DEVELOPMENT of Information Age

(Gutenberg to Social Media)

 The social response to the new technology introduced by Gutenberg

was multi-faceted, wherein there are important implication of the
Gutenberg printing press in the emerging social climate of fifteenth
century Europe was dissemination of human knowledge.

 Printing facilitated the accumulation of knowledge by making discoveries

more widely known and preventing information from being lost, thus,
information could now distributed to a far wider audience, much faster
and at lower cost. (Briggs & Burke,2005)

 Now, information; could be public and private, verbal and visual, could
be transmitted, collected and recorded, regardless of its point of origin,
through the internet.

 Global information networks now allowed world-wide communication

channels in real time among people transcending national boundaries.
The world became connected through shared commerce, trade, policy
and governance and natural consequence of information and
communication networks was “Globalization”.

 The world as we know it today would have not been possible without
invention of the Gutenberg printing press and the internet. Media
technology, unlimited in its scope and diversity, will inevitably take forms
that are unimaginable today; but whatever those forms may be, it is for
certain that printing of some sort will be involved.

 The role of media is paramount, even profound, in the manner in which it

shapes the lives of individuals and societies the world over and the
 inception of media, it has continued to exert strong influence on the very
thread of human society and human organization.

 Similarly, the internet sparked the “information revolution” and continues

to revolutionize the manner in which people seek information,
communicate, do business, and connect with others across the globe
(Demers, 2007).

 Gutenberg press and the Internet have allowed for the development and
flourishing of complex social organization, the shifting nature of power and
control, and the increasing de-centralization of authority structures.
 The Impact of Social Media and
Information Age on People’s lives
(by: Manuel Castellas, September 8, 2014)

 With the explosion of wireless communication in the early 21st century, the
internet becomes the decisive technology of the Information Age.
Humankind today is now almost connected, albeit with great levels of
inequality in bandwidth, efficiency and price.

 People, companies, and institutions feel the depth of this technological

change, but the speed and scope of the transformation has triggered all
manner of utopian and dystopian perceptions that, when examined
closely through methodologically rigorous empirical research, turn out not
to be accurate.

 “Me-centered society”, marked by an increased focus on individual

growth and a decline in community understood in terms of space, work,
family and ascription in general. Community is formed through individual’s
quests for like-minded people in a process that combines online
interaction with offline interaction, cyberspace and the local space.

 Today, social networking sites are the preferred platforms for all kinds of
activities, both business and personal, and sociability has dramatically
increased but it is a different kind of sociability. Hence, the virtual life is
becoming more social than the physical life, but it is less a virtual reality
than a real virtuality, facilitating real-life work and urban living.

 Since 2010, the networked social movements have been very active
especially in the Arab revolutions against dictatorships and the protests
against the management of the financial crisis. Online and particularly
wireless communication has helped social movements pose more of a
challenge to state power.
 The Internet and the Web constitute the technological infrastructure of the
global network society, and the understanding of their logic is a key field
of research.
The Impact of Social Media in the
21st century
(by: Choity Ahmed, March 11, 2004)
 In this 21st century of digital age, the social media is the game changing
phenomenon in communication. This evidenced by the growing numbers
of internet users from its moderate low millions to more recently low billions
(Shrinky, 2011).

 Today, people and organizations remain connected, updated and we are

surrounded by Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram, blogs and
microblogs. Nowadays, easier for individuals as well as groups to create
movements and voice themselves, for both good and the bad, and it is
partly our purpose as STS students to discover ways that social media can
utilized for positive, sustainable and resourceful communication
outcomes.

 Networks are monitored or restricted by government bodies, social

movements and civil uprising have taken place by the help of the above-
mentioned communication means, seen in for example the Arab Spring
and the Kony campaign that went viral on social media in 2012.

 The convenient ease of social media exemption applied to regions yet

faced with technological and economic challenge and/or governmental
censorship issues. Although the internet has had a considerable effect on
activism Cammaerts (2007) means that the main constraints of the internet
is still unfortunately accessibility and fragmentation among users.

