Thursday, January 30, 2020

The Impact of Technology Essay Example for Free

The Impact of Technology Essay The society we live in is completely integrated with technology, we are surrounded by and we live on technology. One of the definitions of â€Å"technology† given by Webster’s Third New International Dictionary is â€Å"the totality of the means employed by a people to provide itself with the objects of material culture†, and as a matter of fact, almost every little work we do can be considered technology dependent. Today we are all identified with the technological device we are carrying, which must be up to date. For many of us, living without technology I like living without air†. Many people don’t realize how much they are engaged to their gadgets and how much they affect our lives; I think that most of us would struggle to live without these little comforts while some researchers of the University â€Å"La Sapienza Di Roma† concluded that most of the people, especially from 16 to 25 years old, feel lost when they don’t have their mobile phones with them. An excerpt from the telegraph confirms us what we previously affirmed: â€Å"In an international study called Unplugged, volunteers at 12 universities around the world were asked to keep detailed diaries while spending 24 hours in a tech and information blackout. They found out that youngsters reported sickness and fidgety, they felt really uncomfortable and like if they had nothing to do. â€Å"They kept looking for the phones, even though they werent carrying them. † Technology has clearly become a huge influence on our lives, but how did we reach this point? Our addiction to technology probably started with computers taking over our society as we used to know it. Nowadays, everywhere you look, computers are making our life more comfortable since they are commonly used items in many areas. A PC is essential to people who run organizations or industries, but also the housewife who doesn’t know how to use a Personal Computer has to deal with one, since almost anything we know is run or made by a computers, most medical equipment use computers and also the most simple household appliance has a computer inside. Most of the professions today involve the use of PCs since also in a pharmacy you would have a hard time keeping track with what medication to give to a patient without that â€Å"mechanical brain† that would be hard to live without. Its only when something goes wrong that we realize how necessaries they are, if we think about the world without computers we would realize that we haven’t done much more than using them in the past few years; researchers in the medical field wouldn’t have found a lot of cures to diseases since most of them were found with the help of processors. Movies like, Pixar’s Toy story, Avatar or 2012 would never have been made since they are based on computer graphics that cannot be emulated analogically. Counting votes would be much slower and space exploration wouldn’t be possible without the help of computers. That’s why, since most of our progresses in the recent past are a consequence of our use of computers, we call the recent past as computer revolution or digital revolution. The definition of revolution is based on the idea of something that rapidly changed and improved. This led to individuals that can transfer information freely and access to information is so easy compared to in the past. Recently, some social analysts defined our times as the â€Å"information age†. This condition of being always capable to get information started when computer microminiaturization started, because the fast evolution of technology in daily life permitted rapid global communications and networking to shape modern society. It can be said that this revolution started with the diffusion of the smartphones, which started many years ago but had a massive boost with the launch of the iPhone, an hybrid between a phone and a computer, something always connected to the world. This idea changed the technological market with many companies trying to follow Apple creature’s steps, evolving into a new device that is far from what mobiles were ten years ago. They have become faster and more powerful just like computers but they can also be connected to the internet anywhere in order to: read newspapers, mail for business, be always able to make a research on the web or communicate with friends, which has proven to change everything. As a matter of fact people feel the need to be updated with what is happening around them. Big contributors to this are websites like Facebook and Twitter, which are supposed to bring, people closer together but they are actually doing the opposite. The information age can be separated into three general parts, which are information storage, information transmission, and computation. When the information storage phase occurred, the world’s capacity to store data has seen a dramatic boost of from just 2600 terabyte in 1985 to 18 Exabyte in 1994, to over 55. 