Technology and Social Change Technology is defined as the use of science in industry, engineering, etc., to invent useful things or to solve problems (Technology, 2016). Social change happens when there is a change in society. It seems that there everyone including small children have either a computer or a cell phone and access to the internet. The advancements in technology have paved the way to social changes throughout the United States. Where would we be without cell phones, internet, the automobile, or electricity? Social changes happened with the implementation of this technology advancements. In the last 20 years there have been many technological changes. Personal computers are faster and more compact. Cell phones give their user Internet access just about anywhere you can access the cellular network. As a nation we have become almost chained to our cell phones and computers. A relatively new form of social media, crowdsourcing is when a services are needed and the ideas or information is spread to a large group of people. For instance, Kickstarter is a web-based company that helps to raise large amounts of money in a short period of time. Another use of the Internet and crowdsourcing happened in January 2010 when an earthquake devastated Haiti. Relief groups were able to take advantage of crowdsourcing efforts to get the medical aid, food, shelter, and rescue help that was needed (Introduction to Sociology, 2015, p. 493). Without the advancements that have been made to technology Haiti would not have received the help they did as quickly and the results could have been much worse.
While the Internet can be used for good, it can also enable negative behaviors that can have devastating lasting effects. Cyberbullying can be more devastating than bullying because it never leaves the person alone. It creeps into their personal private space when you are