Impact of Technology On Society:

Technology and human life cannot be separated; society has a cyclical co-dependence on
technology. We use technology; depend on technology in our daily life and our needs and
demands for technology keep on rising. Humans use technology to travel, to communicate,
tolearn, to do business and to live in comfort. However technology has also caused us concerns.
Its poor application has resulted into the pollution of the environment and it has also cause
serious threat to our lives and society. This calls for proper use of technology. The biggest
challenge facing people is to determine the type of future we need to have and then create
relevant technologies which will simplify the way we do things.
It is impossible to explore how each new advanced technology has impacted our lives and how it
will impact the future. Technology impacts the environment, people and the society as a whole.
The way we use technology determines if its impacts are positive to the society or negative. For
example, (POSITIVE IMPACT) we can use corn to make ethanol and this ethanol can be used
as fuel. Fuel can be used to run machines and cars which will increase on output of
manufacturing industries at a lower cost. (NEGATIVE IMPACT) However, if we decide to
shift large quantities of corn to fuel production from food production, humans will be left with
no food and this will cause world hunger which even be a worse situation.

Basing on the example above, technology by its self is not harmful to the society, but the way
society uses technology to achieve specific goals is what results into negative impacts of
technology on the society. Humans need to use energy to process products in factories, to run
cars , to light homes and also run technological machines like computers, but the only way we
can do this without affecting the environment and society , is by shifting from exhaustible energy
sources to renewable and inexhaustible sources like Solar / Wind energy. Below I have listed
both positive and negative impacts of technology on our society:
Positive Impacts of Technology on Society:
 Technology has mechanized agriculture: Technology has mechanized agriculture :
Modern agricultural technology allows a small number of people to grow vast quantities of
 food in a short period of time with less input which results into high yields and RIO ”return
on investment”. Through government subsidies, small and medium sized farmers have
managed to acquire ploughing, sowing, watering and harvesting machines. The use of
technology in agriculture has also resulted into the manufacturing of genetic crops which
can grow fast and they can be resistant to many pests and diseases. Also farmers have
access to artificial fertilizers which add value to the soil and boost the growth of their crops
and enable them to produce high quality yields. Farmers in dry areas have been in position
to grow healthy crops, they use advanced water pumps and sprinklers which derive water
from rivers to the farms, the all process can be automated to save time. A good example is
Egypt , this is a desert country which receives little rain , but small and big farmers have
used automated sprinklers to irrigate their farms. In Egypt, they grow a lot of rice, yet this
crop needs sufficient water to grow well. The water is pumped from River Nile to the rice
fields on a daily basis.

 Technology has improved transportation: Technology has improved transportation:

Transportation is one of the basic areas of technological activity. Both society and
businesses have benefited from the new transpiration methods. Transportation provides
mobility for people and goods. Transportation, like all other technologies can be viewed as a
system. It is a series of parts that are interrelated. These parts all work together to meet a
certain goal. Transportation uses vehicles, trains, airplanes, motorbikes, people, roads,
energy, information, materials, finance and time. All these parts i have mentioned work
together to move and relocate people and goods. Technology has helped in advancing all
the four types of transportation and these include ; (1) road transport used by automobiles
,(2) air transport which is used by airplanes , (3)water transportation which is used by
ships and speed boats and (4) space transportation used to go to the moon. The most used
of all these is Road transportation, this one facilitates the movement of goods and people.
Technologies like automobiles, buses and trucks have improved the way humans move and
how they transport their goods from place to another. Also developing countries are getting
funds from wealthy countries to improve their road transport which has resulted into
development of rural remote areas.

 Technology has improved communication: Technology has improved communication:

Communication is used for a number of purposes. Both society and organizations depend on
communication to transfer information. People use technology to communicate with each
other. Electronic medias like radios, televisions, internet , social medias have improved the
way we exchange ideas which can develop our societies. In many countries, radios and
televisions are used to voice the concerns of the society, they organize live forums where
the community can contribute through mobile phones or text service systems like tweeter.
During political elections, leaders use radio, television and internet medias to reach the
 people they want to serve. A good example is the recent presidential election in USA ,
”President Barak Obama ” has embraced the communication technology to reach and
voice out his concerns towards the development of America. Communication technologies
like Televisions, radios and internet can be used to persuade, entertain and inform the
society. Small businesses have also used internet and mobile communication technology to
grow and improve their customer service. Learn more about Communication
Technology here >>>

