Consequences of Post Modernity
Jeffrey Moy
In the article, “The Consequences of Modernity,” Anthony Giddens discusses how the technology influences the post-modern world. For instance, Giddens explains the difference between how people travel large distances in the past and now. To sum up his answer, he illustrates this by explaining how people in the past had to be experts in survival while people in present day can simply travel easily by using an airplane. In all, the difference in time from the past to the present introduces the effects that post modernity has on the social world. In the paragraphs below, I will explain how post modernity requires trust and risk/anxiety.
The first reason is trust. While people in the past have to become skilled in their everyday practices to survive, the technology in post modern world has created abstract systems that people rely on to make their lives easier. For example, in the past, the only way to communicate with others without traveling is by sending letters. While it was a convenient method, you cannot trust that the letter will arrive to the intended recipient. On the other hand, with technology these days, there are many ways you can communicate with others without traveling such as Facebook, Skype, and email. In particular, cellphones are the most convenient as many adults have one. This relates to Gidden’s concept of trust because we rely on cellphones to communicate with people and we want the best provider/ device to do so. Thus, there must be a negotiated process between the consumer and the provider as the provider must ensure that the device functions properly to it’s fullest. And though we are unaware of all the components and parts necessary to build a cellphone, we are knowledgable in how to operate cellphones and use it for its intended purpose; which is to communicate with people.
The second reason is risk/ anxiety. While technology has it’s benefits, it is a double edged sword as technology can give rise to military advancements such as nuclear warfare. With this in mind, people all over the world may be aware of the dangers. For example, in present day, there are countries that we know of that are producing nuclear weapons. This creates anxiety all of the world because we want to live in a peaceful world and not live through the times of war that occurred in the past. However, as individuals, there is not much they can do to prevent the problem from occurring. But with our day-to-day routines and priorities that takes precedence, we tend to forget the other dangers in the global environment that are not so personal to us. For example, being a student, I have the responsibility of my school work and my job. While I keep track of the current events and the problems of the world, they seem far away and does not affect me personally. In other words, my anxiety I face is closer to home and deals with the events that happen to me in my daily routine.
Jeffrey Moy
In the article, “The Consequences of Modernity,” Anthony Giddens discusses how the technology influences the post-modern world. For instance, Giddens explains the difference between how people travel large distances in the past and now. To sum up his answer, he illustrates this by explaining how people in the past had to be experts in survival while people in present day can simply travel easily by using an airplane. In all, the difference in time from the past to the present introduces the effects that post modernity has on the social world. In the paragraphs below, I will explain how post modernity requires trust and risk/anxiety.
The first reason is trust. While people in the past have to become skilled in their everyday practices to survive, the technology in post modern world has created abstract systems that people rely on to make their lives easier. For example, in the past, the only way to communicate with others without traveling is by sending letters. While it was a convenient method, you cannot trust that the letter will arrive to the intended recipient. On the other hand, with technology these days, there are many ways you can communicate with others without traveling such as Facebook, Skype, and email. In particular, cellphones are the most convenient as many adults have one. This relates to Gidden’s concept of trust because we rely on cellphones to communicate with people and we want the best provider/ device to do so. Thus, there must be a negotiated process between the consumer and the provider as the provider must ensure that the device functions properly to it’s fullest. And though we are unaware of all the components and parts necessary to build a cellphone, we are knowledgable in how to operate cellphones and use it for its intended purpose; which is to communicate with people.
The second reason is risk/ anxiety. While technology has it’s benefits, it is a double edged sword as technology can give rise to military advancements such as nuclear warfare. With this in mind, people all over the world may be aware of the dangers. For example, in present day, there are countries that we know of that are producing nuclear weapons. This creates anxiety all of the world because we want to live in a peaceful world and not live through the times of war that occurred in the past. However, as individuals, there is not much they can do to prevent the problem from occurring. But with our day-to-day routines and priorities that takes precedence, we tend to forget the other dangers in the global environment that are not so personal to us. For example, being a student, I have the responsibility of my school work and my job. While I keep track of the current events and the problems of the world, they seem far away and does not affect me personally. In other words, my anxiety I face is closer to home and deals with the events that happen to me in my daily routine.