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Angelica AgaCopyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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Available Formats
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/ 16
LESSON
WHEN TECHNOLOGY AND
HUMANITY CROSS
BS Cais)
At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:
+ — know the different technological advancements in society;
* discuss the development of science and technology in the
Philippines;
* discuss the effects of the interplay between technology and
humanity through the dilemma(s) they face.
Gpeemmioemt ALLS.) /06L01 sae
The ever-growing society has made people see technology as
some form of necessity. Tracing back its origins, the word "technology"
came from the Greek words techné and logos which mean art and word,
respectively. Taking the two words together, technology means a discourse
on arts (Buchanan, 2010). It first appeared in the seventeenth century
where the concept was only used to talk about the arts, specifically
applied arts. However, as technology progressed, the concept also started
to have a wider range of meaning where art is no longer the only topic
included. Concepts like machine and\gols were also attached to the word
“technology” which is the more popular sense of the ‘concept nowadays.
The roles played by technology these days are very crucial not
only to a few but also to everyone. In one way or another, each person
in the society is directly or indirectly affected by technology whether he
wills it or not. In fact, most people survive their everyday lives with great
‘ @ Science, Technology, and Sociely reliance to the different technological advancements already available to
the masses. While there may be some who would claim that their lives
are not greatly affected by technology, the fact cannot be denied that
technology is already an inevitable part of the society.
It is with great effort that people were able to achieve such great
inventions. It makes life so much easier and more convenient than ever
before. It can clearly be seen from the simplest task at home to the most
complicated ones inside the office or laboratory. Technology these days
enjoys such fame and glory because of the many different benefits it brings
to mankind. Some would even say that it does not only bring convenience
but also pleasure and happiness to people. This is because of the different
leisure activities that technology can offer to people. For example, it
allows people to listen to good music wherever they are. Another is, it
allows them to communicate with their loved ones anywhere in the world;
but most of all, it allows them to surf and play games anytime, anywhere.
The act of pinpointing a single activity that does not in any way
require the use of technology has become very hard because almost all
activities that humans perform already require the assistance of some kind
of technological advancement. But this is not all, for there are people who
would even argue that technology has become a necessity and no longer
a want. At present, people work very hard in order to save money to buy
these “necessities” while inthe past, people only used their money for the
things that would help them survive like food, housing, and clothing. In
effect, anything outside these categories was considered a luxury. However,
that is no longer the case at present.
In general, technology keeps on progressing due to not only the
changing times and environment but also to the ever-progressing mind of
~ mankind. It would not be possible for all these technological advancements
to exist if it were not for the brilliance, creativeness, and power.of the
mind. However, it is also important to note that anything too much is
bad. The same problem is faced by technology. Although it has been yery
helpful to people, it is still not immune to criticisms and backlash. Various
ethical dilemmas have been identified throughout time involving the use
of different technological devices and its effects to humanity. Usually,
different problems arise when either the technological device available
Chapter II: Science, Technology, and Society and the Human Condition * fast is misused or if in the first place, it was invented to produce bag
People who are aware of the possible dangers of the use or micy. nee
technology are not keeping still. They lay these dilemmas for the public :
see and realize what they are in for.
ral technological devices will be Proper,
ir effects, Particularly
In this lesson, seve :
introduced, the roles they play in society and thei ;
the lives of the people will be identified, and the problems they face Wil
also be examined thoroughly.
Television Sets, Mobile Phones, Computers,
and Humanity L
A number of technological devices
can be easily found inside the home, the
most accessible place to anyone. Having
said that, it can also be easily inferred
that these technological devices are some
of the most popular and most commonly
used types of devices across all age
groups. Almost all households, if not all,
‘own these types of devices. To be more.
specific, these "celebrities" in the field of
technology are television sets, mobile phones, and computers. People all
over the world use these technologies every day to accomplish different
purposes. i
‘ eee
First, according to Kantar Media, one of the most trusted television
audience measurement provider@in the Philippines, 92 percent of urban
homes and 70 percent of rural homes own at least one television set. It
is for this reason why television remains to be the ultimate medium for
advertisement placements (The Manila Times, 2014). This survey simply
shows that almost all Filipinos use this particular type of device. In fact, |
Filipinos are believed to have this big fascination for television. Most
of the time, they watch television during their free time or any time of
the day when they have nothing important to do. In addition to this,
Kantar Media also reported that in the Philippines, the current count of
n, 5
() Science, Technology, and Society
ma households with television set already reached 15.135 million (Noda, 2012).
