Write an essay that engages the following question: How has digital technology influenced modern society? Be sure that your thesis makes an argument about technology and then outlines a minimum of three sub-points that you will be exploring to prove your thesis.

 

QUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION

For those of you having trouble forming a thesis, the questions for consideration is a good way to start thinking about some of the topics you wish to write about. Remember, we’ve discussed several topics related to technology. My advice on this paper is to find a topic related to technology that interests you most. From there, find different arguments that you can make on that specific topic. For example, you may wish to write specifically about how social media is changing contemporary society. You could also write about how technology is forcing society to be more efficient at multitasking. The topic is really up to you. However, the more specific your topic is, the better your arguments will be.

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•Does technology weaken or strengthen our communication skills? Have we lost the ability to communicate with one another face-to-face? Is it more important to have online communication skills, physical communication skills, or is there even a difference? Do today’s communication skills require a presence in multiple realms, both online and in real time? If so, what have people gained from that societal change? What have they lost?

 

•Is it possible to be addicted to technology? Is there any science or research out there to prove or disprove human addiction to technology? If we can become addicted to technology, what are some of the dangers associated with that behavior?

 

• Is it possible to avoid technology all together, or is it an integral part of our lives that cannot be avoided and must therefore be mastered in moderation?

 

• How has technology changed education? Does technology help students learn,or does it distract learning? Does technology make students less intelligent, as many studies show, or has education not modernized to fit student’s needs? Is technology a constant form of entertainment and must educators therefore strive to make learning more entertaining? Is multitasking an important skill to learn? Can students really be on their phones and listening to a lecture or instructions simultaneously?

 

•How does social media affect self identity? Has this technology made humans more self-serving and narcissistic, or is social media merely a new form of entertainment? What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in a society that places such an emphasis on social networking? How do we negotiate the difference between our online selves and our actual selves, or is there even a difference to reconcile?

 

•How has technology forever changed business and entrepreneurship? What skills must people within this field now posses in order to be successful? Does a business need to have an online presence to be successful? What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of an online presence in terms of business and entrepreneurship?

 

•How has technology changed our rights to privacy? Do the legal terms of service and privacy policies imposed by online services like Facebook and Google robindividuals of their privacy? What is a “legal and legitimate use” of personal or private information? Is there such a thing? How has personal data been used to harm customers? Should future employers or schools be able to access your “private” information online, such as your Facebook profile (or similar social media services)? Why or why not? What are some of the advantages or disadvantages of leaving a digital footprint?