Module 13

Module 13

Over the course of the semester, I learned many new facts and new information about how computers affect the world. From computers changing the way fast-food restaurants do business to how technology is making progress in the area of GNR. I was able to realize that we live in a Digital Society and because we do, we have many privileges that nobody in the history of the world has had before. Globalization for example, has made it so that we can go to the store and buy just about anything at a low price because it was made in a different country and shipped at a low price. All of this is possible thanks to fiber optic cables, the internet, and computers which makes communication between long distances fast and cheap.

I never really put much thought into how computers could change the way businesses did business. For example I didn’t realize that computers could take the jobs away from so many people, I underestimated how much work a computer could do.  Now, when I think about computers I feel like the sky is the limit to their abilities.  I liked Friedman’s example about the fast-food restaurant that was using computers to take orders. I have life experience with this because I worked at a Subway fast-food restaurant, and I can definitely see how computers are changing this type of work. My manager wanted to install new ordering-machines where people could type in what they would like and we would then make it to order.  That would change how Subway does business, especially since the customer has always told the sandwich artist what they wanted face-to-face. If a machine takes the order, then there would be no need for an extra staff member who would have taken orders through the drive-thru.  That would mean that at least one person would be out of the job!  

I learned more about Globalization and the effects it’s having with countries around the world. As technology and communication improve throughout the world, more countries will be able to sell and trade goods and even services like the example of Asian Indians doing America’s taxes. It’s really incredible that through computers businesses can discuss their goals or plans without ever leaving their office let alone the country. With more countries able to compete on a global level, competition increases which means the countries that were in the lead can now fall behind the pack if changes aren’t made. Back to the taxes being done in India, where do all of the American tax accountants go when they are out of the job because people in India are able to do what they do, only at a lesser price? With more and more globalization this is going to happen to not only tax accountants, but other jobs that don’t require face-to-face interaction or a specialization in one area.

Technology has extremely influenced larger and smaller businesses. Because of technology, big companies like Walmart know what stores are selling what items and in turn, Walmart tells its suppliers how many more products to make.  There is less guess and check work and less wasted products that don’t sell. Also, because of technology companies are able to make products faster and know the exact second that items will be ready to ship.  Even Shipping has been revolutionized by technology. Just a scan of a bar code on a box can tell shipping companies the information they need to ship the items to where they need to go. Countries like China, which receives a lot of outsourcing from other countries, can make high quality commodities at a lower price than other countries, and transport those items at a low cost back to the previous countries.  All of this process moves like clock-work.

I learned more about the predictions for the future in GNR. Genetics, nanotechnology, and robotics are fields that are learning rapidly from experiments and the more information that is learned, the more that information can be used to better society or destroy society. As more and more discoveries are found, so the ethical questions about what is right and wrong tend to spring up. As this whole world we live on gets to be more advanced, we also rely more heavily on technology. While relying on technology isn’t necessarily a bad thing, we need to remember that it is a tool that we can use for good or bad. In the end, it’s us humans that make and use the technology and it’s up to us to keep this world good.

This class taught me just how much our society relies on technology and what a big tool it is to use. I appreciate technology because it can help me with many things I would like to accomplish. This has been an informative class. Good luck with finals everyone.