This number signifies something, that is, television plays a great role in the
lives of the people or in this case, the Filipinos.
Jelevision was a product of different experiments by various
peoptePaul Gottlieb Nipkow, a German student, in the late 1800s was
successful in his attempt to send images through wires with the aid of a
rotating metal disk. This invention was then called the “electric telescope"
that had 18 lines of resolution, After some time, in 1907, two inventors,
Alan Archibald Campbell-Swinton who was an English scientist and Boris
Rosing who was a Russian scientist, created a new system of television by
using the cathode ray tube in addition to the mechanical scanner system.
This success story gave rise to two types of television systems, namely,
mechanical and electronic television (Jezek, n.d.). These experiments
inspired other scientists to improve the previous inventions, which led
to the modern television people now have. However, it is important to
remember that several scientists and several experiments were performed,
first before finally achieving the modem television at present.
Second, Filipinos love to use their mobile phones anywhere,
anytime. They use it for different Purposes other than for communication.
More than half of the Filipino population own at least one mobile phone
regardless of type. In 2010, global research agency Synovate conducted
a survey and declared 67 ent product ownership in the country. In
fact, it was also claimed mobile phones are considered a must-have
among young Filipinos (ABS-CBN News, 2010). To prove that Filipinos
really love to use their mobile phones, the Ipsos Media Atlas Philippines
Nationwide Urban 2011-2012 survey results showed that one in every
three Filipinos cannot live without a mobile phone. In other words, 30
percent of the Philippine urban population nationwide said that mobile
phones are necessities in life (Roa, 2012). Philippine streets are full of
people using their mobile phones. Not only this, there are some Filipinos
who even own more than one mobile phone. |
ile phones have a very interesting background story. On Aprit
3, 1973,SMartin Cooper, a senior engineer at Motorola, made the world’s.
first mobile phone call. He called their rival telecommunications company
and properly informed them that he was making the call from. a mobile
Np
%
‘Chapter II: Scieuce, Technology, and Society and the Human Condition phone. The mobile phone used by Cooper weighed 1.1 kilograms an
measured 228.6 x 127 x 44.4 mm. This kind of device was capabjy v
a 30-minute talk time, However, it took 10 hours to charge. In 1933
Motorola made their first commercial mobile phone available to me
public, It was known as the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X (Goodwin, 2016)
Lastly, computers and laptops have also become part of many of
the Filipino households. There are some Filipino families who own more
than one computer or laptop while some own at least one computer a
laptop. However, the number of computers or laptops sold per year may
not be as high as the number of mobile phones and television sets, Thi,
is because of the relatively higher cost of computers and laptops. While jt
is true that almost all Filipino families own at least one television set and
a mobile phone, it is not possible for all Filipino families to own at leas,
‘one computer or laptop. In fact, most of the profits gained by computer
“and laptop manufacturers come from offices, businesses, or schools where
such devices have become part of their necessities.
In 2010, 3.6 trillion was the estimated total value output of al)
manufacturing establishments. Semi-conductor devices and other
electronic components took more than half of the total value output of
all manufacturing establishments. To be more specific, 5.4 percent of the
total value output came from computers and peripheral equipment and
accessories (PSA, 2013). In line with the growing number of computer
and laptop sales, there has also been a growing number of Internet users
in the Philippines. Although there have been problems regarding the
Internet providers, this never hindered Filipinos from continuously using
the Internet.
