Understanding The Right Meaning

Understanding The Right Meaning

Technological advances have brought on both positive and negative outcomes as they develop in our societies.They have affected our lives by producing new means of completing ordinary tasks that either benefit us in the beginning or harm us in the long run. Some researchers argue that new technological advances are for our own good and should be openly accepted as an adaptive trait that the mind normally goes through. On the contrary, many other researchers believe that technology advances have slowed our mental processing ability and as a result of this, it has affected our societies. Overall, technology advances have hindered our processing abilities and have ultimately made the modern day person more demanding. The millennial generation has experience this firsthand, often wasting countless hours on the web. We take things for granted and don't look into the real meanings of the things we see, hear, and read in our society.

 

To prove this point, author Nicholas Carr’s article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” alleges that technological advances, such as the internet, have made the people of todays world too dependent on the internet to the point that artificial intelligence is now being considered by tech companies. Carr, a well established writer, appeals to his readers by illustrating his personal experience of technology. He notes that the web has been a blessing to his life yet has hindered his mental abilities. Carr and his friend Scott Karp, a literature major, came to the agreement that the internet is the root of the problem. The internet makes them demand information that is accessible with the click of the mouse. In a way, they're losing the ability to process long pieces of information and residing with the quick and easy articles that the internet provides. Carr goes on to illustrate the effects that these new advances have on the already well established traditional sources. To illustrate this point, Carr states “The New York Times decided to devote the second and third pages of every edition to article abstracts” clearly our desire to obtain fast and quick information has influence every aspects of our society(Carr 5). Ultimately, Carr’s entire article consists of an informative slash hatred point of view on technology. He shows how technology has made us more dependent on the internet, lowering our cognition skills in the end.

 

On the other side, technological advances are argued as positive influences on our society. Carr notes that research information in our times can be done in minutes rather than the countless day’s it would take at libraries. He states that certain technologies change the way we think as whole. The printing press and the clock were two different technologies that were adopted though convenience. At first they were challenged just like how Carr is doing to the internet, but in the end, those technological advances proved to be positively influential according to Carr. By illustrating this point, Car increases his credibility and decreases his biased mentality. Other reasons why technology can positively impact our society is found in Tim Wu’s article, “As Technology Gets Better, Will Society Get worse” where he illustrates the positive effects that new technological advances can create. Wu, a professor at Columbia Law school and regular writer in the newyorker.com appeals to his audience with real life events. He mentions the isolated Oji- Cree community that was able to make a more comfortable lifestyle due the arrival of technological advancements. they no longer worried over the winter fearing that they

might run out food. Instead they live a more comfortable lifestyle.

 

Nevertheless, the effect of a hundred years of technology crammed into a “few decade” caused them some serious health problems due to their absence of a normal hard working lifestyle(wu 2). Unfortunately for the Oji-Cree community they demanded these commodities and the supply was given thanks to our capitalist market. The same way how the internet users lose attention span because the web’s promotion of “power browse”, the Oji-cree community lose health because of these new technological advances.

 

In the end, our ability to process information is always hindered when new advances are made. In both articles we see a negative tone towards technology, and more primarily its effects. Moving forward with this position, it’s important for humans to take the necessary steps so that no one is affected in any shape or form by new technological advances in the future.

Earning a Right
 

    There are currently 11 to 12 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States  according to Fox News online article, We cannot afford amnesty for illegal immigrants by Ed Butowsky. Unfortunately, many of these undocumented immigrants have no realistic pathway to obtain any type of legal status under our current immigration system. These immigrants face harsh working conditions where businessmen typically exploit them, harming the American public because of the low wages they commit to. Undocumented immigrants are also unable to see their families for many years; they accept this faith so that one day they could become citizens like every other immigrant in America. Right wing Americans may argue that undocumented immigrants do not carry their own weight, nevertheless this statement is false.Therefore, it is extremely important to set an earned pathway to legal status to all undocumented immigrants. Ultimately, the benefits of this action will be greater than the negatives in the end.
 

    Making an earned pathway to citizenship rather than an amnesty all at once is highly important because of the lessons that were learned in Ronald Reagan’s 1986 immigration reform. Many undocumented immigrants cheated the system and obtained citizenship through the new system. The plan also never addressed future immigrants and businessmen needs of cheap labor. Our government has to set up new programs that tackles these obstacles in different ways. Such programs are answered in article, Focusing on the Solutions: Key principles of Comprehension Immigration Reform, by Immigration Policy Center.The article states, “Upon registration, applicants should be a on a path that leads to a green card, provided they meet specified criteria. The criteria that most seem to measure commitment—paying taxes, learning English, working hard or going to school, staying out of trouble—can be built into the requirements for successful completion of the program” with these steps taken into consideration, we will have a new legal workers that will be willing to work hard for himself and America (Immigration Policy Center 8).
 

    Nevertheless, some may argue that giving any type of legal status to undocumented immigrants will be too costly. In the article We cannot afford amnesty for illegal immigrants by Ed Butowsky, Butowsky strongly asserts that giving amnesty to undocumented immigrants is a big burden to America. Butowsky states “ each illegal immigrant  costs our country $24,000 a year. But, on average each pays $10,000 in taxes, so it’s reasonable to say that each illegal really adds $14,000 a year to our country's debt burden”  ultimately our economy has too much debt to be worrying about “illegals”(Buttowsky 1). Many undocumented immigrants don't pay taxes and have no desire to live here in the future. Therefore it would make sense to reject any type of help for them.

    Unfortunately for Butowsky, his information can be argued as biased due to his publisher FoxNews.com. Fox news is known to be right winger’s with anti-immigrant opinions. Butowsky failed to research the long term effects of undocumented immigrants. In Nicholas Kristof article Immigration Enriches You and Me, Kristof alleges that immigrants are assets rather than parasites. Kristof “they have contributed $100 billion to social security over a decade without any intention of collecting benefits”  they have  paid $11 billion in taxes in 2010 alone and will contribute $45 billion in the next 5 years; clearly undocumented immigrants are worth the investment over the long run(Kristof 1). Buttoeski argument should be therefore overturned.
 

    Giving undocumented immigrants the ability to earn legal status in the U.S will be the way to solve our immigration problem. Undocumented immigrants can complete tasks and earn the right to become citizens. It’s important to have a process to a legal status rather than a work permit. These actions do little to help undocumented immigrants especially when any president can overrule the bill. And because of this  nothing will  be accomplished and we’re back at the bottom again.  When we decide to give undocumented immigrants legal status, we will be able to reallocate the federal, state, and local government’s money used to maintain our immigration problem to other issues. It will also level the playing field for all U.S workers and employers due to their legal status. Finally it would enable our local police departments to focus on the real criminals of America.

   
 The benefits of a pathway to citizenship are numerous as compared to its negatives.We have can overcome the ignorance of our media sites and certain citizens. They act out of racism calling people names, depriving their way of lives. Moving forward with this issue, we have to take into consideration at president Obama’s new executive actions and keep on influencing our government so that the 11 to 12 million undocumented immigrants can one day have some type of legal status.