Agreement: “If someone told me fifteen years that you sit on the beach with a small wireless telephone and search the Library of Congress, send instant mail, download music and videos, book your holidays, arrange a mortgage and check your cholesterol, you would have thought they were being ridiculous. Now we take it for granted” (Robinson, 2011, p. 34).  I agree with how Robinson thinks people take technology for granted. People sit on their phones all day and complain about how the Wi-Fi isn’t working when years ago nothing like this existed. Nowadays everything is at the touch of our fingertips, but many of us were to young to ever experience what life was like without this luxury.

Agreement: “Responding to these massive shifts in population will demand radically new ways of caring for natural resources, new technologies for generating energy, new sustainable methods of food production and new approaches to both the prevention and treatment of diseases” (Robinson, 2011, p.36-37). I agree with this list that Robinson claims will be necessary as the population continues to grow. Treatment for diseases and prevention will be crucial because people will live closer together and spread more diseases. A higher population calls for more energy being used, and more food being consumed. 

Agreement: “Digital technologies are blurring the boundaries between home and work, business and pleasure” (Robinson, 2011, p. 44). I agree with this point because I see this in my life daily. People are on their phones at work checking their social media or sending a quick email. Technology also allows people to work from home which takes away time with their family. I know my mom is often working late nights at home, and sometimes even skips dinner to continue working on her computer. 

Disagreement: “Standards of living are much higher than when I started out, but the quality of life is much lower” (Robinson, 2011, p. 45). I do not agree with this statement because it implies that everyone is ungrateful and doing nothing with their lives. Yes, our standard of living is higher, but that does not mean that everyone is sitting around. People are still inventing new things, getting degrees, and trying to make the world a better place. Higher standards of living do not imply a lower quality of life. 

Disagreement: “In the foreseeable future, the most powerful computers may have the processing power of the brain of a six-month-old human baby” (Robinson, 2011, p. 32).  I do not see this happening in the future. Comparing a computer to a human brain is a big statement. The human brain can think, learn, make decisions, and more. I don’t think computers will ever be able to perform all of the processes a human brain can. 

Agreement: “Radical innovations often interact with each other and generate entirely new patterns of behavior in the people who use them” (Robinson, p.40). This statement holds true to how as a society we interact with each other due to apps, phones, and other technology. We are allowed to take this class online because of the change in our culture. We have shifted as communicating towards one another face to face, now phone to phone. This changes the social behavior of how we interact and the norms for which to do so.

 

 Agreement: “As this century progresses, these massive changes in human numbers and distribution of the world’s human populations will put intense pressure on natural resources…”(Robsinson,p.36). With all of this new change, Robinson discusses the issue of increased population, and what that looks like in multiple areas. There could be new harmful epidemics and diseases that arise from this, and food shortages in countries. There needs to be new technology to have renewable energy and can sustain a population that is expanding. 

 

 Agreement: “The internet is the most powerful and pervasive communication system ever devised”(Robinson,p.26). I agree with this because of the impact the internet has in my everyday life. Because of it, I can communicate with people who I do not come in contact with daily, and stay connected to them. It allows for information to be passed and spread around, in numerous ways. It is always evolving and staying relevant for everyday use for all ages. 

 Disagreement: “Computers may be about to merge with our own minds and consciousness” (Robinson, p.30). I feel like the government and scientist will not let it get this far. This is a scary thought to me because I always want to feel in control of myself and that statement makes me question how that can be helpful. I am weary that this will happen just due to ethics and reality of it all. 

 

Disagreement: “Standards of living are higher, but the quality of life is lower” (Robinson, p.45). I disagree because of where we are right now in society. We have advancements in science and technology, and are able to look at the past and learn from history’s mistakes. This is the time that innovation and discoveries are at their finest, and are still being explored. Through these accomplishments, life can be lived through the fullest in our society, by exploring, opening up, using creativity to make the now better. 

I think this statement is very accurate because technology has changed our entire society. Technology has given us an opportunity to communicate in ways that were never possible back in the day. For example, soldiers can FaceTime their families from overseas and businesses can have video chat interviews internationally. 

