Revolution of Technology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Revolution of Technology - Research Paper Example In this paper, the author attempts to peruse the causes and effects of the revolution in technology. In addition, the author concurs that the advantages of the revolution in technology far exceeds the few disadvantages which are purported. The National Research Council notes: our society has been through other periods of dramatic change before, driven by such innovations as the steam engine, railroad, telephone, and automobile. But never before have we experienced technologies that are evolving so rapidly (increasing in power by a hundredfold every decade), altering the constraints of space and time, and reshaping the way we communicate, learn, and think. (p. 5) This dynamic altering has changed life as we know it forever and although the revolution in technology has been the major factor in the improvement of life throughout the ages there remains several negative consequences. Nonetheless, these negative features as analyzed in the literature pales in comparison to the plethora of positive effects spawned from the revolution. Notwithstanding, this technology has brought with it an unquenchable thirst for more knowledge and a seemingly disconnection in human physical relationships there is a certain level of satisfaction obtained from the actual utilization of these technologies. This paper purports that the positive effects of the revolution of technology far outweighs the negative. ... Maury Klein emphasized that this industrialization paved the way for â€Å"large cities, the mass migration of people out of rural areas and into cities, as well as changes in the pace of American life†. Atkeson and Kehoe note that the tremendous amount of â€Å"new manufacturing technologies based on electricity† which were invented in the 1860s to 1900s caused that period to be dubbed the Second Industrial Revolution (64). This period was synonymous with a ‘new economy’ personified by rapid increase in the manufacturing industry. The first industrial revolution therefore ended in the nineteenth century with the introduction of electricity which led to a rapid advancement in transportation, medicine and other innovations. This dynamic atmosphere prepared the way for our present revolution, which is also known as the Information Revolution. Cortada suggests two main reasons for the present revolution, namely, â€Å"infusion of federal funds† in the q uest for technological innovations and the â€Å"existence of a potentially large commercial market† for this new technology (17). The commercial market spanned the entire globe. Thus, an individual could correspond with another individual half way across the world in real time. Further, a good could be manufactured in China, be advertised on the World Wide Web and be sold to someone in Australia within a single day. This present revolution in technology holds an abundance of benefits which were never realized in the previous revolutions. III. T he information revolution has had a positive effect on the lives of individuals across the globe or has it? Interestingly, each revolution added to the benefits of the