Final Thematic Essay-Technology

Final Thematic Essay-Technology

Technology is defined as the application of scientific knowledge to achieve practical goals for humans. Technology was discovered millions of years ago, with tools such as sharp flakes of stone being used as knives, and the wheel and pow were also considered some of the first technological tools (“San José State University,” 2022). Technology is important because it aids in the development of solutions that make it easier for humans to solve problems in their daily lives. Technology is a broad subject, but the goal of this paper is to examine the impact of technology on society and politics in the United States from the 1920s to the 2000s. Hire our assignment writing services in case your assignment is devastating you.

The 1920s

After World War I in November 1918 (“IN.gov | The Official Website of the State of Indiana,” 2022), America got into one of its most technologically advancing years from the 1920s to 1930s; these years even gained the title “The Roaring 20s”. During this time, many new forms of technology were invented. One of the biggest technological advancements made during this time was the addition of electricity, which led to many Americans purchasing electrical goods such as refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, washing machines, radios, televisions, and others.

Technology greatly impacted society during this time since it made work easier for Americans, not only with the invention of electronics but also with the freedom to enjoy holidays and tourism since they spent more money to improve roads. On top of this, Henry Ford’s Model T car was the first car invented, and it made life easy by making transportation for them easier and faster. The invention of this car also made labor faster and easier in several industries but also had a negative effect as it reduced the number of laborers and decreased employment opportunities. Generally, the advancements in technology during the 1920s contributed to how America is in today’s world.

Moreover, technology also had a political effect in the 1920s in several ways. For several years, people only read about politics and politicians in newspapers, but with the invention of the radio, people could now hear what politicians said. When citizens hear the politicians speak, it makes a difference since their personalities and emotions can be heard and felt through their voices. Moreover, the politicians got the chance to engage and entertain as well as express themselves for the position they stood for. The first radio channel invented was the KDKA, and it first broadcasted the presidential elections on November 2, 1920 (“Home | Pennsylvania Center for the Book,” 2022). Frank Conrad developed this radio broadcast, and he did not expect the broadcast to transform political life that much.

The 1950s

At this time of the year, technology had improved, leading to the rise of new gadgets. The most impressive technological innovation during the 1950s was the television, which replaced radios, newspapers, and magazines. The invention of the television generally improved the creation, sending, receiving, and analysis of messages through verbal and written media. This technological invention affected society positively as the advancements in electronics made television affordable to the people, and almost everyone in America could afford it.

Furthermore, these televisions gave people the chance to enjoy entertainment as this era gave rise to movies, comedy films, and other forms of entertainment. Other than this, there were other technologies such as the flight box, flight recorder, credit card, and power steering wheel. Darren Warren brought up the idea of having a device that could record all sounds within the aircraft and voices as well as flight data, and today it is mandatory that all aircraft have black boxes in them.

Politically, the technological advancements were made easier as jet-propelled aircraft were introduced to America during the 1950s, leading to air travel all over the world. However, this time was the century of racial segregation, which meant restricting people from certain residential areas or separate institutions such as churches, schools, restaurants, and many others (“Home | Library of Congress,” 2022). These differences were wars of opposing ideologies; African Americans had been going through a lot fighting for their rights due to racial discrimination, and several Americans participated in changing these levels of discrimination.

The 2000s

Inventions as diverse as the world’s first digital camera and Bluetooth headset, the iPhone, the first version of the Kindle, the iPod, the Blackberry, USB hard drives, and many others came into existence during the decade of the 2000s, which is known as the decade of extreme technological advancement (“Home,” 2022). The development of social media has made it possible for individuals to communicate with one another without having to come into direct physical contact by means of voice calls, video calls, and text messages. However, social media came along with some negative effects. This is because some people could spend most of their time either playing games, particularly children, or generally investing too much time into social media, which leads to effects such as lack of sleep, which could lead to physical illness and mental disturbance as well. Consistently, online social applications such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube were all invented during this time of the decade between 2004 and 2007.

Politically, the 2000s technological rapid enhancements also had an effect because of how social media helped spread news, which it still does today. Also, technological devices helped people fight for their rights, especially in cases such as racism and discrimination. People used the internet to gain their rights on platforms such as Facebook, which was introduced to America in the early 2000s, and it was a helpful and effective method still used to date. Technology also helped people know what was happening in the country without actually watching the news but by the simple use of social media. Additionally, politicians could easily share information by holding press conferences as many television and radio stations were invented. In the early 2000s, the Bush campaign innovated the phone bank technology so as to get-out-the-vote initiatives. This campaign year also evidently used online ads as a way of campaigning. Democratic online fundraising sites were also created during this time.

Similarities and Differences

The effect of technology on society over these years was quite similar as they shared a common goal: to make work easier for humans. Technological development from the 1950s through the 2000s was significantly doing that, and it is evident by the invention of devices, electronics, machinery, and many more. However, the major difference was the change of machinery exterior as the years passed. For instance, the size of computers during the 1950s and the ones from the 2000s was distinct.

It is also evident that the effect of technology was similar during the years as it made it easier for politicians and citizens to communicate easily without actually seeing each other through radios, televisions, and social media. However, the evident difference is that, on the one hand, during the 2000s, activities such as voting, creating awareness, or spreading news were easily done through social media. On the other hand, during the 1920s and 1950s,  individuals relied on radios and television. After all, social media was effective during the 2000s.

Conclusion

In conclusion, technology is essential to our daily lives and has contributed significantly to the growth of America so far. It is also obvious that since the 1920s, technology has been used in a variety of ways to advance the nation. Technology has been applied in a variety of ways, including human-powered machinery, voting machines, peacekeeping efforts, and mass communication.

Technology made it possible for people to take on less work and gave families warmer homes by providing entertainment on the radio and television. Fostering equality across the nation and raising awareness of it also assisted in reducing racism and discrimination. Social media platforms were made possible by technology, and they are still in use today, not just in the United States but all over the world. These platforms are used by users to meet up with friends and family or to communicate. Due to their ability to access a variety of features, the internet being the most crucial, the development of mobile phones also resulted in people owning their own handheld computers. The government currently uses technology to assist with tasks like census-taking and vote-counting.

References

Home | Library of Congress. (2022). Retrieved October 15, 2022, from https://www.loc.gov/

Home | Pennsylvania Center for the Book. (2022). Retrieved October 16, 2022, from https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/

Home. (2022). Retrieved October 15, 2022, from https://blog.suny.edu/

IN.gov | The Official Website of the State of Indiana. (2022). Retrieved October 15, 2022, from https://www.in.gov/

San José State University. (2022). Retrieved October 15, 2022, from https://www.sjsu.edu/

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Unit 8 AssignmentHeads Up – Unit 8 Assignment
Throughout the term, you have studied events that shaped the history of the United States. To demonstrate your understanding of U.S. history from the Reconstruction to the modern era, you will choose one of the thematic essays and will write a paper detailing your answer.

Final Thematic Essay-Technology

See the attachment for specific details and grading criteria for the Final Thematic Essay Assignment. Final Thematic Essay Assignment. – Alternative Formats