 

Agreement:“Digital technologies are blurring the boundaries between home and work, business and pleasure.” (Robinson, 2011, p. 44)

Technology never stops. The emails, texts, and phone calls will never stop which makes it challenging to not be working 24/7. I think it is unhealthy to work as much as we are because it does not give us any time to relax and recharge before going into work the next day.

 

Agreement:“Social change was snail-like in comparison with now.” (Robinson, 2011, p. 21)

Change back in the day took a lot longer because of the lack of technology in society. However, now with all the technological advances bigger social change can happen faster. An example of this would be social media’s influence on society. With such a tremendous following and connection to many people in society, social media is one of the biggest influencers of our time.

 

Agreement:“if someone had told you fifteen years ago that you could sit on the beach with a small wireless telephone and search the Library of Congress, send instant mail, download music and videos, book your holidays, arrange a mortgage and check you cholesterol, you would have though they were being ridiculous. Now we take it for granted.” (Robinson, 2011, p. 34)

I definitely think that we all take technology for granted and don’t realize how much work it took to get us there. We now cannot imagine not having phones, televisions, or computers, but there was a time when the only source of communication was letter, which must have been difficult. It is important that we appreciate the opportunity that we have. 

 

Disagreement: “computers will be small and flexible enough to be worn on the body and be powered by the surface electricity of your skin.” (Robinson, 2011, p. 30)

I do not think that this is foreseeable in the future because I do not think it is very realistic. How would one wash their clothes if there was a computer in it and why would one want a computer in your shirt. I just don’t think this is very logical. 

 

Disagreement: “the most powerful computer will have the processing power of the brain of a six-month-old baby human.” (Robinson, 2011, p. 32)

I do not this that this is a realistic thing to say and it is honestly quite creepy. The human brain is extremely complex and I do not think we can create a computer to mimic one’s though processes.

I agree with this because technological advancements have been key to the new ways we have been communicating with each other in the last 10-15 year. Things like Skype, Discord, Snapchat group video chats etc… are revolutionizing communication. 

Agreement: "The rate of technological innovation in the past 50 years has been breathtaking." (Robinson 27)

Similar to the first point I made, It really is breath taking to see how far technology has come. And technology is only becoming more advancement. Soon, it is likely that we will see driverless cars. Just another example of how amazing the technological advancements we have made are. 

Agreement: "At the same time as the population is growing it is becoming increasingly urbanized." (Robinson 35).

I agree with this as I have witnessed it first hand in Australia. Small communities are becoming extremely urbanized and pictures of what it may have looked like 10 years ago to now are completely different. 

Agreement: “Radical innovations often interact with each other and generate entirely new patterns of behavior in the people who use them” (Robinson 40).

First came smartphones, then came social media apps such as snapchat. The two have interacted so well with each other that a completely new method of communication was created. 

Disagreement: “Standards of living are much higher than when I started out, but the quality of life is much lower” (Robinson 45) 

This is a very broad statement that I don’t think is accurate. It is speaking on behalf of a lot of people, me included, and I disagree with this statement entirely. 

Disagreement: "The problem is that many of our established ways of doing things, in business, in government and education, are rooted in old ways of thinking." (Robinson 19)

This may be true in some cases, but we are seeing so many advancements and discovering new ways to live our lives every day that I struggle to agree with this statement entirely. 

 

Agreement: “Technological change is one driver of change. But there’s another: the sheer numbers of people on the planet and the shifting patterns of population. Here again we are faced with an exponential curve of change” (Robinson, 2011 pg. 34). This planet is getting crowded and as a result this is affecting our cultures way of life. More cities are growing and farmland is shrinking, which is causing a shortage in natural foods with more mouths to feed. Our culture is going to need to think of new ways to solve these issues.

 

Agreement: “The most profound changes haven’t happened in 500 years: most of them have happened in the past 200 years and especially in the last 50 and they’re getting faster” (Robinson, 2011 pg. 22). I agree with this, because it is almost a known fact. Once the automobile was invented, our civilization has never been the same. Everything is quicker: transportation, work, technology and lives.