 Technology has improved education and learning process: Technology has

improved educationand learning process: Education is the backbone of every economy.
People need well and organized educational infrastructures so that they can learn how to
interpret information. Many schools have started integrating educational technologies in
their schools with a great aim of improving the way students learn. Technologies like smart
whiteboards, computers, mobile phones, ipads , projectors and internet are being used
in classrooms to boost students moral to learn. Visual education is becoming more popular
and it has proved to be the best method of learning in many subjects like mathematics,
physics, biology, geography , economics and much more. The business community has
invested money in various educational technologies which can be used by both teachers and
their students. For example, on iTunes, you will find many educational applications which
can allow students and teachers exchange academic information at any time, this has made
learning mobile. Also programs like Long distance learning have opened boundaries to so
many scholars around round the world.
Negative Impacts of Technology on Society:
 Resource Depletion: The more demand for new technologies and advancement of current
technologies, the more pressure we put on earth’s natural resources. Look at the total
number of mobile phones and computers being manufactured today, our population is
increasing every day and all these billion consumers demand either a mobile phone or a
computer in their homes or offices. This is good news to the manufactures,
like Apple or Samsung, the demand for their gadgets is high, but to sustain this demand,
they have to exploit Mother Nature for resources like aluminum, once these resources are
extracted from the earth plates, they will never return back because it took them a billion
years to mature. That means that at one time, we shall be left with no natural resource
which can be a problem to the future generation and economy. Likewise, the intensive
farming practices will deplete the soil. This makes heavy applications of commercial
fertilizers necessary to yield healthy harvests, but also these fertilizers have chemicals which
are dangerous to the soil and human lives.

 Increased Population: – Technology has helped us live longer by improving health

facilities and aiding in the research for solutions for most health problems which affect
 humans. This is good news for developed countries, but is bad news for developing
countries which have not been in position to access these health care benefits brought by
technology. In developed countries population growth is controlled by advanced birth
control methods, this has helped them balance their population in relation to natural
resources and other opportunities which come with a planned population. This is different in
developing countries, the rate at which people produce is very high , the mortality rate is
high , food is scarce and health care is poor.

 Increased Pollution: Pollution affects the land we grow crops on , the water we drink
and the air we breath. The increased demand for new technologies and advancement of
technologies has resulted into many manufacturing and processing factories. As they work
so hard to create the best technologies for both society and business, they release harmful
chemicals and gasses which have polluted our environment and this has resulted into
climate changes (global warming). So the more technology we enjoy, the more we harm our
environment. Experts have tried to implement ways of reducing this impact by encouraging
factories to go green , to a small extent, this has been achieved through the development
of green technologies like; green cars , green computers, but a great effort is still needed to
reduce the pollution of the air and the earth.
The Evolution of Electronics

In the beginning (1945 - 1989) -- High Voltage

In the beginning, electronic message centers were small one and two
line displays that used large high voltage incandescent lamps. The
longer the required viewing distance was, the larger the lamp and the
further apart they were placed. Lamps ranged from 15 watt up to 55
watt with characters sizes from 18" up to 72". These message centers
were used mainly for text and limited animations. As computers and
software became more advanced, message centers became higher
resolution. Light bulbs were painted or covered with a silicon 'boot' and
the four-color message center evolved. The first four-color display had
the capability of 16 colors.

1989-1999 -- Wedgebase

High power costs forced an evolution away from high voltage lamps to a
small low wattage 'wedge base' lamp, named because they were no
longer screwed into a socket, but rather wedged in. These small lamps
were ideal for closer viewed displays and for higher resolution displays.
They offered a lower initial cost along with lower power and
maintenance costs. Computer software now made it possible to turn the
individual lamps on at different brightness levels, thus producing 256
colors... then 512.

