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I would say one social change that come to mind for me immediately is phone technology. I am a part of the the last group of my generation that grew up with only a house phone. No cell phones, only pay phones and pagers. It’s now hard to think about how I got thru life without a cell phone. Growing up I drove and went places without one and got around just fine. Now more than ever people are dependent on them. To think now driving without a phone gives me anxiety. Like “what will I do if something happens and I don’t have one” Although I did not think this in the early 90’s when I didn’t have one. When I was a kid we had to go inside the house and call a friend and set up a meet time and discuss what our plans would be before leaving the house. Before cell phones we would have to look on the computer and print directions and even before that we would have to look at maps. Before cell phones were popular you had to memorize phone numbers or right them down. Now we can call for help from our phones, store numbers, look for directions, look up food locations, gas stations, all while talking to our friends and family. I work with people ten years younger than me and they don’t even know what it’s like to have had to do some of those things before cell phones. I came across this video of Stephen Colbert showing a millennial how to use a pay phone. I though it was a good example of how phone technology has evolved. I myself had a recent funny conversation with a couple co workers. They were sharing their prom pictures on their phone. I told them I couldn’t show them my prom photos because they were on film. I didn’t have a cell phone back then to take pictures. They thought it was so crazy.

http://digg.com/video/colbert-millennial-tutorial-pay-phone (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

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Social change what is social change? it is “the alteration of culture and societies over time”.The social change in my life time probably as most or all of you is smart phones and the technology we have now a days. When I was a kid my parents didn’t have smart phones we thought a VCR was top notch and pagers were for rich people. Now everyone has a smartphone and some sort of google home or Alexa. This has affected me and our society in many ways. It has affected me because I’m honestly on my phone all the time texting, watch youtube videos, facebook, Instagram and so much more. I’m not as interactive with people because I rather just text you and I don’t like talking on the phone. Technology has changed me I was a social butterfly but I’m becoming more I guess you would say anti-social. Because why go out when I can just text you or facetime you it’s so much easier. But I found an article that talks about six ways technology has changed our society. The first is “Empowering with info” we have information at our finger tips ready at any given moment. We have access to a wide variety of information. The Second is “Teaching and engaging” for example just like this class without technology none of us would be doing this class we would have to go to the campus. Also, our phones have apps that we can download to help us learn, teach us how to exercise, or teaches us to cope with stuff that people are going through. The third thing is “making matches” “Tech solutions also enhance impact by making quicker and better matches in a particular market. For example, VolunteerMatch.org connects volunteers with causes and roles that suit them. RLab’s JamIIX matches troubled youth anonymously to counselors, located all over the world, through a series of text messages. The technology allows counselors to help 30 to 40 kids per hour, versus just one or two, and removes stigma by using a process–texting–that feels invisible.” The Forth is “Crowdsourcing hot spots” meaning we can download an app or go on a web search for hackers or scams and avoid getting stuck in traps. The fifth is “reaching the underserved” “In some cases, technology improves the reach of products and services that can improve lives. MicroEnsure leverages the mobile telecommunications system to provide insurance products to millions of low-income customers in Asia and Africa, who otherwise would not have access to risk mitigation.” The sixth is “raising cash for good” for example people can raise money for a cause through a go fund me page. Anyone can make a go fund me page and tell people there reason for donations and set a goal then people are able to donate as much as they want. These are six ways technology has changed society and also how technology has changed my life.

refences:

“Mastering Sociology” James M. Henslin page 498

Grindle Abe “6 Ways Technology Is Breaking Barriers To Social Change” fastcompany   https://www.fastcompany.com/3043761/6-ways-technology-is-breaking-barriers-to-social-change (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.