Social Consequences Of Technology

Originally Posted By: Ken "Wirehead" Wronkiewicz and Marshall Motley ([email protected]) Copyright © Ken Wronkiewicz and Marshall Motley There are many consequences of technology. To a certain extent, progress is regress. Technology changes the status quo, forcing humanity to adjust to the new conditions. Technology often replaces jobs. Accountants, secretaries and bookkeepers will be replaced. Some feel that computer programmers will be replaced, however, it is my opinion that the opposite will occur. Consider what the impact is on society. Does everybody find new jobs or does the software replacement overrun everything, leaving socialism the only option? What options are there for the general population other than work? Would it be possible for the entire population to work at artisan jobs? If all food production is done robotically to ensure that the highest quality food is cheap, what will the rich do? Crime will probably increase. As a result, weapon technology will be improved. Marshal Motley once wrote a hilarious piece where fashion designers added weapons to their lineups. Not only will the new guns be better, they will look better, too. Guns will be easy to conceal. Clothing will be probably be armored in the future, especially if the police get much worse than they already are. Consider the failure rate of equipment. Batteries die and guns jam. A clip doesn't hold an infinite number of bullets. Think about new weapons that people would use. Will everybody carry a gun? Will the cops let you carry a gun around? With cheap, portable technologies, production out of the garage is possible. Research and Development cost for garage companies can easily undercut the large companies. Mass production is not possible, however robotic assembly is possible. Many companies will exist for the sole purpose of assembling garage designer's products. They will not achieve the quantity of the large corporations, however, they will have higher quality. Computer chips could be assembled quickly with special equipment in a garage Every surface would be painted over to control dust, plastic would be hung over the walls. An airlock and a ventilator and filter will keep the air clean. Ask yourself how this will affect society. Will attempts to ban technologies fail because of the ease of manufacturing? What technologies will be created by people working in their garage? Consider carefully the affects of super weapons such as nuclear bombs. Proliferation is unstoppable. It may serve to stabilize governments, however, it also might serve to increase violence, especially if there are less consequences than the nuke. Pollution will affect the world. Radioactive waste has to be held safe for the rest of eternity. What are we supposed to do with it? Many industrial chemicals are toxic and carcinogenic. Today, the government requires them to be stored safely, however if government falls, there is nothing to prevent the corporations from dumping them, preferably on other people's land. If new fuels or forms of transportation are created, air pollution will reduce in severity. If pollution becomes a problem, what will happen to the people? Think about polution-control domes, carbon filter masks, airlocks, fashionable gas masks and chemical isolation suits. How will we get food if all of our farmland is corrupted? What will they do with the polluted lands? New viruses, plagues, and germs will probably be created, both by corporations and nature. Consider the effect that plagues will have on society. Will viral warfare be effective in war? What happens if the virus backfires? Genetic engineering has many consequences. What will happen to individuality when cloning is possible? Consumer electronics will be cheap and accessible. If everybody can access the information of the 'net, what will happen? Remember that a thinking population is difficult to lead around by the nose. Look at today's politicians trying to destroy the net because of the supposed pornography. What excuse will they use once nobody gives a hoot about morality? How about culture? The future has much more to offer than just bar brawls and gunfights. What kinds of clothing fads will the future offer? Will fashion designers finally run out of new areas of the body to expose or will they work the other way? Every woman with money will be beautiful thanks to plastic surgery, so people are going to have to find new ways of competing. What will Science Fiction be like in 2020?