Today's Technology -- Light Emitting Diode (LED)

Today, the LED market has finally produced a diode that is bright
enough to be seen outdoors. The first outdoor LEDs were red or amber.
They offered the customer displays with 100,000 hour life, lower power
and lower maintenance costs. With the emergence of a blue LED that
was bright enough and cost effective enough, the LED electronic media
that we know today was developed. By clustering the three colors of
LED (red, blue, and green) and spacing them at different distances,
these small pixels could be used for any market. In the past a display
being viewed from a distance would use a very large lamp. Today, this
same display would use a smaller pixel but more of them. Of course, the
computer/software industry kept pace with the hardware and the
number of possible colors rose to 65 thousand then 16 million then 4.4
trillion.
1. In 1791 Luigi Galvani: Professor of anatomy (university of bologna) with the help of
series of experiments showed the presence of electricity in animals (specifically frogs).
2. In 1799 Charles coulomb: One famous scientist of the 18th century demonstrated that
there existed a force between any two charges, this force could be either attractive force or
repulsive force and this force is also influenced by the distance of separation between the two
charges.
3. In 1799 Allessandro Volta : An Italian scientist credited with the invention of battery.
He was the first to develop a battery know as the voltaic cell that could produce electricity as a
result of chemical reaction.
4. In 1820, Hans Christian oersted showed that a magnetic field is associated whenever
current flows through a conductor. To demonstrate this effect he connect a copper wire to the
terminals of a battery and a switch and placed a magnetic compass near the wire. When the
switch was close current started flowing in the wire and a deflection was seen in the compass
indicating that current carrying conductor has an associated magnetic field.
5. In 1827 George simon Ohm, a germen physicist derived the relation between the voltage
applied (V), the current (I), and the resistance of a circuit. This is the famous and the most basic
law Ohm’s law. It is given as V=IR.
6. In 1831 Michael Faraday , a British scientist after the discovery by Oersted that a
magnetic field is associated with the conductor carrying current, Faraday through a series of
experiments discovered that the vice versa is possible i.e. current can be generated by using time
varying magnetic field. This phenomenon was termed as the Electromagnetic induction which is
the basic underlying principle of the working of generators.
7. In 1864 James Clerk Maxwell, A British Physicist developed the electromagnetic field
equations that today is referred to as Maxwell’s equations. He also formulated an important
theory known as the electromagnetic theory of light, which told that electromagnetic waves travel
in free space at the speed of light.
8. In 1888 Heinrich Hertz, Based on the predictions of Maxwell’s electromagnetic theory
wanted to experimentally verify the theory. He performed various experiments according to what
Maxwell’s theory and successfully demonstrated to the world the effect of electromagnetic
radiation through space .
9. In 1895 Guglielmo Marconi put together the predictions of Maxwell and the
experiments of Hertz to send electromagnetic signals through space and was successful in setting
up the first transatlantic wireless communication system.
10. In 1948, William Schockley, John Bardeen and Watter Brattain developed the
transistor.
11. Nikola Tesla: One great scientist without whom our today’s world would have been
dark. Yes he invented alternating current (Popularly known as AC) and gave light to the world.
He also has his name Tesla as the unit of magnetic field added to his credit.
 History of electronic engineering
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Further information: Timeline of electrical and electronic engineering

The history of electronic engineering is a long one.[citation needed] Chambers Twentieth Century
Dictionary (1972) defines electronics as "The science and technology of the conduction of electricity
in a vacuum, a gas, or a semiconductor, and devices based thereon".[1]
Electronic engineering as a profession sprang from technological improvements in
the telegraph industry during the late 19th century and in the radio and telephone industries during
the early 20th century. People gravitated to radio, attracted by the technical fascination it inspired,
first in receiving and then in transmitting. Many who went into broadcasting in the 1920s had become
"amateurs" in the period before World War I.[2] The modern discipline of electronic engineering was
to a large extent born out of telephone-, radio-, and television-equipment development and the large
amount of electronic-systems development during World War II of radar, sonar, communication
systems, and advanced munitions and weapon systems. In the interwar years, the subject was
known as radio engineering. The word electronics began to be used in the 1940s[3] In the late 1950s
the term electronic engineering started to emerge.[4]
The electronic laboratories (Bell Labs in the United States for instance) created and subsidized by
large corporations in the industries of radio, television, and telephone equipment, began churning
out a series of electronic advances. In 1948 came the transistor and in 1960 the integrated circuit,
which would revolutionize the electronic industry.[5][6]In the UK, the subject of electronic engineering
became distinct from electrical engineering as a university-degree subject around 1960. (Before this
time, students of electronics and related subjects like radio and telecommunications had to enroll in
the electrical engineering department of the university as no university had departments of
electronics. Electrical engineering was the nearest subject with which electronic engineering could
be aligned, although the similarities in subjects covered (except mathematics and electromagnetism)
lasted only for the first year of three-year courses.)
Electronic engineering (even before it acquired the name) facilitated the development of many
technologies including wireless telegraphy, radio, television, radar, computers andmicroprocessors.

Contents

[hide]

 1 Wireless telegraphy and radio

 2 Television
 3 Radar and radio location
 4 Computers
 5 Microprocessors
 6 References

Wireless telegraphy and radio[edit]

Main article: History of radio
Some of the devices which would enable wireless telegraphy were invented before 1900. These
include the spark-gap transmitter and the coherer with early demonstrations and published findings
by David Edward Hughes (1880)[7] and Heinrich Rudolf Hertz (1887 to 1890)[8] and further additions
to the field by Édouard Branly, Nikola Tesla, Oliver Lodge,Jagadish Chandra Bose, and Ferdinand
Braun. In 1896, Guglielmo Marconi went on to develop a practical and widely used radio system.[9][10]
In 1904, John Ambrose Fleming, the first professor of electrical Engineering at University College
London, invented the first radio tube, the diode. Then, in 1906, Robert von Lieben and Lee De
Forest independently developed the amplifier tube, called the triode. Electronics is often considered
to have begun with the invention of the triode. Within 10 years, the device was used in
radio transmitters and receivers as well as systems for long distance telephone calls.
The invention of the triode amplifier, generator, and detector made audio communication by radio
practical. (Reginald Fessenden's 1906 transmissions used an electro-mechanical alternator.) In
1912, Edwin H. Armstrong invented the regenerative feedback amplifier and oscillator; he also
invented the superheterodyne radio receiver and could be considered the father of modern radio.[11]
The first known radio news program was broadcast 31 August 1920 by station 8MK, the unlicensed
predecessor of WWJ (AM) in Detroit, Michigan. Regular wireless broadcasts for entertainment
commenced in 1922 from the Marconi Research Centre at Writtle near Chelmsford, England. The
station was known as 2MT and was followed by 2LO, broadcasting from Strand, London.
While some early radios used some type of amplification through electric current or battery, through
the mid-1920s the most common type of receiver was the crystal set. In the 1920s, amplifying
vacuum tubes revolutionized both radio receivers and transmitters.
Vacuum tubes remained the preferred amplifying device for 40 years, until researchers working
for William Shockley at Bell Labs invented the transistor in 1947. In the following years, transistors
made small portable radios, or transistor radios, possible as well as allowing more
powerful mainframe computers to be built. Transistors were smaller and required
lower voltages than vacuum tubes to work.
Before the invention of the integrated circuit in 1959, electronic circuits were constructed from
discrete components that could be manipulated by hand. These non-integrated circuits consumed
much space and power, were prone to failure and were limited in speed although they are still
common in simple applications. By contrast, integrated circuitspacked a large number — often
millions — of tiny electrical components, mainly transistors, into a small chip around the size of
a coin.[12]

Television[edit]
Main article: History of television

In 1928 Philo Farnsworth made the first public demonstration of a purely electronic
television.[13] During the 1930s several countries began broadcasting, and after World War II it
spread to millions of receivers, eventually worldwide. Ever since then, electronics have been fully
present in television devices.
Modern televisions and video displays have evolved from bulky electron tube technology to use
more compact devices, such as plasma and LCD displays. The trend is for even lower power
devices such as the organic light-emitting diode displays, and it is most likely to replace the LCD and
plasma technologies.[14]

Radar and radio location[edit]

Main article: History of radar
During World War II many efforts were expended in the electronic location of enemy targets and
aircraft. These included radio beam guidance of bombers, electronic counter measures,
early radar systems etc. During this time very little if any effort was expended on consumer
electronics developments.[15]

Computers[edit]
Main article: History of computing hardware

A computer is a programmable machine that receives input, stores and manipulates data, and
provides output in a useful format.
Although mechanical examples of computers have existed through much of recorded human history,
the first electronic computers were developed in the mid-20th century (1940–1945). These were the
size of a large room, consuming as much power as several hundred modern personal computers
(PCs).[1] Modern computers based on integrated circuits are millions to billions of times more
capable than the early machines, and occupy a fraction of the space.[2] Simple computers are small
enough to fit into small pocket devices, and can be powered by a small battery. Personal computers
in their various forms are icons of the Information Age and are what most people think of as
"computers". However, the embedded computers found in many devices from MP3 players to fighter
aircraft and from toys to industrial robots are the most numerous.
The ability to store and execute lists of instructions called programs makes computers extremely
versatile, distinguishing them from calculators. The Church–Turing thesis is a mathematical
statement of this versatility: any computer with a certain minimum capability is, in principle, capable
of performing the same tasks that any other computer can perform. Therefore computers ranging
from a netbook to a supercomputer are all able to perform the same computational tasks, given
enough time and storage capacity.

Microprocessors[edit]
Main article: Microprocessor chronology

In 1969, Ted Hoff conceived the commercial microprocessor at Intel and thus ignited the
development of the personal computer. Hoff's invention was part of an order by a Japanese
company for a desktop programmable electronic calculator, which Hoff wanted to build as cheaply
as possible. The first realization of the microprocessor was the Intel 4004, a 4-bit processor, in 1969,
but only in 1973 did the Intel 8080, an 8-bit processor, make the building of the first personal
computer, the MITS Altair 8800, possible. The first PC was announced to the general public on the
cover of the January 1975 issue of Popular Electronics.
Many electronics engineers today specialize in the development of programs for microprocessor
based electronic systems, known as embedded systems. Due to the detailed knowledge of the
hardware that is required for doing this, it is normally done by electronics engineers and not software
engineers. Software engineers typically know and use microprocessors only at a conceptual level.
Electronics engineers who exclusively carry out the role of programming embedded systems or
microprocessors are referred to as "embedded systems engineers", or "firmware engineers".
Environmental Impact

While having the latest and greatest electronic devices can be fun, necessary,
or both, our addiction to having them comes at a high cost to ourselves and
our planet. Enormous amounts of raw, often limited, resources are used to
make these devices.

Moreover, there are intensive levels of energy and work required to design,
assemble, package, ship, and deliver them around the world to consumers.
Not to mention that millions of devices are replaced once, twice, maybe even
three times a year by customers eager for something better.

This results in a large amount of hazardous household waste that is often

irresponsibly discarded in the trash. When electronics are not recycled
properly, the raw materials inside them leech toxic chemicals into the ground,
spoiling both our water and food supply for decades, at least. For this reason,
it is extremely important to recycle electronic devices in a proper manner.

Consumer Electronic Waste

To get a better understanding of just how big our CE addiction is, let’s look at
some telling statistics about electronics waste in the United States:

o In 2007, artist Chris Jordan created a 60″ x 100″

work of art entitled “Cell Phones,” which depicted
426,000 cell phones, equal to the number of cell
phones retired each day that year. That’s over
155 million cellphones per year that were either
thrown away or recycled. Since then, the number
has probably gone up appreciably.
 o In 2009, 29.4 million computers were disposed
of, but only 18 million computers were recycled
properly. This leaves millions of tons of lead,
mercury, and cadmium to poison our
groundwater and soil for years to come.
Moreover, according the EPA, recycling just one
million laptop computers can save the amount of
energy used by 3,657 U.S. homes in a year –
that’s how important it is to recycle our
computers in a responsible manner.

o Every year the latest TV technology, such

as LED or 3D, and newly thin and lightweight
models, tempts consumers to upgrade their
equipment. And upgrade they do! Televisions
and computer monitors account for nearly one
half of all e-waste in this country, yet only 17% of
televisions are recycled in a safe manner. Most
are left by the side of the road for the garbage
truck to pick up or even covertly dumped in the
local landfill. But it is incredibly important to
recycle your TV when you replace it to avoid
poisoning the earth and future generations.

Minimize Environmental Impact

The EPA estimates that over 438 million electronic devices were sold in 2009,
which is twice the amount sold in 1997. At this rate, that number will jump to
over a billion devices per year in no time. That being the case, it’s essential to
recognize the damage we can do to the environment and our children and
grandchildren by simply throwing an old device in the trash.

In addition to recycling, if we’re able to use our devices longer, we can reduce
the number of them produced, which will save vital limited resources and
conserve much-needed energy as well.

Social Impact

Not only does our demand for electronics harm the environment, but it can
also harm our relationships. I remember the first time I saw a cell phone. I was
in college and another student’s phone rang in the library. She answered it
and actually carried on a conversation while the rest of us crammed for final
exams. At that time, this was considered blatantly rude. Now, of course, it’s
almost expected.

Physical Health

But I love technology. I work from home and on the road. Without today’s
technology, my lifestyle would be nearly impossible to keep up with. However,
I see the changes it’s causing in our society as well.