Just like television sets and mobile phones, computers ptops
also have a long background history of trial and error. It ee
Babbage, a nineteenth-century English Mathematics professor, who
designed the Analytical Engine which was used as the basic framework
of the computers even until the present time. In general, computers can
be classified into three generations. Each generation of the computer was
used for a certain period of time and each gave people a new and improved
version of the previous one (Steitz, n.d.),
i s} Science, Technology, and Society Laptops have been available to the public for even less time than
personal computers, Before, the first design of computer was so big that
it could occupy whole floors of buildings, It was not long before people
started dreaming that they could bring their devices to any place they
wished. They hoped that someday it would be possible for these devices to
be portable, It was believed that the transition from a personal computer to
a laptop Was only a matter of design, an improvemenzand a little deviation
from the standard design of a personal computer. The first true portable
computer was released in April 1981. It was called the Osborne I (Orfano,
2011). From that moment on, the evolution of laptops continued until the
present time where various designs and models are already available.
A typical household owns at least four of the following devices: a
mobile phone (89%), smartphone (53%), tablet (14%), desktop (39%),
laptop or netbooks (37%), and smart TV (4%) (Philstar, 2013), These data
prove the deep-seated fascination of Filipinos to different technological
devices. .
Here are some facts about Filipinos and their use of gadgets and
the Internet (Rappler, n.d.):
Mobile phone subscription is at 119 million.
+, Filipinos spend approximately 3.2 hours on mobile and 5.2
hours on desktop daily.
+ Currently, the Philippines has one of the highest digital
populations in the world.
* There are now 47 million active Facebook accounts in the
Philippines.
. _7the Philippines is the fastest-growing application market in
Southeast Asia. . .
=f
Roles Played by These Technological
Advancements | |
Television sets, mobile phones, and computers or laptops:all have
diferent functions and roles played in the lives of the people, although
‘ome may be a little similar. These roles have become so.essential that
Chapter I: Sclence; Technology, and Society and the Hunti-Condition People, more specifically Filipinos, developed a strong inclination tg
technology and its products. >
For instance, television is mainly used as a platform, k
» advertisements and information dissemination. In fact, television rem,"
to be the most used avenue by different advertising companies not only :
the Philippines but also all over the world. Various advertising compania
trust that television is still one of the most used technological devices :
until today, However, it is important to note that these are just some Of the
roles played by television. Aside from the ones mentioned above, jt ay
serves as a recreational activity and good stress reliever to most familie,
specifically to Filipino families. Television also is a good platform for
different das and advocacies. Lastly, it can also be a good way 4,
bond with one’s family members. *
Mobile phones, on the other hand, also have sheir own Toles in the
lives of the people. They are primarily used for communication. Mobile
phones offer services like texting and calling. In the past, these were the
only functions of the mobile phone but as technology progressed, there have
been many additional features included on mobile phones. For example,
in the present, people use their mobile phones to surf the Internet and to
take pictures more than to text or to call people. This is the reason why
more and more people all over the world prefer to buy smartphones over
the old models where such features are not available. Other applications
include music player, calendar, radio, television, and photo editor, among
others. These are just some of the additional features of mobiles phones in
the present. These make this particular technological device very appealing
to the masses. It is like an all-in-one device. In addition, it is very portable
and convenient because it can fit into any space, may it be inside the
pocket or bag.
Personal computers and laptops also have useful set of functions and
roles. Although most.of the functions found in these technological devices
are now also available in mobile phones, they still offer their own unique
features that make them attractive, For example, personal computers and
laptops can be used to surf the Internet and cSmmunicate Just like, the
mobile phones, théSe devices also have features like calendar, calculator,
music player, movie player, camera, and many more. However, for a lot
of people, they prefer to do their job using either a personal computer of
i } Science, Technology, and Society
Wary a laptop than a mobile phone. One reason is that a personal computer
or a laptop has wide keyboard than using a mobile phone, especially
when the mobile phone has a small screen. Contrary to mobile phones,
personal Computers and laptops have wide Screens and separate keyboards,
although some mobile phones can now be connected to a keyboard.
Another reason is that the availability of a mouse or a touchpad made
these two technological devices easier to maneuver than mobile phones.
Lastly, for the youth and those who love to play different computer games,
personal computers or laptops are Teally the better choice because these
allow them to play with comfort and convenience. However, it cannot be
denied that some would even Prefer laptops over personal computers for
the simple reason that personal computers are not portable and there are
times when they need to bring such devices to different places.
