Value Sensitive Design

Katz starts off by wanting to teach his students the answer to the question, “how does an engineer know that the values he embodies through his technological products are good values that will lead to a better world,” but first he has to determine the answer for himself (51). He believes that the best way to find the answer is to analyze the engineers of the Nazi regime and see where they morally failed. All of this is to set up the essay and allow the reader to understand where he is going.

Technology has always been a controversial subject between conservative people and innovators. Some people believe that it is a great tool to connect cultures and improve education and innovation in our society today, but others view it as a menace in our lives. “Growing Up Tethered” by Sherry Turkle and “George Orwell...Meet Mark Zuckerberg” by Lori Andrews both view technology as a dangerous tool. They believe in the many drawbacks of technology and the harm it can do to our lives with no explanation of the positive effects it has had on our society. “Our Future Selves” by Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen plays the role of a positive look at technology and its role in our lives today. It gives examples of how advancing technology helps us and improves so many peoples’s lives. We can use Schmidt and Cohen’s essay as a lens to view the other two texts and gain a different understanding of what they are writing about.

Technology is an inescapable part of our society and appropriate use is imperative. Albert Einstein once said, “I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.” In the short story The Pedestrian by Ray Bradbury, technology has completely taken over the town, in which Mr. Mead is all alone. Technology has a negative effect on society and communication between people. In the story, technology creates anti-socialism and it does not support individualism.

Many generalizations are present throughout this chapter that weaken Carr’s argument. This quote is just one of the few generalizations, “The intellectual ethic of a technology is rarely recognized by its inventors. They are usually so intent on solving a particular problem or untangling some thorny scientific or engineering dilemma that they don’t see the implications of their work. The users of the technology are also usually oblivious to its ethic. They, too, are concerned with the practical benefits they gain from employing the tool” (Carr 45). As stated before this quote is a generalization. Carr is generalizing with the assumption that inventors are usually so intent on solving a problem that they aren’t focuses on the benefits or consumers, which isn’t very true anymore. Many inventors who create products are now looing for the benefits that its user or consumer will get. Therefore this quote can confuse the reader.

Keeping in mind how important courage is, we move into the next part of the passage where Barry says, “ A scientist must accept the fact that all his

In his work, “Introduction: Nanotechnology, Society, and Ethics”, CalPoly Associate Professor of Philosophy Patrick Lin writes, “Let’s take a step back and consider any given technology we have created: gunpowder, the printing press, the camera, the automobile, nuclear power, the computer, Prozac, Viagra, the mobile phone, the Internet. Undoubtedly, these have brought us much good, but each has also changed society in important, fundamental ways and caused new problems, such as increased pollution, urban sprawl, cyber-crimes, privacy concerns, intellectual property concerns, drug dependencies, new cases of sexually-transmitted diseases, other unintended health problems, mutually-assured destruction and much more. The point here is not that we would have been better off without these inventions. Rather, we should come to terms that our creations can have unintended or unforeseen consequences” (Lin, n.d., p. 1). Lin’s point goes across the board for all technologies, there will be unforeseen consequences, some will be good and some will certainly be perceived as bad.

Look around you, anything from the chair that you are sitting on to the phone in your pocket existed thanks to an engineer. We currently live in a world sculpted by the work of technologic professionals. As the significance of the choices made by engineers increases, it has become more and more important to ensure that these choices are ethically correct.Through analysis of Eric Katz’s Nazi Engineers, it is clear that societies ethics ultimately determine the direction in which society moves.

Although society has been spoiled in many ways by technology,some may argue an apposing position. Technology comes with many conveniences, but there are also many shortcomings with it. In many ways it could actually be ruining society. The main question is when does the line become crossed between using technology as a convenience and abusing it to the point that it hinders society. The following argument will point it out.

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.

Since the beginning of the science and technology era, the impact of technology on humanity and society has been growing. New technologies are also emerging, which means that we should be responsible for what we are developing. Therefore, when we develop a new technology, we should respect ethics and take care of all the damage caused.

Technology has developed tremendously over time. People depend on it to help them with many things and when used properly technology is an amazing thing. Citizens in society use technology everyday but most of the time they can get addicted to it which can cause problems. Technology has many benefits and detriments to society, which is shown in the fictional story ¨The Veldt¨ and through new advancements like games that players can control with their minds.

Day after day, he invents machines and devices that increase noise and distract humanity from

There are many different stances one could take on the subject “Unimpeded technological progress is good for society.”. One could agree with Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove, and Bradbury’s The Veldt and claim that technology is dangerous and will inevitably fall into the wrong hands one day. Another stance would be with Spike Jonze’s Her, which brings forth the opinion that technology is both good and bad. Finally, one’s opinion could lie with George Saunder’s “Offloading for Mrs. Schwartz” and claim technology is a good thing. While I can see where both Saunders and Kubrick are coming from, my own opinion is more closely represented by Jonze. I believe that technology can be both good and bad, and that its rapid growth can be both helpful and harmful to those around us.

Techno-optimist or techno-pessimist? That is the question. Technology throughout time has no doubt changed our way of life. Travelling to destinations quicker, curing new diseases, or figuring out how to cease a wide famine are examples of how technology has made advances over time. The solutions that scientists create spark a tool that others cannot live without. But what if these technologies bring out negative effects rather than their desired purpose? Sometimes, innovators create new inventions that bring unintended consequences. It could range from less communication face to face, side effects from new medicines, or pollute the earth’s atmosphere.

Technology is continuously developing and has begun creating shortcuts for the American society. As a society we need to find a balance between our technological use and our everyday life. In my opinion, society has become too dependent on technology. The more advanced technology becomes, the more it seems to be gaining control over our lives. Even though technology is offering society many beneficial qualities; it also is causing many negative effects to occur. Technology is affecting society socially, mentally, and physically.