The primary goal of technological advancement should be to increase peoples efficiency so that everyone has more leisure time.
The speaker contends that technologys primary goal should be to increase our efficiency for the purpose of affording us more leisure time. I concede that technology has enhanced our efficiency as we go about our everyday lives. Productivity software helps us plan and coordinate projects; intranets, the Internet, and satellite technology make us more efficient messengers; and technology even helps us prepare our food and access entertainment more efficiently. Beyond this concession, however, I find the speakers contention indefensible from both an empirical and a normative standpoint.
The chief reason for my disagreement lies in the empirical proof: with technological advancement comes diminished leisure time. In 1960 the average U.S. family included only one breadwinner, who worked just over 40 hours per week. Since then the average work week has increased steadily to nearly 60 hours today; and in most families there are now two breadwinners. What explains this decline in leisure despite increasing efficiency that new technologies have brought about? I contend that technology itself is the culprit behind the decline. We use the additional free time that technology affords us not for leisure but rather for work. As computer technology enables greater and greater office productivity it also raises our employers expectations--or demands--for production. Further technological advances breed still greater efficiency and, in turn, expectations. Our spiraling work load is only exacerbated by the competitive business environment in which nearly all of us work today. Moreover, every technological advance demands our time and attention in order to learn how to use the new technology. Time devoted to keeping pace with technology depletes time for leisure activities.
I disagree with the speaker for another reason as well: the suggestion that technologys chief goal should be to facilitate leisure is simply wrongheaded. There are far more vital concerns that technology can and should address. Advances in bio-technology can help cure and prevent diseases; advances in medical technology can allow for safer, less invasire diagnosis and treatment; advances in genetics can help prevent birth defects; advances in engineering and chemistry can improve the structural integrity of our buildings, roads, bridges and vehicles; information technology enables education while communication technology facilitates global participation in the democratic process. In short, health, safety, education, and freedom--and not leisure--are the proper final objectives of technology. Admittedly, advances in these areas sometimes involve improved efficiency; yet efficiency is merely a means to these more important ends.
In sum, I find indefensible the speakers suggestion that technologys value lies chiefly in the efficiency and resulting leisure time it can afford us. The suggestion runs contrary to the overwhelming evidence that technology diminishes leisure time, and it wrongly places leisure ahead of goals such as health, safety, education, and freedom as technologys ultimate aims.
初三年级上学期寒假生活指导答案:英语
人教版初三上册英语寒假作业答案参考
2016学年九年级上学期寒假作业英语答案
2016学年英语寒假作业答案参考:初三年级
(寒假大窜联)九年级上册英语寒假作业答案
2016年初三上学期寒假生活指导答案:英语
初一年级英语暑期作业答案大全
九年级上学期寒假生活指导答案:英语
寒假大窜联:九年级上学期寒假作业答案英语
2016学年英语寒假作业答案参考:初三年级
人教版九年级上册英语寒假作业答案参考
(北师大版)九年级上册英语寒假作业答案
2016年九年级上学期寒假作业答案:英语
人教版初三上册英语寒假作业答案(参考)
2016学年英语寒假作业答案参考:初三年级
寒假接力棒:初三上学期寒假作业英语答案
寒假乐园:九年级上学期英语寒假作业答案
寒假大窜联:初三上册英语寒假作业答案参考
2016学年九年级上学期寒假作业英语答案
(北师大版)九年级上册英语寒假作业答案
初三上册英语寒假作业答案参考:湘教版
2015年七年级英语暑假作业
初三上学期英语寒假作业答案2016年
(寒假乐园)九年级上学期寒假作业答案:英语
2016年初三上册英语寒假作业答案参考
初三上学期寒假作业英语答案参考2016年
九年级上学期寒假作业答案参考:英语
初三年级英语寒假作业参考答案:第一学期
2016学年初三上学期寒假生活指导答案:英语
初三第一学期寒假作业答案英语2016学年
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |