world. These changes start small and at first
are accepted with skepticism, after which, man makes adjustments to the technology and the
technology forces man to make adaptations. Then, the patterns become permanent and integrated in
mans daily life. Clive Thompson (2013) makes this claim by stating,
First off, there's the emergence of omnipresent computer storage, which is upending the way
we remember, both as individuals and as a culture. Then, there's the advent of "public
thinking": the ability to broadcast our ideas and the catalytic effect that has both inside and
outside our minds..there's been an explosion of new forms of expression that were previously
too expensive for everyday thought-like video, mapping, or data crunching (pp. 10-11).
All of these advancements have to be learned and adapted to as humans continue to interact with
computers on a higher intelligence level. Humans and computers are becoming even more connected
and dependent on each other. This shift towards a technology-infested world is seen in several areas.
Libraries
Currently, libraries are still in use for research, a good book, or the childrens read-aloud hour.
In recent years there has been a drop in library attendance, causing libraries across the nation to switch
to digital copies of their books. Mobile devices have applications that allow users to download a link
that gives them access to a book instantly. With the invention and rapid spread of e-readers, libraries
have to adjust in order to keep up with the times. In his article Are Libraries Becoming Obsolete?,
Benjamin Gillies (2013) states:
Besides making it incredibly convenient to borrow a book (an e-book returns itself, eliminating
late fees), the popularity of the e-readers provides new opportunities to increase the efficiency
of the library itself. For decades, libraries needed to be large spaces housing an expansive
collection of books, which requires money for heating, lighting, and maintenance. While there

will always be joy in perusing the physical stacks, as more people choose e-readers city library
systems will not have to purchase and store write so many hard copies. (para. 4)
Printing of books is rapidly decreasing, to the point where software and hardware have been
developed to print books on demand only. This new revolution can cut down on waste of paper and
save some trees. Primary schools, secondary schools, and college libraries are switching to e-readers
and making their textbooks available online. In the near future, textbooks and teacher guides may be
available in digital format only.
Education- Classrooms
In the last few years we have seen the implementation of technology in curriculums across the
nation. Internet research, computer games, and online collaboration have hit almost every classroom in
America. There has been a great shift from using technology as an extra resource to using technology as
the primary tool in the classroom. This trend continues to dominate as humans become more digitally
and globally connected. Textbooks are becoming obsolete, replaced by open ended inquiries requiring
students to know where to look to find the necessary information. Workbooks are replaced by online
projects and presentations. Book reports and journaling may become forms of blogs. Assessments are
taking on a digital format with the data recorded and analyzed electronically. Already at the college
level teacher guides, textbooks, and student books are disappearing and changing into digital formats
accessed through iPads, Kindles, tablets, and other devices that students learn to find and access on
their own. Professors are no longer telling students what information to remember, but how to find the
information they need. Even elementary classrooms are transitioning to submitting class work in
digital format. The traditional pencil and paper method of doing homework may slowly be disappearing.
Teachers can observe student interaction and collaboration in order to assess their progress. And if they
have to do grading of tests, essays, or worksheets, this could automatically be done by computer
software, eliminating countless hours that teachers spend on grading worksheets.
Lots of research has been done on technology in the classroom, as well as many surveys
analyzed. A recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center (2013) revealed high percentages of
various teaching approaches all incorporating the use of technological devices. In their article How
Teachers Are Using Technology at Home and in Their Classrooms, Kristen Purcell, Alan Heaps, Judy
Buchanan and Linda Friedrich (2013) list several categories of teacher interaction with technology in the
classroom.

Asked about the impact of the internet and digital tools in their role as middle and high school
educators, these teachers say the following about the overall impact on their teaching and their
classroom work:

92% of these teachers say the internet has a major impact on their ability to
access content, resources, and materials for their teaching

69% say the internet has a major impact on their ability to share ideas with other
teachers

67% say the internet has a major impact on their ability to interact with parents
and 57% say it has had such an impact on enabling their interaction with students

Teachers most commonly use digital tools to have students conduct research online, which was
the focus of an earlier report based on these data.1 It is also common for these teachers to have
students access (79%) and submit (76%) assignments online. More interactive online learning
activities, such as developing wikis, engaging in online discussions, and editing work using
collaborative platforms such as GoogleDocs, are also employed by some of the teachers in the
sample. (para. 3-4)
In a world where information is readily accessible, educating students how to access and analyze
not only the information but also the source is crucial. Search engines are powerful tools that provide
answers on almost anything. These searching techniques are no longer limited to sitting in front of a
computer. Any device that is capable of wireless activity can be used to find answers. No longer, does
one walk over to the library to search for a book that might provide a definition to a word , or reveal the
number of miles around the world, or explain the origin of last names and when they were first
used. Simply typing (or in some cases speaking) these questions into a device can produce dozens upon
dozens of options for answers. Most students have figured out where to access the information sought
after. Now one important task remains--, learning if the answer is viable. Thompson (2013) makes the
claim, "The Lucky part is that students are in an environment--school--where society has a shot at
instilling its intellectual values, skills, and culture" (p. 207). Schools are entrusted with the task of
educating students to become search literate, so they can then teach the rest of society. And as the
new generation of students grow and become contributing citizens of society, this shift to technology
savvy and search literate adults can continue.

