The Influencing Machine Summary

What if our life becomes fully dependent on the electronic devices in the future? “In Into the Electronic Millennium”, Birkerts discusses his concerns with the oncoming electronic world. Birkerts provides lots of cons about the electronic devices that can affect people's lives. The author’s intention for writing this essay is to make the audience aware of the significant changes that have started to occur as electronic technologies have developed. He uses various rhetorical devices to convey his arguments to the readers. Through this essay, he is trying to inform the academic community that the culture of printed words has ended in the society, while electronic technologies are starting to dominate. Birkerts uses anecdotes, juxtaposition,

He uses words such as “dramatized” (para.1), “purely science fiction” (para.3) and “philosophical” (para.7) to invoke the irrationality of the fear of machines such that they would agree with his view. The use of Pathos is also observed in Tufekci’s article where she gave the anecdote of the call center worker being worried of losing his job. This further contradicts her purpose as it directs her readers into relating to the feelings of the worker. Furthermore, the constant re-emphasis of points such as “workers already feel like they are powerless as it is” (para. 17) due to the fact that “technology is used to “automate” the jobs and to take power away” (para. 16) does not provide any sense of reassurance to the readers  and cause them to waiver away from her

Over the past few decades, enhancements in the visual fields have greatly improved, giving weight on the importance of visual material in text. Something that is more visually stimulating can usually make a text more convincing or credible. The term “seeing is believing” proves this fact. As humans, we tend to believe something if we can actually see it, which is why Jay David Bolter has referred to this phenomenon of the changed role of text and graphics as the “visual culture” in his book Writing Space. “Mere words no longer seemed adequate; they had to share their space with images.” (Bolter, 69).

Modern technology has seen many debates about its usefulness, its relevance, and its impact on society. Two main parties have bound together, one arguing that the impact of modern technological advancements has had a positive effect on society, while the other side believes that it only makes things worse. In their argumentative pieces, Charles Seife and Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen address the issue of technology in the modern world, although their arguments vary drastically, through the use of various rhetorical devices.

Carr and Cascio’s outlooks on “what technology is” were similar, but they had different perspectives on how technology affects our society. Carr notices that while technology keeps artificial information moving forward and huge amounts of information at our disposal, it also affects our natural ability to think for ourselves. He is appealing to pathos because he senses that this common problem is making our society less dependent with their selves and more dependent towards technology. He uses his article to appeal to the fact that he notices the changes in the ways that he used to think came from the use of technology. Cascio, on the other hand, thinks that technology is what makes our society so efficient. He uses ethos to propose that the concept of co-evolution between human and technological interaction has helped us adapt to the ever-changing world around us. Carr’s and Cascio’s perspectives toward the effects of technology usage are the starting point of contrast between the two articles.

Technology has played an influential role in the growing society of today. It has been the technological mother-nature to the brain, as people seek guidance from its false intelligence. In the novel Feed, written by M.T. Anderson, the main focus is on the effect that technology has on a society as a whole. With technology, such as the feed, it can be beneficial when used correctly. It can help a person come up with just the “right” words when they’re stuck on a paper, or even when they are having a conversation with another individual. Technology is a good resource in most cases; however, it is not truly a benefit when overused. It turns into an addiction, and people begin to rely on it too much. Technology that is similar to the feed should be removed, because

The contrast between technology and humans is talked about in Richard Louv’s article from Last Child in the Woods. He uses great strategies to get his point across to the readers. Louv wants everyone to realize how the times have changed and how important technology has become in our lives. He wants to give us a better understanding of how technology has changed our lives. In this article Louv uses rhetorical strategies to prove to his readers that his points are valid. These strategies are telling stories, using important names, and making jokes.

Have you ever gotten lost in the Internet, swallowed by the constant updates on Twitter and Facebook for hours, when you only meant to be on for a few minutes? This is a constant battle in our society and technology changes and our use of it increases. It is becoming a bigger issue every day, and now it affects one of our basics psychological needs: sleep. Though I concede with Brooke Gladstone, author of “The Influencing Machines” that we can adapt to technology as it grows, I still insist that some issues that arise with technology are bigger than Gladstone portrays and we need to find solutions for some of the bigger problems that technology creates, especially when it disturbs a basic psychological need.