5 in 1999, and 400 in 2011 at the point that nowadays, as Mitchell Capor Said, getting information off the Internet is like drinking from a fire Hydrant. Not only there was an increase of the databases, but also technology is spreading to any family, any student, any common citizen since the cost of technology is decreasing day by day and today we can afford a really powerful desktop for a few hundred dollars and we can all access the internet with less money we spend on a night out. Internet, big contributor to the information age and all those changes is the Internet, which has obviously had a massive impact on society. The Internet is a fail-proof network because even if a large area is disabled, the information is rerouted to somewhere else. The Internet is the crucial platform for accelerating the exchange of information and it is also the main emerging form of media. Internet is, in fact, making some medias obsolete and is the reason why many companies are changing the way they relate to their clients, because it is a tough competition to newspaper and broadcaster offering most of the times a cheaper and vaster choice to anyone. The main example is the success of YouTube, which is now eroding the market share that television channels used to have by having, according to the company itself on the official blog, four billion videos streamed per day. New technology is affecting anyone’s life also because is something that created millions of jobs but also took away a few at the same time modifying the economy of some sectors. It created jobs because the new technology needed to be repaired, designed, and used in many businesses. However, it took away jobs because some factory workers were no longer needed as more efficient machines were built to replace them. Out of all of the technology that has been produced during the last 30 years; the Internet has created the largest amount of jobs. Labourers must compete in a globalized job market instead of earning a living from what they used to do. Middle-class people of society are affected the most by the job change because they can either move up towards jobs that require a good education (such as engineers, scientists, journalists), or they can move down towards low-skill and low-wage jobs. About 30% of the modern workforce usually consists of the jobs that require a good education and good qualifications and the number ises exponentially if we just consider the really developed countries since, as we already proved, a useful worker in modern times also has to well know how to deal with computers. Technology has also had a big impact on language and culture since it helps the spreading and melting of different and distant worlds, favouring globalization. Our though processes have been changed by the revolution in technology, that’s probably just the beginning of a new era. From all of the information that I have researched I have concluded that technology is having more and more impact on our lives because it is becoming more integrated into what we do. Nearly everything thing we do in our everyday lives is connected to technology and from what I can see, not many people would be able to cope without the technology that we have today. I believe that in the future, if our race continues to survive for an extended period of time, all life will either depend entirely on technology or not at all. Another reason that I have concluded for why technology is having more impact is that humans are adapting more and the technology is becoming more ‘compatible’ with us and to our ways of thinking. We are becoming more connected to technology and we are being more influenced at the same time. A good example to support my conclusion is that if there were to be a new piece of technology that came out in the shops (such as a new type of iPhone) then many peoples’ lives would be greatly affected whether it is their jobs, or language etc. that is affected. Our way of thinking has been completely changed and it is believe that humans as a race will probably never go back thinking like they used to. Revolutions will keep on occurring and the technology will keep on improving which will obviously keep on affecting our life in many ways which concludes my research paper on the idea of technology having impact on our lives.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

A Room With A View by E.M. Forster and The Remains of the Day by Tovah

A Room With A View by E.M. Forster and The Remains of the Day by Tovah Martin 'A Room with a View' and 'The Remains of the Day' are two novels which involve journeys of physical and spiritual discovery. The main characters of the stories are dissimilar in gender, age and social status but both experience situations and encounters which challenge their perspectives and personal values. The authors of these books have both included references to nature and landscape to emphasize, mirror and reinforce the reactions and emotions of their characters. They have also used nature and landscape to highlight key events. 'A Room with a View' was written in 1908 and the opening chapters are set in Florence, Italy, a vibrant country, where the high temperatures and natural beauty can stir the emotions. Lucy Honeychurch, chaperoned by her spinster cousin, Charlotte Bartlett, is on a grand tour, and struggles to understand the unfamiliar emotions which are stirring within her. 'Lucy's rebellious thoughts swept out in words - for the first time in her life.' Suppressed emotions are released and she discovers a maturity, independence and strength of character which allow her to analyse and perceive individuals in a new light. She has the audacity to challenge Mr Eager, who finds it 'intolerable that she should disbelieve him.' Lucy and Charlotte face initial disappointment with the views from their rooms. They had been promised 'south rooms with a view' but had north rooms overlooking a courtyard. This dull, uninteresting outlook reflects Lucy's upbringing in rural England, where she has restricted freedom and a limited stimulation in a climate inclined to be damp and cloudy. This contrasts with her expectations for ... ...d leaving the reader with clear, reflective images of a bygone era in an English landscape which still exists. 