Impacts of Technology

Jessica Dufour

Cape Breton University

What do you think had a larger impact on society - the telephone or the internet?

The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876, which completely
changed how we communicated with one another. Over large distances, we could
speak directly with each other instead of relying on face-to-face conversations or letters.
This ability impacted society by improving the efficiency of communication, by
enhancing personal relationships and business operations. The invention of the
telephone also brought with it amazing new job opportunities, especially for women.
Telephone operator was one of the few technically oriented jobs available to women in
the 20th century.

January 1, 1983, is considered the official birthday of the internet. Although the roots
can be traced back to the 1960’s when the United States Department of Defence
started a project called ARPANET. The purpose of this network was to establish a
network that would withstand nuclear attacks. However, it was not until 1989 that Tim
Berners-Lee created the concept of the World Wide Web (WWW). Society before
internet was vastly different. The pace of life was slower, relying on landline telephones,
and physical mail. The internet allowed information to be readily available, and no
longer relied on trips to the library or looking through encyclopedias.

I believe that both the telephone and internet had major impacts on society, however we
often focus on the major positive effects. It is also important to mention the major
negative impacts on society, especially regarding the internet. Nowadays, people rely
on technology for entertainment, and children prefer video games and IPADS instead of
hobbies or books. There is no doubt that both have had a significant effect on society,
but I believe that the internet has had a greater impact (both positively and negatively).
Please research a technological invention which you feel had a
strong positive impact on society - briefly comment on each of the types of
impacts below.

I feel the invention of the automobile has had a positive impact on society. Automobiles
have socially impacted the ability to connect in person with people who do not live close
to you, as well as make it possible for people to see more of the world. Many policies
and laws were developed to regulate automobile use to ensure public safety.
Automobiles have also positively impacted society by being able to get medical and
legal care in quicker times then was available prior. Automobiles made it possible for
humans to work together easier, to have many great minds working towards
achievements in all fields. This also allowed for impacts on the economy, allowing
people who travel farther distances for work and education. While there are undouble
negative impacts on the environment with the invention of automobiles, modern cars are
becoming more environmentally friendly.

Please research a technological invention which you feel had a

strong negative impact on society - briefly comment on each of the types of
impacts below.

I feel the invention of coffee pods negatively impacted society. Socially, people are less
likely to go to the coffee shop in the morning before work. Many people prefer the
instant gratification of coffee pods, rather than taking the time to go to small coffee
shops and chitchat. Even the man who invented the K-cup coffee pod, John Sylvan has
stated he wishes he never had. The environmental impacts from individual use coffee
pods are catastrophe. They are extremely energy-intensive to manufacture, and globally
make up about 576,000 metric tons of waste. Culturally, individual use items are a
horrible path that society is going down. There have been laws in some areas requiring
coffee pods to be compostable, however the different that makes on the environmental
impact are minimal. As large coffee pod corporations source their beans from low-wage
regions, small coffee shops are finding it harder to survive.
 References

Chrisman, D. (n.d.). The effect the telephone had on literacy and Society. ETEC540
Text Techologies. https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec540sept13/2013/10/27/the-effect-the-
telephone-had-on-literacy-and-society/

Dentzel, Z. (n.d.). How the internet has changed Everyday Life. OpenMind.
https://www.bbvaopenmind.com/en/articles/internet-changed-everyday-life/

Onions, A. (2010, April 26). Automobile history. History.com.

https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/automobiles

Evans, P. (2015, March 5). K-Cup coffee pod creator wishes he’d never thought of them
| CBC news. CBCnews. https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/k-cup-creator-john-
sylvan-regrets-inventing-keurig-coffee-pod-system-1.2982660

Grant, T. (2021, March 5). A brief history of coffee pods. Perfect Daily Grind.
https://perfectdailygrind.com/2020/08/a-brief-history-of-coffee-pods-nespresso-
keurig-capsules/