FREE ESSAY ON HOW THE COMPUTER HAS CHANGED AMERICAN CULTURE

HOW THE COMPUTER HAS CHANGED AMERICAN CULTURE

How the Computer Has Changed American Culture
When trying to envision the world of today without computers, I imagine that our
lifestyles would be extremely different. "As exciting as technological developments may
be…it is important to remember that people who lack the skills or the machines to
tap into this information are in the same position as those a century ago who could not
read or had no access to books" (240). "These new technologies have undoubtedly altered
our sense of what it means to be literate" (239). Years ago, being educated simply meant
that you could read and write. Today one must go through years of formal schooling to be
considered scholarly. This is because, "Our sources of information have become much more
diverse than they were even a generation ago," (239).
Early in the century, being able to read and write was a skill that only the wealthy
could attain. Those without the ability to read and write were typically poor and
powerless. As education became available to nearly all of America, the amount of
education past high school was the key to wealth and power. Today, information and the
skills to access information are past becoming linked to success. This is in part because
of the computer, which recently celebrated its 
50th anniversary. Those without computer skills in the future will be left behind,
powerless. 
I can still remember the excitement that I felt the first time I placed my hands on a
keyboard. As Neil Postman states, "What is peculiar about such 
interpositions of computers is that their role in directing what we will see or know is
so rarely noticed," (247). Throughout this paper, I will examine the advancement of
inventions, work ethics, jobs, and how the computer has changed these to make our lives
easier in some ways, but more complex in others.
Following the development of computers, American culture underwent vast and fast-paced
changes. These new machines were taking over everything, which made it harder for the
older generations to preserve their way of life and function as a valuable part of
society. Americans not only had to change their lifestyles, but they also had to adapt to
changes in their work in order to keep up with the fast pace of technology. Little did
America know that technology would expand so rapidly to transform our society.
There have been many advances since the initial invention of the computer fifty years
ago. Today, computers operate many of the things that we use in everyday life. Some
examples of these things are farm machinery, cars, planes, video games, heat and water
delivery to our homes, banking, billing, and even the stock market. The advances of the
computer have resulted in the 
expansion of American employment opportunities. Countless numbers of jobs have been
created because of these changes. Almost every job that one can think of involves some
sort of computer technology; there are only a handful of jobs in this day and age that
don't. For example, some of the computer inspired jobs includes computer programming,
computer scientists, computer consultants, computer technicians, software developers, and
the list goes on and on. If it wasn't for the computer, these jobs and many other
inventions may not have been possible.
A giant leap occurred in the areas of entertainment, research, and individual access with
the introduction of the Internet. This new invention has enabled us to, "at any hour of
the day or night, order a pizza, shoot the breeze, utter profundities, skim through
library books, listen to music, look at pictures of naked girls, read poetry, watch
movies and deliver tirades against the Government and the professoriat- all without the
bother of having to get dressed," (Charles McGrath 261). You can also bid on live
auctions, play games, send letters, and chat with friends across the country. These are
only a few of the things that one can do on the net. People have also been able to work
through the Internet right from the comfort of their own homes. Types of jobs like this
allow people to have fewer distractions while working, make their own hours, work for
themselves, and go to work in their underwear. This sort of work may be encouraged our
society to be lazy. The work ethic now is definitely 
not what it used to be a couple of decades ago. Today, because of the convenience of
computers, people do not have to labor as long or as physically hard. The computer offers
countless conveniences. 
Examining the recent work ethic of Americans, I'd have to conclude that we've become much
more lazy in other areas as well. We rely too much on the capabilities of computers. In
my opinion, Americans don't have to try as hard because the computer has many tools to
help better their ability, for example, poor spellers. If you have a computer with Spell
Check on it, why should you make any attempt to better your spelling abilities when you
have a machine to do the work for you? Another example is that some students, question
the need for math courses, because they believe that a computer has the ability to
calculate math problems. Computers have affected our ways of learning, working, and our
way of life altogether. Because of computers, we expect services and results at a much
faster pace. People become impatient waiting for a 6-minute meal in the microwave. Why
wait for 3 days to get a letter when e-mail will transmit our words instantaneously?
Computers have changed everything from cars, to banking, to vacuum cleaners, to space
technology and communication. 
Not only has American culture changed due to the development of computers, but computer
technology has also influenced the humanity of our world. Being able to send a letter to
someone from across the earth with just a 
click of a button is quite a change from the pony express. Computers can connect people
from different cultures and countries and can even translate languages. This is commonly
referred to as the global village, and will surely increase people's understanding of
others. "Finally, just as computers shape our world, so our own dreams and desires
influence technological change. Where will our dreams and desires drive the technology of
the future?" (241). Eventually, we need to be able to 'read the world,' (239). Computers
will continue to impact our ways of life. People have begun to experience more leisure
and less hard labor because of computer-related technologies. Perhaps in the future,
these luxuries will be extended to the poor, and human rights and equality issues will be
improved. As people become more connected, they will hopefully become more aware.
Another change that will likely occur is relaxed to home and work. The line between the
two is already disappearing. People can now shop without leaving their homes. It will be
quite strange if we become more of a global village, but never leave our homes.