'A Room with a View' has more dramatic contrasts and energy. The story begins in Italy and the descriptions are strong and powerful, reflecting the events and emotions which develop in the characters. The feelings of the people are passionate and full of vitality and the landscape and nature vividly echo and illustrate what is happening. England is changeable and blustery, gloomy and grey, illuminated by flashes of brilliance and beauty. The atmosphere contrasts with Italy as the plot changes pace and people re-evaluate and alter their course. This book contains romantic illusions to pastoral subjects and makes use of nature to support events and feelings, which brings the book to life and provides excitement and entertainment for the reader. A Room With A View by E.M. Forster and The Remains of the Day by Tovah A Room With A View by E.M. Forster and The Remains of the Day by Tovah Martin 'A Room with a View' and 'The Remains of the Day' are two novels which involve journeys of physical and spiritual discovery. The main characters of the stories are dissimilar in gender, age and social status but both experience situations and encounters which challenge their perspectives and personal values. The authors of these books have both included references to nature and landscape to emphasize, mirror and reinforce the reactions and emotions of their characters. They have also used nature and landscape to highlight key events. 'A Room with a View' was written in 1908 and the opening chapters are set in Florence, Italy, a vibrant country, where the high temperatures and natural beauty can stir the emotions. Lucy Honeychurch, chaperoned by her spinster cousin, Charlotte Bartlett, is on a grand tour, and struggles to understand the unfamiliar emotions which are stirring within her. 'Lucy's rebellious thoughts swept out in words - for the first time in her life.' Suppressed emotions are released and she discovers a maturity, independence and strength of character which allow her to analyse and perceive individuals in a new light. She has the audacity to challenge Mr Eager, who finds it 'intolerable that she should disbelieve him.' Lucy and Charlotte face initial disappointment with the views from their rooms. They had been promised 'south rooms with a view' but had north rooms overlooking a courtyard. This dull, uninteresting outlook reflects Lucy's upbringing in rural England, where she has restricted freedom and a limited stimulation in a climate inclined to be damp and cloudy. This contrasts with her expectations for ... ...d leaving the reader with clear, reflective images of a bygone era in an English landscape which still exists. 'A Room with a View' has more dramatic contrasts and energy. The story begins in Italy and the descriptions are strong and powerful, reflecting the events and emotions which develop in the characters. The feelings of the people are passionate and full of vitality and the landscape and nature vividly echo and illustrate what is happening. England is changeable and blustery, gloomy and grey, illuminated by flashes of brilliance and beauty. The atmosphere contrasts with Italy as the plot changes pace and people re-evaluate and alter their course. This book contains romantic illusions to pastoral subjects and makes use of nature to support events and feelings, which brings the book to life and provides excitement and entertainment for the reader.

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Diana’s Disappointment Essay

What is the problem? Diana Gillen is the General Manager at the Cobb Street Grille who applied and is hoping to become the new District Manager. After being rejected from the first position 9 months ago, Diana was convinced that she had this current position under her belt. Unfortunately, she did not get promoted and she was left to feel upset and judgmental with how the applicants were chosen for this position. This case demonstrates how an individual must learn to express their emotions in an appropriate manner and be open to learn new and effective ways to be a leader. Why do these problems occur? In this case, Diana is not good at controlling her emotions and the majority of the time her emotions get the better of her. Emotions are psychological, behavioral and physiological episodes that make an individual feel the need to react without being aware. Diana’s emotions are present at numerous times during this case. For example, she felt uneasy as she arrived at the Cobb Street Grille corporate offices along with feeling anxious and fear when learning what the outcome would be on her promotion. There were multiple times during the case where Diana showed physical emotions, such as bursting into tears and cringing when she found out that she did not get the position. These are all examples of Diana not having control over her emotions. She needs to be able to work on controlling her emotions in order to be able to react in situations like these. In this case, Diana shows a lack of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and express emotion, understand and reason with it, while being able to regulate the emotions found in an individual. There are four levels of the emotional intelligence hierarchy, which are self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. Self-awareness is the act of understanding and defining the meaning of your  own emotions. Diana has a high self-awareness because she knows she wants to be a District Manager and she thinks she is the perfect fit for the position. Her values are to work hard and follow the rules that are assigned to her and she shows off her strengths of being able to manage a restaurant. Also, her motivation to become a district manager is present. Self-management is how well an individual can control his or her inner state. Diana is very capable of