The Health Field

The current medical field is already advanced enough to be able to simulate surgeries and give
doctors practice time on virtual organs. Old are the days of practicing on plastic organs that dont have
the capability of resembling real life scenarios that may occur during a surgery. The health industry has
been ahead of the game with the use of technology, giving doctors and other health care professionals
the opportunity to see inside organs and replicate those organs for research use. The health care field is
already using lab-grown organs for training purposes.
The Associated Press released an article titled Lab-Grown Organs Might be Solution to
Transplant Woes (2013). In this article, the story of two little girls is told, both needing a transplant. One
girl had to wait for months for a lung transplant, while the other received a crucial blood vessel
transplant with vessels built in a laboratory using cells from her own bone marrow. This dynamic
discovery continues to develop, as scientists work hard to determine which organs can be replicated in a
lab and used for full functionality in a patient.
Growing lungs and other organs for transplant is still in the future, but scientists are working
toward that goal. In North Carolina, a 3-D printer builds prototype kidneys. In several labs,
scientists study how to build on the internal scaffolding of hearts, lungs, livers and kidneys of
people and pigs to make custom-made implants.
Dozens of people are thriving with experimental bladders made from their own cells, as are
more than a dozen who have urethras made from their own bladder tissue. A Swedish girl who
got a vein made with her marrow cells to bypass a liver vein blockage in 2011 is still doing well,
her surgeon says. (Associated Press, 2013. para. 5)
Organ-growing labs continue to evolve all over the country, eliminating the need for long
distance travel to benefit from a transplant. Eventually, there may be no waiting lists, as these organs
will be shaped by cells from blood draws or biopsies either from humans or animals. The cost can still
be high; as such labs require some of the most advanced technologies to successfully build such organs
that function as well or as close as possible to a real live organ. However, this development can increase
life expectancy as well as quality of life.
The World of Printed Books

More printed books are now available in digital format only and printed on demand, rather than
in bulk. Barnes & Nobles and Amazon, the USs leading book sellers, are already on board with this
change, which is why they introduced the Nook and Kindle. In her article The Bookstores Last Stand,
Julie Bosman (2012) writes,
No one expects Barnes & Noble to disappear overnight. The worry is that it might slowly wither
as more readers embrace e-books. What if all those store shelves vanished, and Barnes & Noble
became little more than a cafe and a digital connection point? Such fears came to the fore in
early January, when the company projected that it would lose even more money this year than
Wall Street had expected. Its share price promptly tumbled 17 percent that day. (para. 7)
Traditional bookstores are changing into more technology-infested spots. These bookstores
may be replaced by cafes with Wi-Fi connections and e-readers with a digital device in the back where a
book may be printed on demand, and at a rapid speed. Bosman continues to say that these are trying
times for almost everyone in the book business. Since 2002, the United States has lost roughly 500
independent bookstores nearly one out of five. About 650 bookstores vanished when Borders went
out of business last year. (para. 41)

Wearable Technology
According to a recent article published in Mashable (Murphy, 2014), Chris Dancy was named the
most connected man in the world, having between 300 and 700 systems running at any given time that
capture real-time data about his life. These unseen computers include wearable technology such as a
fitness wristband tracker, a mattress cover that tracks his sleep, and a smart watch. As a result of using
these devices, Chris has been sleeping better, has lost weight, and improved his health. Google has
already introduced their contact lenses and there are several fashion accessories that incorporate
computer systems. In the next few years, unseen computers in the form of wearable technology will be
increasing and becoming readily available and affordably priced. Blood pressures, blood sugars, heart
rate, and other vital signs can constantly be monitored by small, unseen devices that can be worn or
implanted within the body. Not only are these devices be available as toys for the tech savvy people,
but recommended by health professionals, trainers, and counselors. Wearable technology has the
ability to track, record, and analyze all sorts of data that can be vital for improved healthy living.

The Connected Car

In a recent article at WirelessWeek.com, Ben Munson (2013) discusses the ongoing

development of the smartphone connected to the car, resulting in the smart car. The car and the
connected device form a symbiotic relationship. Without a connected device along for the ride, a car is
about as dumb as can be (para. 1). Every day, more cars and smartphones are becoming connected,
sharing data and networks, so that once in the car, the phone can be left in the pocket, and all devices
will sync with the car. Any texts or phone calls that need to be returned, or status updates made on
social networks can be verbally communicated to the car, as well as appear on the navigation screen.
While doing research for this article, Munson talked with Thilo Koslowski, the lead automotive analyst at
Gartner. He quotes Koslowski regarding this network between the connected car and the phone.