Ethical Dilemma Faced by These Technological
Advancements
While it is true that these technological devices are useful and
beneficial, the fact remains that there are several dilemmas faced by these
“necessities.” First, most parents would argue that these devices make their
children’ and unhealthy. This is because of the fact that people who
are fixated on these technological advancements start and end their day
by using such devices. They have a great tendency to sit and chill all day
long without doing anything productive in their homes, thus making them
unhealthy because. they do not just skip meals sometimes but also lack
exercise or any bodily movements. Here, it can be inferred that these types
of people are already overly dependent on these technological devices,
For example, those who love to watch television shows stay in front of
the television for more than six hours a day while those who love to surf
the Internet or play computer games stay on their laptops, computers, or
mobile phones for more than half a day. These people have the tendency
fo be unaware of the time because they are so engrossed with the use of
technological device. In fact, if they get disturbed, there is a great chance
that they will get mad or annoyed. Moreover, these are the same people
Who are more likely to experience alienation because they no longer take
lime to get out of their houses and mingle with other people.
Chapter Il: Science, Technology, and Society and the Human Condition
| Another dilemma faced by these technological devices is they Moray
dilemma. People, especially the children who are not capable yer :
rationally deciding for themselves what is right or wrong, are freely expose "|
to different things on television, mobiles phones, laptops, or computer,
Because of the availability and easy access to the Internet, they can jug
easily search the web and go to different websites without restrictions, Thi,
allows them to see, read, or hear things which are not suitable for their
very young age. This makes them very’vulnerable to character change ang
can greatly affect the way they view the world and the things around them,
On the first dilemma, it’is really concerning to know that there
are people who develop different kinds of sickness because of too much
use of technological devices. Not only this, it also causes them to become
reclusive, alienating themselves from other people. Although some would
argue that technology brings people together, it can also be argued that
this is not always the case in the real world because it may bring them
virtually closer but not physically or personally. In fact, there are people
who are friends, for example, only on social media but not in real life,
This just shows that there are things that technology claims to do but in
reality, does not. It is for these reasons why there are people who call for
the establishment of ethics of technology. This subcategory of ethics will
in one way or another guide people on how technology ought to be used
in order to prevent abuse and other unfortunate results.
Digging deeper, it can be said that “these reasons make. such
devices somewhat unethical because they bring undesirable consequences
to people. However, it can also be argued that it is not the fault of the
technological devices but the agents using them or the ones making them.
“The classic deontological and teleological approaches to ethics are already
too old to be applied in such cases. This is because technology has become
veryscomplicated and dynamic over time. Having said this, it is true that
problems that can no longer be addressed by using these theories
is why the ethics of responsibility is an appropriate theory that
can be usedin these dilemmas.
sibility” in the sense of being accountable for and
accountable to is very appropriate to the ethics of technology because it
makes each and every person in the scientific-technological development
@) Science, Technology, and Sogiety a proxy with reference to one another. In other words, each person must
indicate the priorities, values, norms, and principles that constitute the
grounds for one’s actions and define one’s contribution to the scie!
technological event. The ethics of responsibility focuses on the positive
rather than the negative. Instead of asking “What ought not to be allowed?”
ask “What ought to be allowed?” To put it in another way, people who are
part of the scientific development ought to let the public know the good in
their respective technological contribution/s. In this way, the people will
have an idea how the devices ought to be used in order to maximize their
positive results.
However, it is also important for the people in the scientific world
to inform the masses of the dangers of their contribution/s to the world of
technology. In this way, the people will be sufficiently aware of what to do
and what not to do. In addition to this, the agents using the devices should
also be accountable to and accountable for their use of their gadgets.
Going back to the first dilemma, it can be'said that the agents using
the devices are the ones to be blamed for the undesirable consequences,
namely, laziness and unhealthiness.. However, it is the assumption that
the people in the scientific-technological world have properly informed
the public of the positive tenor of their action in technology and the
possible dangers of the misuse of their technological contribution. Thus,
the undesirable consequences are brought about by the misuse of the
agent. Now, talking about alienation, it can be concluded that the people
in the scientific-technological world are blameworthy because they tell the
people something that seems positive but when examined closely, brings
more bad than good.
