What are the long-term effects of living in a technological world? How is technology beneficial or harmful?

ESSAY #3: FINAL PAPER
For this final paper, you will write a researched argument considering the role of technology in our lives.
What are the long-term effects of living in a technological world? How is technology beneficial or harmful?
What ethical and social questions do emerging technologies force us to ask? You will select an area to focus
your inquiry; this could be a form of technology (social media, self-driving cars, etc.) or a particular type of
social impact (decreased in-person socialization, medical advancements, ethical questions that stem from
technological changes, etc.)
Possible topics include:
• Social Media (e.g. Has social media changed our relationships in a good or bad way?; Have
texting and social media damaged our ability to communicate in person?)
• Information technologies (e.g. Is technology changing the way we read?; Is Google affecting the
attention span of young people?)
• Education technologies (e.g. Is using technology in college classrooms a good or bad idea?;
How is digital learning going to change schools and education?)
• Biomedical advances (e.g. What is the best way to use the technologies of genetic engineering to
help humans?; How will big data and bioinformatics change biology?)
• Technology and/in the workplace (e.g. How large a role should social profiles have in hiring
and other decisions?; How are technologies changing the way people interact in the
workplace?)
• Global/political technology (e.g. What are the implications of ever-increasing globalization
through technology to the global economy?; Should drones be used in modern warfare?; How
does social media influence activism, protest, revolution, etc.?)
• Privacy concerns (e.g. Should there be more regulations on social media privacy?; Since opensource is becoming more of a trend in computer science, how can computer programmers be
able to protect a device?)
• Other technological issues (e.g. How will self-driving cars impact us?; Is addiction to technology
something we should worry about?; What is machine learning? How important is it?; What
are the uses and benefits of virtual reality technologies?)
Write an essay arguing that technology is a positive or a negative force in our lives. Use specific examples
from the texts to prove your points.
You might consider using one of these sources as a starting point for your research:
(eLearning)
• “The Instagram Stars of High School Basketball” Taylor Lorenz
• “Our Minds Can Be Hijacked” Paul Lewis
• “Who Was She? A DNA Test Only Opened New Mysteries” Libby Copeland
• “Why I Dumped My iPhone — And Why I’m Not Going Back” Sam Graham-Felsen
• “If You Doubt That Social Media Has Changed the World, Take a Look at Ukraine” Greg Satell
• [Possible others—see eLearning]
(They Say/I Say)
• “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Nicholas Carr
• “Smarter Than You Think” Clive Thompson
• “How I Learned to Love Snapchat” Jenna Wortham
• “No Need To Call” Sherry Turkle