TECHNOLOGY: PULLING US APART.

Wally Kebe

TECHNOLOGY IS WITH US AT ALL TIMES…

• The evolution of our use of technology had far more than an impact on our identities. It changed who we are and how we act.

• Whether it is social media, professional use or personal going from emails, to entertainment and even dating site early everyone has been affected by the recent technological progress and expansion.

• How many people have cellphones? How often do you use a computer? Or how many hours per week to you spend on your email?

This presentation is intended to illustrate the research and findings for Unit 3, the following will be covered:• Targeted audience• Core concepts of this research• Technology in the workplace• Technology in relationships• How technology hinders relationships• The effect on younger generations• Social media’s impact on our daily lives• It’s role in the job market• Few words of closing• Conclusion

Overview…

TARGETED AUDIENCE:

• Young adults (19-29 year olds)• College setting• Work setting• Relationship setting

• By targeting young adults as they are the probably the biggest users of technology we can analyze some of the effect caused by the growth of technology and individuals in several different settings.

THREE CORE CONCEPTS:

• Improved productiveness in the workplace and daily tasks• Technology has undeniably helped us be more

productive with less and less physical effort.• Its role and effect in relationships• The effect that technology has played in

relationships, more specifically within our target audience is amazing, both in negative and positive ways.

• Hindering human interaction• Many articles and research support this

statement. Humans are losing something that may not be easy to cope with.

“It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity” -Albert Einstein

IMPROVED PRODUCTIVENESS:“The influx of new technologies that has been making the general

convenience of our personal lives has grown exponentially, and has taken over our professional lives as well.”

-Elizabeth Dukes

Duke’s 4 ways technology changed the workplace:• Efficiency and Increased Productiveness• Increased Collaboration• Improved Cost Management • Heightened Level of Security

• The improvements brought to the work place over the past decade have had both positive and negative significant impacts. We constantly talk about improvement but what is the actual human cost?

• Intensified stress levels for workers: better results come in pair with more expectations which does take a toll on workers and the way they handle stress.

• There is no more ”limit” to the workplace:  Even on vacations some people can be caught emailing about work, or grab their laptop and complete a select task

• One can easily observe a lack of human interaction in the office: “ A businessman laments that he no longer has colleagues at work. He doesn’t stop by to talk; he doesn’t call. He says that he doesn’t want to interrupt them”

-Sherry Turkle

How is technology changing our workplace culture?

• “Charles Leadbeater, program advisor for the Peter Lougheed Leadership Institute, questions if advancements in technology are making us more productive or inefficient. The renowned author, consultant and social entrepreneur says easy access to communication is extending our work day, but innovation requires uninterrupted, unplugged time to focus and develop creative ideas.”

TECHNOLOGY IN RELATIONSHIPS“Technology makes itself felt in many ways in relationships – in how

couples communicate, grow closer, plan, fight and make up”-Couples, the Internet and Social Media

The Pew Research Center conducted a very insightful research on the matter, here are some of their findings:

Technology has found itself to be the source of different topics in relationships, notably tension, support and sharing. • Tension: “Many young couples view technology as a way to bring greater

intimacy to their relationship, even as it introduces new sources of tension.”• Support: “21% of married or partnered adults have felt closer to their spouse

or partner because of exchanges they had online or via text message.”• Sharing: “While most people in serious relationships use various tech tools

independently, a subset of couples use email, social media and online calendars together, or share their passwords with each other.”

Facts in Numbers:

• Be careful… Technology has been told to also be the source of conclict in relationships!

• While the big 3 disputes for couples' arguments used to be sex money, and kids, it seems smartphones are rapidly rising up that list. 

• 42% of 18-29 year olds with cell phones in serious relationships say their partner has been distracted by their mobile phone while they were together.

• While few would be surprised to discover technology can be a source of annoyance and conflict for couples, this study is one of the first to report that a person’s engagement with technology can actually make their partner depressed.

TECHNOLOGY HINDERING RELATIONSHIPS

• People can text all the time, communicate easily, share photos and other types of media rapidly but all of this is taking over actual human interactions which is an important matter that should not be left out.

• People walk around plugged in almost trying to escape from eye contact or just saying hi.