When I was young, we played video games and had cable TV, but none of it
was portable, cartoons weren’t on 24/7, and the games were light years
behind those available today. So kids played outside and ran around a lot
more than they do now.

In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control, children today are three
times more likely to be considered obese than they were just a generation
ago. Perhaps this isn’t entirely the result of electronics devices, but it’s hard to
believe they’re not at least a contributing factor.

Relationships

Still, it’s not just the kids. It’s me, and probably you too. If I have a spare
moment at a cafe, for example, I’m probably on my phone checking email or
looking at Facebook. How much do I miss by not simply being present in that
moment and in observing my surroundings? Maybe I miss out on the smiles of
the baby at the table next to me. Or maybe I don’t notice the attractive
person whose eyes lingered a little longer than necessary. Or worse yet,
maybe I’m with my family and I interrupt our conversation to respond to a text.
Not an important text – just any text.

What I’m saying is that we’ve come to value electronic interaction over actual,
face-to-face interaction. And that’s what we’re teaching our children. Sure, our
phones, laptops, and other electronic devices are necessary for many of us in
our working lives. But it doesn’t end there. It seems that especially in our
down time, we get online to find entertainment on a screen, even when our
family – spouse, children, parents – and friends are available to hang out with
in person. Real people with whom we can have live interactions are getting
passed over in favor of electronics.

But aren’t relationships what make living worthwhile? Don’t we dream of

getting married, having kids, and spending time with friends? I don’t think
that’s changed. We still love our friends and family as much as ever. But many
people aren’t aware of the impact their electronic devices have on these
relationships.
For example, maybe your spouse or child really wants you to get off your
phone or computer so they can spend time with you. But instead of saying so,
they get online to distract themselves from your lack of attention. Then,
perhaps the next time you want to spend time with them, they’re already
online, so you go to your hand-held device since they’re “busy.” The cycle
continues and feeds on itself until we have a society that’s more tuned into
their electronics than what’s actually going on in the world around them. Does
that sound familiar?

Minimizing Social Impacts

If you buy the idea that pervasive use of CE can take away from our most
valued relationships, what’s to be done about it? First, discipline yourself.
When you spend time with someone, turn the phone off. Yes, turn it off. If
you’re waiting for an important message and must leave it on, then don’t
interrupt a conversation to check your phone. When you glance at your phone
while someone is talking to you – they notice it. They may not say anything,
but it sends a clear signal: “What you’re saying to me isn’t really that
interesting.”

Second, realize you can ask someone you care about to turn off their phone
as well – or at least to not check their messages or email in the middle of your
conversation. If you set limits for yourself and ask others for their full attention
when you’re together, other people will observe this and recognize they can
do the same too. It’s all about balance.

Consumer electronics aren’t “bad,” unless they compromise other areas of

your life, like your health and relationships. So try turning the phone off, leave
your laptop closed, and look around you. Better yet, leave the phone or laptop
at home or in another room and enjoy your friends and family without worrying
about any information or messages you might have online.

Final Word

Still, one has to wonder where our collective desire and even dependence on
electronics has come from. Apple, for example, brilliantly markets their new
laptops to make them look “cooler” than other models. I use an Apple
computer, and I fall for it. Electronics companies sell us on this and the
“cutting-edge” factor. Forget about high fashion jeans – what type of phone or
laptop you have is more likely to indicate how cool you are these days. At
least, that’s what those who market CE want you to believe. And considering
the statistics, they’re pulling it off quite well.

We all want to be cool and will pay through the nose to feel that way. It’s no
different from those who buy a new wardrobe every six months just to stay in
fashion, or a new car every year. Except that buying consumer electronics
may be even more expensive financially and can threaten our quality of life for
years to come.

So are we addicted to consumer electronics? You bet, and the trend will
probably continue. Therefore, it’s essential we realize the cons as well as the
pros to our new-found obsession. Once upon a time, even smoking was
considered healthy and that resulted in a national health crisis. Let’s not allow
the CE trend to lead to an environmental crisis, or a cultural crisis in which our
best friends are only online.

So enjoy your new laptop or phone, but buy, recycle, and use your devices
responsibly. Let’s teach ourselves and the next generation to balance face to
face time with Facebook and to remember that the graphics outside are still
more realistic than any video game ever will be.