On-the second dilemma, the people in the scientific world nor the
children are blameworthy because first, the children are not yet capable of
rationally deciding for themselves what is good and what is bad. Second,
even if creators of these technologies went out of their way to inform
children of the pros and cons of these technological contributions, it would
Still be useless because the children have no capacity to ‘understand them
yet. So in this dilemma, the ones to be blamed are the Adults who allowed
the children to have access to such devices in: the first place without,any supervision. It is the recklessness and overconfidence of the adujys th
: at
cause the character change in children.
Robotics and Humanity
Another great product
of the innovative minds of the
people is the robot. Robots are
now widely used. For example,
there are the so-called service
robots. These particular robots
do specific tasks but focus mainly in assisting their masters in their everyday
tasks. The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) and United Nations
Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) made it their task to
formulate a working definition for service robots. A preliminary extract of
the relevant definition is (IFR, 2012):
* A robot is an actuated mechanism programmable in two or’
more axes with a degree of autonomy, moving within its
‘environment, to perform intended tasks. Autonomy in this
context means the ability to perform intended tasks based on
current state and sensing without human intervention. .
* A service robot is a robot that performs useful tasks for humans *
or equipment excluding industrial automation application.
Note: A robot may be classified according to its intended
application as an industrial robot or a service robot. |
A personal service ‘robot ot a service robot for personal use is 4
i service robot used for a noncommercial task, usually by
. ,, laypersons. Examples are domestic servant robot, automated
_ Wheelchair, personal mobility assist robot, and pet exercising,
Acprofessional service robot ot a service robot for professional use
a service robot used for a commercial task, usually operated
by a properly trained operator. Examples are cleaning robo!
for public places, delivery robot in offices or hospitals, fit
ai Science, Technology, and Society,
i F 5 fighting robot, rehabilstation robot, and surgery sobot i=
hovpnals. in thes context, an operaior is 2 perion desigumed
to dan, monitor, and sop the mended operation of a mubot
Of 4 fobut sytem.
Germany was one of the first countries to develop service robots. As
part of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research's “Service
Robotics Innovation Lead Initiative,” i sponsored a collaborative project
called DESIRE (Deutsche Servicerobotik Initiative-Germamy Service
Robotics Initiative) which was launched on October 1, 2005. DESIRE bas
the following individual objectives (DESIRE, 2009):
* — To achieve a technological edge toward attaining key functions
and components that are suited for everyday use
* To create a reference architecture for mobile manipulation
* To promote the convergence of technologies through
integration into a common technology platform
* To conduct pre-competition research and development
activities for new products and technology transfer im start-up
enterprises in the field of service robotics
Some of the expected work to be performed by DESIRE are the
following: (1) “Clear up the kitchen table” - all objects on top of the
kitchen table will be moved to where they belong; (2) “Fill the dishwasher”
— the dirty dishes will be sorted correctly into the dishwasher; and (3)
“Clear up this room” — all objects that are not in their proper places will
be moved to where they belong (Mock, n.d.).
The earliest conception of robots can be traced around 3000 B.C.
from the Egyptian’ Their water clocks used human figurines to strike
the hour bells. This mechanical device was built to carry out a specific
physical task regularly. From that time on, different machines were already
built that displayed the same mechanism and'characteristics as the robats
in the present. For example, there was a wooden pigeon that could fly,
a talking doll, steam-powered robots, and hydraulically-operated statues
that could speak and gesture. However, the earliest robots as people know
ee “Unimate” was his
Chapter II: Science, Technology, and Society and the Human. Candigion ©)
a ff
* first invention from the words “Universal Automation.” Unfortunately,
his attempt to sell his product to the industry did not succeed. Afte,
Unimate, several robots were also invented which were better versions of
the previous ones (Stanford, n.d.). Ever since, people never stopped their
quest in the field of robotics.
Roles Played by Robotics
Robots play different roles not only in the lives ofthe people but also
in the society as a whole. They are primarily used to the workload of
mankind. They were invented to make life more efficient and less stressful,
On one hand, they perform complicated activities which human beings are
incapable of doing. On the other hand, they perform the simplest tasks at
home so that their masters can perform the complex ones without stressing
themselves over the simple tasks. There are also robots which are made
for pleasure. To be more specific, these types of robots perform activities
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