ACTIVITY 4 - CULTURE and TECHNOLOGY

Is technology a culture?

I can still remember that during my elementary days, I still don’t know what technology is or perhaps because I live away from the city where living is so simple. How we define technology is only on how it is written in the textbooks in our school that says it is the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry. I only knew then that technology is for first world countries where robots and big machines are found. Now, with the advent of internet one can clearly understand that technology is not only found in highly industrialized countries. It is found everywhere and it makes life easier.

Perhaps the most common example of technology when asked is a phone. Regardless if it is a basic or a smartphone, a phone is intendent to send and receive text and voice messages. But nowadays, phone became a necessity used in the workplace, in the house and elsewhere. Without a phone, one can’t move since everything is in the phone. It now defines a culture.

                            

                                      Millenials dancing Itik Itik folkdance.
       
                            

Culture as defined is the social behavior and norms found in human societies and as one who lived in the rural areas. I only know culture as the festivities we have to celebrate an offering to our gods. Now, I seldom see the younger generations to practice these rites. A few only knew to play our gangsa and solibao and even dance our very own tayao. Our native costume, tapis and kuval is now a display in museums as few people tend to patronized imported and expensive clothing brands. But as older people say, there’s always a generation gap and somehow this gaps is our culture.

What makes culture interesting is that it bonds and represent a certain group thus Millennials children differs from the Baby Boomers and from those Generation X. All is represented by certain culture but still guided by same principle of humanity. Perhaps one of the huge differences of these generations is the presence of internet that holds up the millennials in terms of behavioral culture. One can clearly say that internet changes the way human interact with each other thus making communication easier and faster. However, as the saying says, nothing beats interpersonal communication. It is still the most effective way to resolve conflict.

Millennials are considered as the era of internet culture, where seldom you see them playing outdoor games. Everyone is then busy in their houses holding their tablets and smart phones playing their favorite online games. Where millennials express their opinions in their social media account but rather keep quite when in front of other people.

Technology indeed made man’s work easier and faster but somehow change the way of living. It defines culture and represents the era of one’s generation.

If technology is the new definition of culture then what will culture be in the next generation to come?