Journal: 3-6

The Information Age

     The question I asked last week was: What are the current statistics of labor in China? Through my research I wasn't able to find much, and I assumed it was mostly because China likes to keep most of its bussiness secret. However, I did find a little bit of information on the internet regarding the hourly wages of most Chinese labor workers. I found out that 30 million of the 38 million workers make around $1.06 per hour with some even making as little as 64 or 45 cents for hard labor. This is worse than the current pay for labor workers in Mexico.

     It's shocking to me just how small this amount of money is, expecially in regards to the western world. Where a pack of gum costs more than a persons salary. These statistics make me question why China doesn't raise the bar for pay amongst all its workers and set a minimum wage that is actually reasonable for its people.

     This past week we talked alot about the level of technology there is in today's society. We discussed technology we could do without, technology we loved and technology we would like to see in the future. We also looked at some incredible technological inventions that none of us even knew was invented or even available. This week really made me think about how the world is transitioning into a digital phase where even the most unnecessary new technologies seem to be in demand just because they are new products and in fashion.

 
     In my opinion, I think we are becoming way too dependent on electronic devices. Especially on technology that really doesn't serve much purpose in society other then generating a profit. I feel that the more we rely on technology the more stupid we become because we won't be able to figure out how to do things on our own. I also believe that children should not be allowed to have exspensive technology unless it is used stricly for educational purposes that aren't already available to them. It's rediculous how many little kids I know that got an ipad for christmas so that they could "read" better rather than getting an actual book and reading it.

     For an example that we didn't talk about in class, the new Nook that is available now is a model for my arguement. The Nook is technology that is extremly uneccessary since it's basically a much more exspensive way to read a book. What's sad about it is that it's hurting the sales of actual books because people are too lazy and would rather buy it on their Nook and read it instead. Technology is not alright when it interferes more than it helps society.

     I leave today with a question: Just how bad has the Nook affected the sales of actual books?

"Just How Cheap Is Chinese Labor?" Businessweek - Business News, Stock Market & Financial Advice. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. <http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_50/b3912051_mz011.htm>.

Sorrel, Charlie. "Barnes & Noble Unveils Kindle-Killing, Dual-Screen ‘Nook’ E-Reader (Updated) | Gadget Lab | Wired.com." Wired.com. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. <http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/10/barnes-nobles-kindle-killing-dual-screen-nook-e-reader-leaked/>.

"Student Affairs Technology | Home." Division of Student Affairs | This Site Has Moved. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. <http://studentlife.unlv.edu/technology/>.