Technology, Paving the Way to Global Awareness

Jessi Haggerty-Denison

Technology, Paving the Way to Global Awareness

Today’s hot topics in regards to technology is first how amazing it is and how much technology can do, just in a small, cell phone.  It’s truly amazing how far technology has come just within the past 10 years.  And the second hot topic is how technology has negatively impacted us, particularly my generation and especially kids younger than I who have been using computers and cell phones since they were three.  I get that perhaps our quality of life has suffered in many ways, but I also am very aware of how much the advancement of technology is supporting global awareness for my generation.

With a track record of unresolved disputes and wars that have taken place and still are, all over the world, increasing global awareness for the next generations is crucial to creating a world that is peaceful and collaborative.  Without being able to experience other cultures and people from far away lands, it’s easy to remove ourselves from their struggles and their humanness.  The language barrier alone easily creates separateness and a vast ravine between people.  And with out understanding a foreign culture and without any way to experience or communicate with that culture, it’s easy to feel separate enough, that we don’t view their problems as having anything to do with us.  This mindset and human experience has led us to make decisions and take actions that inevitably have hurt other cultures of people.

This is where I feel technology is playing a big role in helping to bridge the gaps between people on a global level.

With the use of the internet, particularly social networking sites, we are able to “hear” the voices of many people worldwide.  With technology’s ability to translate languages and send pictures and video, we are able to communicate and experience people from all over the place.  We are beginning to recognize that many of us, whether we live in the United States, China, or Iceland have similar dreams, struggles and desire for peace.  When I see a video of an uprising on the other side of the world, such as the Egyptian revolution in 2011, and can actually hear the young people’s voices and even read some of their text messages, I can relate and suddenly, these people aren’t foreign to me.  And having just one experience like this, a small connection, helps me to think of these foreigners as people just like me, wanting the same things in life.  I want to support them and get to know them.

I feel experiences that technology offers us today in regards to people from all over the world  is the foundation for change that is crucial to the world at this point in history.  The wars and turning our backs on other’s struggles is not working and it’s not right.  We are all humans with thoughts, feelings and dreams and the more we can experience one another and our life styles, diminish the language barriers and connect, than our future governments can begin making decisions that are good for the whole of humanity resulting in a peaceful world.  This is what I see today’s technology supporting.  Connection and awareness on a global scale. 

http://thereboot.org/blog/2011/03/18/the-role-of-technology-in-the-egyptian-revolution/