Constructive feedback comment Annotated rewrite: Can digital technologies solve all of our problems? References (for annotations)
Purdue University. (2020). On Paragraphs. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/paragraphs_and_paragraphing/index.html#:~:text=Breaks%20between%20paragraphs%20function%20as,introduction%20or%20starting%20your%20conclusion Van De Rakt, M. (2020). Transition words: why and how to use them. https://yoast.com/transition-words-why-and-how-to-use-them/#:~:text=Transition%20words%20are%20words%20like,thoughts%20and%20ideas%20are%20connected Original reflection Can digital technologies solve all of our problems? is an area of debate currently exploring the influence of emerging digital technologies on contemporary life, culture and communities. There are two key positions in this debate; the first proposes that technology will create more harm than good (World Economic Forum, 2020); the second suggests that technology is already beginning to solve global issues (Patt, 2015). Before researching this debate, my stance was that I partially agreed that technology can solve global problems, however, I acknowledged that it cannot solve all global problems. The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) recent publication of The Future of Jobs Report (2020), exposes how technology is creating more harm than good, particularly focusing on the global issue of unemployment. The WEF argues that the increase in the use of automated technology, non-humanoid robots and artificial intelligence, is making many employees redundant as their jobs are being displaced by a shift in the division of labour between humans and machines (World Economic Forum, 2020). Their position is well supported due to their vast amount of research, including the use of statistics and surveys to highlight the uncertain outlook for the labour market, for example, they cite, “By 2025... 43% of businesses surveyed indicate that they are set to reduce their workforce due to technology integration” (World Economic Forum, 2020, p. 5). However, it is notable that the statistics employed throughout the report are only estimations, thus, not a completely accurate measurement of the unemployment rate. Nonetheless, upon reading this report, my feelings towards the debate shifted as becoming aware of the statistics highlighted the severity and detrimental influence of technology on the labour market. As a future teacher, it will be important to educate my students about the potential harm of technology. There also exists a side to the debate which believes that technology can solve the problems of the world; Patt (2015) helps to personify this viewpoint with the example of climate change. His books describe ways that technology has already helped to mitigate the further harmful effects of climate change, for example, Barcelona uses Internet of Things (IoT) technology which tracks the city’s air quality, rain and noise, as well as a smart irrigation system to increase water efficiency (Patt, 2015). I found that his specific reference to technologies that are currently in use across the globe was significant to strengthen his argument. However, much of his theory is based on a projected outlook of the future which is neither definitive nor conclusive. Nonetheless, Kelly (2010), suggests that to get to a projected outlook, humans must exercise a responsibility to steer technology towards the inherent good. Whilst, I do not find this to be a particularly measurable approach, it is a fair moral guideline. Therefore, as I future teacher, it will important to organise the layout and technologies of my classroom to minimise its effect on the environment; for example, turning all charging devices connected to a powerpoint off when not in use, to save energy. In general, I think that where technology can solve issues, it can also create issues. Hence, my viewpoint remains the same as I see now that both sides of the debate are equally valid. References Kelly, K. (2010). What technology wants. Penguin. Patt, A. (2015). Transforming energy: Solving climate change with technology policy. Cambridge University Press. World Economic Forum. (2020). The Future of Jobs Report 2020. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs_2020.pdf
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