Executive Summary

Applied Final Project – Part 2: Cross-Cultural Comparison

Cross-Cultural Comparison

Technology can be defined as the making and usage of modern machinery to make work easier and solve problems. Technology change is the gradual and continuous improvement in the technological machinery to improve the overall performance and efficiency. Technology change has seen key improvements from that of a heavy and non-portable computer to personal computers, laptops and tablets that are easy to carry around; and yet they have a greater working speed and efficiency. Different groups of people with varying cultures, sexes and ages have different ways of adapting to technological changes (Ozge, 2013).

Technological change has seen the rise of portable personal computers, generally known as laptops and on the other hand, innovation of also highly portable mobile phones; which have evolved into smartphones. Compared to laptops, cellular phones are more popular because they are more portable, easily fit into the users’ pocket, and are also relatively inexpensive and easy to use. Like in the United States of America it is conclusive that in Africa the use of cellular phones is a common factor in all communities. Since their wide availability in the US, dating back to the 1990s, cell phone use has increased dramatically, here and abroad.

The improvement of technology and the continued use of cell phones and laptops have however affected how people act and relate towards one another. Cellular phones have become an essential part of our everyday life. Across both continents the cell phone usage trends are very similar; where what was once an object of luxury has become a basic necessity. The social lives have been improved in that people can communicate all across continents at a low cost, or in some markets for free. Study shows that the number of international calls made from America were around seventeen million and those from Africa were around ten million. This shows that in both the American and African communities, advancement in technology has opened up the world by enhancing people social lives. Learning through technology is also common in all the communities through the continued use of the World Wide Web which is easily accessible all over the world. And although certain parts of Africa are not financially equipped to provide the same educational resources as in the US, cellular phones are cheaper to own in comparison to a personal computer, and therefore is primarily used as a tool for delivering teaching content for those unable to receive formal education. Another aspect of learning come through means of online entertainment, were most activities are conducted via the cellular phone (i.e., downloading/share data, music, photos, videos, blog posting/tweeting, etc.).

Although progressing in a positive direction, improvements in technology continue to violate the privacy of its users, mostly through social media markets (Jessie, 2012). Comparing Facebook subscribers in America and Africa, as of September 2012, there are approximately one hundred and eighty-four million subscribers in America and approximately 49 million in Africa. These statistics shows a high usage of social media networking in both cultures and hence can be concluded that technology has violated privacy on a global platform (Ozge, 2013).

In the usage of modern technology, “pop-ups” or advertisements are inevitable when on the Internet. There are several ways in which your social media privacy is violated and thus a target of marketers; such as age, race, interests/hobbies. Thus developing a division according to these factors, the main one being age differences of users. Looking at age differences in both Africa and America, it is evident that the young generation possesses more technological knowledge compared to the older generation. The youth all over the world mainly use the Internet, a crucial component of the new technology to have fun, socialize and aid in their studies. On the other hand, the older generation mainly use new technology features for business transactions, like online banking, workplace interactions (email, teleconferencing, etc.), and household management. Age differences are common for causing conflicts, unlike gender when it comes to the use of technology (Jessie, 2012).

Racism in technology is another common and negative effect of the technological evolution. In the United States, the African-Americans were discriminated upon and were believed to have low knowledge on the evolved technology. On the other hand, in Africa, the evolution and introduction of modern technology has been generally slow behind the United States, but successfully adapted by the masses. The social media is also another tool that has been negatively used to propagate racism in different communities. Racism won’t be possible to completely control, just as fully protecting a person’s privacy online. However, with continued reinforcement of online laws by governments and non-governmental organizations, racism and privacy violations over the Internet have greatly reduced.

References

Jan, A. (2013). The digital divide shifts to differences in usage. (pp. 107-123). New York, NY: Springer

Jessie, D. (2012).Race and racism in Internet Studies: A review and critique. (Vols. 1-4). New York, NY: Scribner's.

Ozge, D. (2013).Making sense of innovations: A comparison of personal computers and mobile phones. Retrieved from; http://www.goodreads.com .