 

Agreement: “To understand how hard it is to anticipate the future now, we need only think of how difficult it proved to predict the future in the past” (Robinson, 2011 pg. 37).  I agree it is so hard to wrap our heads around what is to come. There was no way our grandparents could have predicted the iPhone or the ability be on the Internet in the middle of the ocean.

 

Disagreement: “In the foreseeable future, the most powerful computers may have the processing power of the brain of a six-month-old human baby” (Robinson, 2011 pg. 32) I think it’s a little far fetched to create a computer that generates like a human brain. I also think this would be unethical and a disservice to our civilization. Why would we need to create another brain in computer form when the earth is full of them?

 

Disagreement: “Standards of living are much higher than when I started out, but the quality of life is much lower” (Robinson, 2011 pg. 45). I don’t think it is fair to say that our quality of life is lower. There are so many people on this earth; you can’t just assume or make a statement like that.

Agreement: Robinson discusses how human population changes are a leading factor in innovation changes: “Responding to these massive shifts in population will demand radically new ways of caring for natural resources, new technologies for generating energy, new and sustainable methods of food production and new approaches to both the prevention and treatment of diseases. Here, as everywhere, innovation is crucial” (p. 37). I agree with this idea that as technology advances it is changing our society, but our needs are also changing how innovation advances. Robinson points out how human population growth is affecting change, but I can also see how climate change seems to be greatly affecting the types of new technologies that are being created. There is a huge push to develop new sources of renewable energy and other technologies that will help us combat our climate change crisis. 

Agreement: “One is that the nature of work will continue to change for very many people. Our children will not only change jobs several times in the lives but probably careers” (p. 41). I can relate to this quote by comparing my mom’s career path to what is more common today, and to what my own will inevitably be. Aside from the high school and college jobs she had to pay bills, my mom has held the same job as an account her whole life. Nowadays, it is much more common for people to change jobs and industries on a  frequent basis. On college campuses, the idea of a ‘gig economy’ and marketability across industries is stressed. Everything I am learning in college is about diversifying my talents and abilities so that I will be marketable in different jobs.

Agreement: Robinson argues that “there is also an unprecedented deluge of news and information and an insistent pressure to keep abreast of it all” and that “all of this adds to the general sense of crisis that permeates 21st century culture” (p. 45). I am constantly receiving news stories and the reporting never stops. This allows me to potentially be more informed than previous generations, but it also can make breaking news feel less dire. Because I am constantly being bombarded with stories of tragedy, I am not phased by new incidents. It can feel as if everything is going wrong all the time. Furthermore, there is no way to keep up with the huge influx, and someone else will always know more than I do. Staying well-informed has become an additional stressor in our modern lives. 

Disagreement: “By 2020, neural implants could improve our general sensory experiences, including our powers of memory and reasoning. So, in future, if you have an important examination coming up you might be able to buy another 60 megabytes of RAM and have it implanted in your brain.” (p. 33) The year 2020 is only two years from now; many of the technologies and timelines Robinson discussed seemed reasonable, taking into account the fact that the rate of change is only increasing, but I do find this proclamation to be unrealistic. This comment seems to imply that the general population will have access to this technology by the year 2020. I do not believe that this could be the case; although the technology might be generated, making these innovations mainstream is typically a longer process. 

Disagreement: Robinson states that "standards of living are much higher than when I started out, but quality of life is much lower" (p. 45). I understand the point that Robinson was trying to make, that our work lives seem to be busier than ever before, with more digital connection things seem to happen faster and deadlines have become shorter, but I believe he has gone too far. Arguably, our quality of life continues to grow drastically. Household amenities are increasing greatly in quality; the everyday person has access to affordable smart home technology. People are able to travel for pleasure at greater distances than in the past. Modern medicine has increased tenfold, with the longevity of our lives also increasing. There may be new problems that we have to face, such as a greater chance of burnout and the mental health issues that social media can foster, but our quality of life is still better than ever before. New problems might plague us, but we cannot ignore all of the positive progress that has occured.