• People need to express the way they feel and be able to speak about it as well in person, transparency and communication is what binds individuals together and technology has been hurting those aspects and an extremely fast pace.

“Someday, someday, but certainly not now, I’d like to learn how to have a conversation.”” (Turkle, 2012)

Conversation: Is Technology Killing Authenticity?

“Audiences now demand "authentic" content. Is our advancing technology somehow hindering authentic visual communication? A must-watch SkyCraft conversation for artists, illustrators, designers, and marketing professionals.”

Even though we are more connected than ever thanks to technology, many feel as though the true human communication has been disappearing.

YOUNGER GENERATIONS

• According to a lot of research done, through not only the previous units but also other authors and research centers, the young generation is exposed to a true risk.

• Younger people tend to favor communicating through technology rather than face to face.

• In the opinion of many, face to face is not only more productive but a key aspect to good and healthy relationships.

“A 16-year-old boy who relies on texting for almost everything says almost wistfully”-Sherry Turkle

• Positive aspects of this feature: • To boost ones self esteem• Reach people that they could not reach on their own• Reach a certain status that they could not reach without technology• The immersion of new ideas• Creation of a huge market job market

• Negative aspects of this feature:• An obsession for materialistic goals,

craving more “likes”• “Catfishing” • Lying to the outside world• Refusing to accept oneself

Technology has also given people the ability to completely rebuild their identity to fit what they deem to be an ideal version of themselves.

Technology being a huge contributor to the job market should not go unnoticed.

• Through research we learn that technology is not only a match maker for employers and employee, such as LinkedIn, but also a useful tool for job seekers to learn the right skills and find the right matches for their profile.

• Even in more remote parts of our world, not only technology has had an impact, but an impact that gives nearly equal chances for two workers at completely different ends of the globe to have the same resources and access to knowledge.

• Technology Creates Job Opportunites

Can technology be used to expand job opportunities in developing countries?

Technology is fundamentally reshaping how workers find jobs, how employers find workers, and how people get the skills they need to compete in the global labor market.

This video profiles three leaders in the new global online job market, Soutkel, Samasource, and oDesk, and demonstrates how innovative approaches can help fill the gap between job seekers and employers. 

By using mobile telephones and virtual workspaces, workers in emerging markets can find good jobs and become economically empowered, while filling workforce needs for employers.

-From the World Bank Group Jobs

Which is now known as

LinkedIn, by far the most successful online professional network site. But one must not forget that LinkedIn is in fact considered and labeled as a social networking site.

A few words of closing…The impact that technology has had on our lives is undeniable. Whether we’d like to consider it positive or negative, it’s safe to say that nearly everyone’s daily lives had a complete turn around due to the effect of technology for the worst or the best.

Either at home, at work or between two peers or lovers, technology found its place and has consolidated itself to be an active and important player in the way we act and communicate, but also display ourselves to either our friends, future bosses or even spouses the way we want to be perceived.The advantages are truly undeniable and I may find myself to be one of the biggest advocates of technology, truth be told I too think it took over the way I communicate and interact with the rest of my peers and hopefully the rest of the world. In the workplace technology a mean that has helped millions to yield better results in many things they do, or protect their most valuable assets which is often information. New relationships kindled thanks to online dating sites and new means to communicate and express feelings. One can now connect instantly with whom they want from across the globe, which was unthinkable to previous generations. Millions of jobs across the world have seen the day with the sole help of a click or idea stemmed from the progress that technology has made.

However, the importance of who we really are must be stressed, to favor texting or emailing over face to face interaction can be practical but risky. The leaves room for misinterpretation and digression of actual human skills, that define who we all are. The way we interact as humans is the way our true selves interact. Interacting through the lenses of filters and emoji's may help but leads to misinterpretation of who we really are.

CONCLUSION

• Technology has its perks, but limiting its use is a vital aspect that people must take into consideration before losing their true identity.

• Like any good thing, we should never want too much of it, this applies to technology as its use needs to have boundaries.

• What is really at risk here is our identity as it may quickly disappear between the lines of technology and our excessive use of it.

• The target audience was truly helpful to this research as respondents did agree and relate to these issues, thus helping come up with these findings.