Modern Technology

In an era where human progress is soaring at a dizzying rate, society must adapt
its technology to solve current world issues. In a world where the Internet,
cell phones and notebook computers are becoming a necessity for everyday living,
we often forget about those who still suffer attempting to meet their basic
needs, including clean water, food and health care. It is time for the developed
world to use their technology to help those who can not help themselves. By
using these technologies there will be advances in medical services, a new
economy based on the Internet, emerging information technologies and new methods
for the farming and industrial sectors. More importantly, these technologies
will provide the education and knowledge for these people to become prosperous
nations that can fend for themselves and provide for their people. Transfers of
technology from the developed world to the developing world will improve the
standard of living, increase efficiency in production and become a base for
economic growth, without this transfer these countries will fall further into
poverty and economic ruin, with little hope for survival. For most people of the
developed world, the developing world is not something they concern themselves
with; they do not see it everyday and therefore it does not exist. This could
not be farther from the truth. The developing world is in need of help but the
developed world constantly turns a blind eye. Our current love affair with
technology may provide the answer for underdeveloped nations problems. The
standard of living is so low in these countries that our everyday conveniences
are a struggle for the entire population to obtain. If the developed nations
could meet these base needs, these countries may be able to overcome their
current problems. The first issue that must be dealt with is the unsatisfactory
health care and medical technology. If the developed world could send excess
medical supplies along with the personnel to administer them, they might learn
to take care of themselves. In time, the common diseases that kill thousands in
these countries will be under control and people will start living longer,
healthier lives. A second issue is the exchange of technology for agriculture
and industry. As a result, new jobs will be created to provide income, while
reducing child labor. As the people of these countries start to build income for
themselves, the amount of crime will be reduced as people will be able to afford
to meet their basic needs. As an example, instead of having to steal or beg for
food or clothing, they would be able to purchase them; thus reducing crime and
increase economic growth. The case study of China completed in class, showed
that as people became educated and more career oriented, the size of families
decreased thus reducing overpopulation. This occurs for two main reasons, people
will not have time for a family and less children are required for the work
force. With overpopulation and the rate of natural increase under control the
standard of living in these countries will increase. With just a small jumpstart
from the developing world, developing countries will experience a chain reaction
that will increase their standard of living. This chain will start with improved
medicine to increase life expectancy, followed by new jobs that will bring
income and finally education that will reduce overpopulation and crime. All of
these factors resulting from technological transfers will lead to an overall
increase in living standard. In the corporate world of North America, it has
never been easier to start a business or company. Using modern technology such
and the Internet and a computer, an individual or group of individuals can
become major players in today’s ever increasing electronic economy. As the
overall cost of doing business drops, it will make “the technology more
rapidly available, at a decreased cost”(Freund, pg.2) and therefore level
the economic playing field. As companies start cropping up, built around a new
information based economy, there will be more and more demand for jobs. These
jobs will give local workers a chance at making some money and providing a
living for themselves and their families. With employment on the increase,
people will start making decent wages, they will spend it locally, thus
increasing the local economy and helping their own industry to grow. This
economic growth will have multiple effects that include more health care and
educational funding and allow the development of infrastructure. Once the
countries have started to reach this level, they will be able to increase their
initial technologies to further communications and computer systems, again
allowing them to be competitive players in the global market. In recent years
the Western world has experienced exponential growth in the computer and
information market, which has in turn led to an improved economy, increased
political spending and the further development of technology. As developing
nations take hold of this technology, they will jump the gap from an
agricultural to an information society, hopefully giving them the same benefits
the developed world has experienced. Developing nations are going to be able to
take advantage of technology used by the Western world to give their economy a
much needed advantage, without all the problems the West has experienced. They
will be able to learn from the developed world’s mistakes. “When the steam
engine was invented in England at the beginning of the eighteenth century, it
took fifty years for it to spread to western Europe and America. In contrast,
innovations in transistor and semiconductor technology since World War II have,
on average, taken only about 2 years to spread among countries.” (Freund,
pg.2). Accordingly, underdeveloped countries on the verge of economic explosion
will have an advantage over the developed world. A developing economy based on
information and computers requires much less overhead than an traditional,
industrial based economy. Due to the fact these countries do not have a lot to
work with from the start, they will have a chance to start the ball rolling in
their country by using new technologies to their advantage. This fact alone will
provide the base for economic growth that these countries need and allow for the
transition from a third world country to possibly a second or first world
country, while at the same time, raising their standard of living. It is human
nature to think that bigger is better. Only in the past twenty years have we
started to learn that efficiency is the key to solving many of the world’s
problems. For example, it has been long thought that the world would not be able
to produce enough food to feed itself. With increased technological advances, we
have learned how to increase food production and currently can supply every
person in the world with food. For the developing world, getting the most out of
what they have available to them is very important. The biggest problem holding
back these developing nations, is the lack of food. To overcome this problem we
must teach the farmers in these countries how to properly irrigate their land,
harvest their crops properly and combat pests. These elements combined with high
yielding varieties of seeds should prove to increase food production and
therefore feed those in need. Unfortunately, most agriculture is for export and
therefore does not help to combat hunger. Transfers of agricultural and
industrial technology that allow for the streamlining of business, such as
combines and the production line, will create new jobs and contribute to
increased production output. As the developing world experiences this
technological transfer and growth, the demand for power in these countries will
increase dramatically. To avoid power shortages and reduce pollution, the
governments of these countries must find a way to deliver more efficient power
production on a larger scale. With help from the developed world, these
countries will be able to build environmentally friendly power plants to help
increase the living and industrial potential of the developing world. The best
part of technology transfers to these third world countries is that they will
continuously put money back into their local economy, which will increase
education levels, health care standards and therefore have a direct relation to
the standard of living. As these developing countries use newfound technology to
increase their living conditions, they will unfortunately run into some of the
environmental problems the developed world has seen. For example, pesticides and
herbicides used in combating pests and weeds, leach into the soil and into the
water table. Most of these chemicals are having profound effects on both the
people and the land, leading to premature deaths and unfertile soil. This is an
unfortunate side effect of increased technology but, a somewhat necessary evil
if these countries hope to increase the conditions in their countries. Many of
the world issues we have today are a result of the developed worlds actions. If
the global village hopes to advance as a singular race, it must share what it
has learned and treat everyone as equal. Technological transfers will be the key
factor of development where living standards are low. These transfers will give
countries who need it, the necessities that the developed world has, such as
health care, an education system and a strong economy, that if were not
received, would significantly lower the chance of survival in the developed
world.