The connected car today leverages the connected phone because it provides the network,
Koslowski said. But he foresees going forward that more and more cars will come connected
directly from the factory, and the link the phone provides to the outside world wont be
necessary. (para. 4)

The world is seeing an increase in cars connected to this network. Consumers are seeing
increased opportunities to purchase connected cars. The automobile industry is competing based on
technological tools available with each model.
Global Community Through Social Media
It can be common to hear the phrase, "Who cares what you had for breakfast?" or "Why don't
you check in when you go to the bathroom too?" And there is some validity to these questions. Social
media has opened up windows into other's lives. However, this peek into someone elses world can be
controlled, both by the author and the viewer. Each individual chooses what window to open and what
to post, and each individual chooses which window to look into and what posts to read. Social media
provides the opportunity to connect and stay connected on many levels. Some stay connected for
professional reasons and others for social reasons. Regardless of the reason, society is more connected,
and with that comes some "dirty laundry airing." Again, that all depends on the individual and the
choices they make about staying connected. Some simply want to vent and be heard. Others are
looking for advice and encouragement (they want to know they are not alone). And yet others are
simply bored. This connectedness we are experiencing is a change for previous generations and can be
difficult to adjust to. Previous generations practiced more privacy, as each family kept their daily lives

behind closed doors. This technology-infested generation is exposed to tools that allows for sharing,
connecting, and corresponding with and to each other in a more open environment.
The world is now experiencing an "ambient awareness." Making connections with people
provides opportunities for learning about what makes them happy, sad, their troubles,
accomplishments, and therefore connecting the world on a level never experienced before. A post
about someone who ran 2.5 miles one morning by using an app from her phone that automatically posts
to Facebook, provides the opportunity for another person that likes to run to connect with this
individual through this one activity, simply because of digital connectedness through social
media. Watching a friend "check-in" to a winery that another person may have inquiries about. can
start a conversation, which most likely would lead them to meet there in the future. If someone is
posting that their kid is growing out of his little clothes faster than she can buy them, and another
mother across town has boxes of clothes her babies have outgrown, they can help one another out-they have connected. A young man starting his own business and looking for work can share with
others through social media, and those that know him and have used his services can recommend him
to their friends, therefore connecting this young man with a broader audience.
Another thing that this connectedness affords is to "think aloud." A post about something
emotional or a new struggling thought may be something someone else has experienced and they offer
their coping mechanisms or perspective, and together, through collaboration, one persons thoughts can
become a community idea. This conversation now has grown, and provided a new perspective and
answers that would not have been achieved sitting behind closed windows, away from everyone.
Although this is new and can seem strange to many, Thompson (2015) points out that it also,
"works so well because it taps into older social skills, including our ability to 'read' other people" (p.
215). A part of this consistent digital connectedness can even allow people to read silence. Lack of
posting from someone can lead to the reading of their mood and reach out. Some argue that this digital
connectedness is taking away from face-to-face connecting, and there is validity in this statement That
argument could be made considering the cliche example of the teenager being on her phone during
dinner while she could be connecting with her family. On the other hand, "our online and offline people
skills appear to be quite closely linked" (p.215) and therefore people are improving by learning how to
stay connected on different levels. As society adjusts to ambient awareness, it can become the new
norm and can be perfected to meet the standards of the people.

The introduction of technology has not just set off a temporary stage of experimentation. It has
completely revolutionized the way humans live and interact. This viral experience provides a global
platform that allows all nations to share in the dynamic evolution, adapting along the way and creating
new patterns in the way people live and connect. As the world continues to change, people change with
it. Humans now have computers and devices that can perform functions faster and in larger quantities.
This can be a scary thought that can be a threat to those who are in positions that can be performed by
machines. Also, outsourcing production type jobs to other countries because it's more economical is
becoming more common. Regardless, there will still be plenty of new opportunities for business
professionals to create new experiences. Daniel Pink (2005) makes the statement, "There will be plenty
of work not just for inventors, artists, and entrepreneurs but also for an array of imaginative,
emotionally intelligent, right-brain professionals, from counselors to massage therapists to school
teachers to stylists to talented salespeople" (p. 246). Although some jobs are becoming obsolete, other
jobs are developing. In some ways, the world is shrinking, as the ability to connect on a global level
makes everyone our next-door neighbor. And in other ways, the world is expanding to incorporate
much more complicated mental interactions. This interaction humans are experiencing with technology
is seeping in almost every area of daily activities. This technology-infested world is changing daily and
humans are adapting to a dynamic world full of advancements that bring about new opportunities and
increased involvement with human and artificial intelligence.

Reference List
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http://www.troymedia.com/2013/03/17/are-libraries-becoming-obsolete/
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