managing herself along with preparing for the role as a district manager. The down side, however, is that she sometimes loses her cool when trying to complete tasks or get certain jobs done. She is known to be a strict employee but is also very loyal and strives for her and everyone around her to do well. However, when she was told that she was not going to get the position she was hoping for, she let her self-management collapse and began to tear up. Social awareness is the ability of understanding the meaning of other’s emotions. When it comes to being aware of the employees’ emotions and feelings, Diana deeply lacks in this territory. She rarely pays attention to her employees when they have a request, an idea, or even just an opinion. What makes it worse is what the employees have to say about her. The title ‘Ice Maiden’ is thrown around amongst the employees behind Diana’s back. She believes that meeting her financial goals is the only objective she needs to follow, and because she exceeds these goals, Diana considers herself and her performance outstanding. The relationship the Diana shares with her employees is nothing more than a mechanical one. By not being social and working together with her employees, she does not know their needs and how they really think of her. The highest level of the emotional intelligence hierarchy is relationship management. Relationship management is being able to manage other people’s emotions while not letting your own emotions be influenced. Diana fails miserably at this level simply because she is not socially aware of her surroundings. Instead of inspiring her employees to try new things and influencing a bond between them, she leaves them to follow a repetitive schedule and no wiggle room for change. An example of this is when the  restaurant experienced high employee turnover. Diana fired three perfectly good employees because they decided to try a new customer service tactic. This proves that she is not in touch with her employees. Diana knows what she wants and understands how to manage herself along with a business, but when it comes to other individuals she does not perform in an effective way. When it comes to being socially aware and being able to build relationships, she fails, and this is one of the most important levels of the emotional intelligence hierarchy. How can these problems be fixed? Personality: Personality is the view in which individuals are agreeable and open to new things. Looking at the Five Factor Model Personality Theory, Diana extremely lacks in this section because she does not take any steps to build a healthy relationship with her employees. She needs to work on being more agreeable and open to new experiences in order to increase her success as a general manager. When one agrees on situations, it means they are being courteous, good natured, empathetic and caring. She lacks in this because she does not take the extra step to be closer to her employees. Openness to New Experiences: At this point, Diana follows the same rules and regulations, day in and day out. Instead of firing the three employees, she could have been open to a more creative approach and given the new customer service idea a try. In order to be open to new experiences, one needs to be imaginative, creative, aesthetically sensitive, and curious. Diana follows the same routine all the time and should be open to new, and creative ideas that are put forth by her team. Empathy: Empathy is when an individual is more open to others feelings, thoughts, and situations. Diana dictates how the restaurant is run along with any changes that may be made. She is so hell-bent with following the rules, that she is not being empathetic to her employees. If Diana opens herself up to understand how her employees feel, then she will gain miles into training individuals in a positive work environment. Accepting Feedback: In this scenario, employees seem to have many ideas and comments they would like to express to Diana but she does not listen or respond to them. By acting on comments made from the employees, she will make herself more accepted and a better restaurant manager. If she is open to accept positive and negative feedback, then she will indeed have a better chance at making herself more promotable. Lastly, Diana has shown that she is a great asset to Cobb Street Grille and losing Diana as an employee will impact the company in a large way. Recommendations that may be given to the company in order to improve employee relations and managerial skills are as follows: 1. An internal course can be provided to employees to help generate proper feedback that will lead to effect business practices. 2. Employees will be able to voice their opinions and concerns in a private area, which will then be brought up at the nearest staff meeting. 3. There will be open communication via workshops between the employees and managers, which will help build a stronger relationship amongst the two. These recommendations will help ensure that the concerns an individual may have will be taken care of before it arises. So what? In conclusion, the best alternative for Diana to promote herself and become a district manager is to accept feedback and be open to new ideas for the business. If this occurs, the employees will be able to express themselves creatively and Diana will be able to focus on making her business more successful and accepting. The importance of supporting, being open, and encouraging new ideas will be sure to improve the overall reputation of Diana by her employees. With the right future steps and goals, Diana will be able to gain the proper skills and emotional balance to be promoted as a district manager.