First, technology is making the society smarter due to new machines; furthermore, technology has impacted in the America culture which is great. The influenced that technology has in America culture is good because it will change the way people think and develop new ideas in the future, so it can affect the American culture in good ways. For example, people will get educated due to new advanced technology because machines or programs will always be there to help human beings. Actually, computer and machines have the ability to think faster than humans being, so according to Thompson, “The computer would bring the lightning fast” because computers or machines have a database ready to think really fast (344). Every time human beings develop new innovations people worry about that the life is not going to be the same because technology will change their people’s lives because according to Thompson, the machine’s way of “thinking” is fundamentally unhuman” (243). In addition, when machines get better than the human beings, there will be great help from computers or machines. The America culture can be affect by the technology because new machines, but it will never have some negative influences. Technology will improve American culture in good ways because technology will help people in so many ways as thinking, developing new ideas, and new creations.

Technology may not be everything it seems. Although worldwide use of various devices and applications has revolutionized the way we live and our culture in a powerful and helpful way, there are many ramifications to be considered. The consequence to this revolution of culture and way of life is carefully observed and portrayed by M.T. Anderson in his novel Feed. Anderson uses the literary art of satire to create characters that are exaggerated versions of people today to reveal their uncontrollable obsession with technology.

At what point will society place a dependence upon technological advancements rather than the curiosity and interactions of mankind? With the constant acceleration of improvements within technology and any piece of information readily available many authors, artists, and individuals question the natural world as each generation more elaborately explores the innovative approaches towards science and technology. E.M. Forster’s short story, “The Machine Stops,” is based upon a fear of the technological revolution, and it introduces the audience to a utopian society facing multiple forms of isolation as a result of his society reaching complete dependence upon the technology of the Machine. The society’s reliance upon the Machine creates a divide between those who display an adoration and worship towards the Machine versus citizens who prevail and fight for their individual freedom. E.M. Forster illustrates the role he foresees technology to play in the end of human civilization through an exaggerated vision of the effects that technology leaves on our lives, which helps the audience to better understand our present day society properly.

Technology has made great advances on a global scale, especially within the last half century. Works of fiction and informational texts have addressed the numerous influences of modern innovation. Although technology is helping our world in many ways, technology has the possibility to overstep its boundaries.

In today's society there is no escape from technology. We are completely submerged in our iPhone, ipads, computers, and gaming systems. These gadgets give us the opportunity to be connected to each other and the rest of the world at all times. But, this is not a glorious step in history. Technology blinds us from the real world. As John Tudor said, “Technology makes it possible for people to gain control over everything, except technology.” We may run our lives with the help of our iPhones and computers, but do these forms of technology in turn control us? At first glance these new advances are greater steps to making our lives easier. But, when examined closely a large portion of technology is the cause of many problems in our society.

Whether it be with the use of the internet to calculate algorithms or automated factories, machinery in modern day society is becoming increasingly popular. In the film, the movie conveys the message that technology can be of protection to humans but also demonstrates just how the use of it can be of harm to us. Through a voiceover in the film Sarah

“What is technology?” Have you ever marveled about the prominence of technology in our day-to-day lives? If you ever have, you have undoubtedly appreciated its complexity and its capability to make everyday responsibilities easier for yourself. For example, you probably admire how cellphones have completely eradicated the old-fashioned method of communicating, by sending mail to friends and relatives. Or how the invention of laptops and computers have brought up a new, more efficient method to stay in touch with the world, though the internet, rather than the previous method of newspapers. However, all these basic ideas of the importance of technology are ideas of what technology has done for you, and can be completely different for others. Have you ever wondered what technology has done for others, perhaps people not in the same circumstances as you, perhaps of a different age, religion, race, gender, or socio-economic status than you? Maybe you haven’t, but Microsoft, a leading technological superpower, certainly have wondered about this as seen in their “Empowering” ad.