 A very good point encouraging the reinforcement of conventional

communication methods, however the question stands how long lasting
those offline methods will remain for the long haul with the rapid
development of technology worldwide, taking into considerations that
regions currently suffering by lack of technological advancements will
eventually most likely catch up.
 The Impact of Social Media in our
Daily Lives
 The social media sites, such as Facebook and Google+, are making it
easier for people to find one another and reconnect after decades of being
apart. The sites are a great way to see what is happening in the lives of
friends and family, and to meet people who have similar interest and
thoughts to yours.

 MELISSA TYLER, a tech writer shares her wisdom to us on the impact of social
media to our daily lives. These are as follows:

1. THE YOUTH

The young people are often the most ready to adapt and to learn to
use new technologies, and they are certainly at the forefront of social media of
all types. Social Media, is certainly having a rather large impact on their daily lives
for good and for bad.

Those who spend too much time on social sites, or who take the
abuses of online bullies seriously on the sites could have some issues.

2. MARKETING

Likewise, the social media sites are ripe for marketing endeavors, as
well, and over the past few years, users have seen an uptick in the amount of
advertising on the sites. This allows for a closer connection between the customers
and the companies, which could lead to better service and better quality
products.

3. ENTERTAINMENT

This is another reason why people are spending as much time as they
do on social media sites is because they can be a great form of entertainment.
They watch videos that people post to their timelines, view pictures, read stories,
and even play games using a smartphones, a tablet or a traditional computers,
more and more people are utilizing social media in their daily lives.
INFORMATION: THE NEW LANGUAGE
OF SCIENCE

 Biodiversity refers to the variety found in biota form

genetic make-up of plants and animals to cultural
diversity.

IMPACT OF BIOCHEMISTRY TO
HUMAN HEALTH

 Human health ultimately depends upon ecosystem products

and services (such as availability of freshwater, food, and fuel
sources) which are requisite for good human health and
productive livelihoods.

 Biodiversity loss can have significant direct human health

impacts if ecosystem services are no longer adequate to meet
social needs.

 Significant medical and pharmacological discoveries are

made through greater understanding of the earth’s biodiversity
loss in biodiversity may limit discovery of potential treatments
for many diseases and health problems.
 HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF
BIODIVERSITY
Specific Pressures and Linkages of Biodiversity:

1. It has crucial role in human nutrition.

Biodiversity ensures sustainable productivity of soils and provides the

genetic resources for all crops, livestock, and marine species harvested for food.

Nutritional composition between foods and among

varieties/cultivars/breeds of the same food can differ dramatically, affecting
micronutrient availability in the diet.

Intensified and enhanced food production through irrigation, use of

fertilizer, plant protection (PESTICIDES) or the introduction of crop varieties and
cropping patterns affect biodiversity, and thus impact global nutritional status
and human health.

2. It has an essential role in primary health care.

Traditional medicines are estimated to be used by 60% of the world’s

population and in some countries are extensively incorporated into the public
health system, medicinal plant use is the most common medication tool in
traditional medicine and complementary medicine worldwide.

Although synthetic medicines are available for many purposes, the global
need and demand for natural products persists for use as medicinal products
and biomedical research that relies on plants, animals, and microbes to
understand human physiology and to understand and treat human diseases.

3. It reduces the abundance of some organisms.

Such disturbances reduce the abundance of some organisms, cause
population growth in others, modify interactions among organisms, and alter the
interactions between organisms and their physical and chemical environments.
Major processes affecting infectious disease reservoirs and transmission include:
-Deforestation
-Land usage change

-Water management (through dam, construction, irrigation, uncontrolled

urbanization or urban sprawl)
-Climate variability and change
-Migration and international travels and trade

4. It provides numerous ecosystem services.

Climate is an integral part of ecosystem functioning and human health is
impacted directly and indirectly by results of climatic conditions upon terrestrial
and marine ecosystems.

Terrestrial biodiversity is influenced by climate variability, such as extreme

weather events (drought, flooding) that directly influence ecosystem health and
the productivity and availability of ecosystem goods and services for human
use. Longer term changes in climate affect the viability and health ecosystems,
influencing shifts in the distribution of plants, pathogens, animals, and even
human settlements.
SPECIFIC ISSUES
IN SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY