Is society degenerating despite the current technological advancements?

Question

I feel it is.
The evidenece seems conclusive. Society is us!
We are society.
Should the central issues of the cause etc be a matter for serious dialogue.
It seem as if the individual is not responsible as he blames society. Society avoids responsiblity by blameing the individual. In the meantime we are degenerating in living life and realising true values, which take in to account the whole.

Answer 1

Society is defiantly degenerating fast and technological advancements are helping.

Mobile phones has allowed our conversation skills to become less as we can now send text.

We abbreviate most words and do not have any idea of punctuation as computers have spell checks but do not punctuate.

Everything we do has to be done fast and if we are kept waiting the we become angry, rush to work, rush to find a seat on the train,become angry if the person in front of you is walking slowly remember to tut loudly to show your upset, will you rush to your grave so quickly.

To me the future generation is one of intolerance and completely selfish thank goodness my life is ending sad but true.

Answer 2

I think you've hit upon something really interesting here.

Technology is linked to the economy and the economy, unfortunately for us, is intrinsically linked to society.

Look at what is popular in society. It is also what is commercially successful. People decide what is commercially successful and the economy supplies, it is cyclical.

This has the result of marginalising much needed technologies because there isn't the demand. For example, I have a disease that not many people have. Therefore, the amount of research into it is negligible, to my dismay. Its the same story for truly marginalised (unprofitable) elements of society.

Culturally this works too. If you really like a local band, but no one else does, record companies will not back them and they will not become commercially successful. As a result, their influence is quickly lost. This type of society has been evolving since the sixties.

Only a very narrow band of products are commercially successful having the effect of homogenising society as a whole. The more marketing departments try to "put their finger on the pulse of the public" the less variety we have, because they're trying to second guess a narrow band of potential desire.

This is very hypothetical, but I believe there is a logic, if you understand what I've written!


Edit:
I could further expand this, but it would take far too long to explain. Let's just say the individualisation of society has severely eroded communitarian activities like religion and the family. Capitalism targets the individual piquing their desire for luxuries. Religion cannot be sold because it is about subsistance living. Apart from Christmas, which proved its commercial value - notice how everyone says its so commercialised?

You could say the West is greedy. Here's an example that also relates to how we manifest our identities in the West:

Why does a Western woman have 50 pairs of high heel shoes? Compare this to a Muslim woman: does a Muslim woman need 50 headscarves? No, she'd only have what she needed.

Obviously the capitalist woman will make more money for the economy. The vast majority of cultural happenings in the last 50 years have been brought about by the economy, its quite unbelievable.

Answer 3

Well doesn't that depend on your definition of society! If by society we mean community, community meaning "a group of interdependent organisms inhabiting the same region and interacting with each other" then yes, society is degenerating despite current technological advancements.

We're plugged in, geared up, and more technology-run than any robot. Artificial intelligence is becoming a standard issue among today's youth. Sure, they have the world at their fingertips (internet), but deeper thinking? God forbid!

Not to mention our touch-depravity. I don't want to sound like a hippie, but I need a hug! And not from a tree, either. It's a biological need to be touched. That's right. Scientifically, biological.

Which depravity, as we all know, is due to the "advancements" we are making in communication. It's funny how we're all more "connected" yet we never touch each other.

Do I really have to bring up video games? Cell phones (especially text messaging), ipods, tivo, PDAs?

I could go on forever. Yes, this sounds like a rant, because that's what it is.

You've got it right at the bud.

Answer 4

I don't think that society is degenerating and I do believe that technological advancements are assisting people around the world--which I see as a positive development, overall.

In the past, racism and sexism were accepted and supported by the laws that govern our society. Now, those behaviors are illegal in particular areas of society (civil rights, employment, housing). Technology is assisting people with knowing and understanding these and other issues in more complex ways. Consider the potential and real impact of bloggers (think John Tester in Montana): we members of society are more actively involved in the development of our culture than ever before. Technology has the potential to level the playing field in such a way as has not been see in previous history. There is still a ways to go to support equal access to technology; however, more "regular" people have access to these powerful tools than ever before. It can be a beautiful thing--it just depends on what we decide to do with it--and I for one am seeing a lot of positive developments. And I haven't even touched on how technology has improved our healthcare! :-)

Answer 5

Society is degenerating because we as aspecies are worried more about personal gains than we are about communal well being. Technology only plays a part in that it is the biggest potential money-maker for individuals looking to make a buck

Answer 6

Yes!
If you ask this question of people over 40, over 50, or over 60 (or even older) he/she will all answer a resounding "YES!"
Manners have changed. Politeness has dwindled. The average person is less considerate than they were thirty years ago.
The only place I find civilised people thronging the streets is Sydney, Australia.....can it be because they operate a very strict immigration quota?
Although "lager louts" are English, and no-one can be worse than that for antisocial behaviour. Also skinheads and any racist youths.
Yes, unfortunately society is degenerating, you only need to read the newspapers. Evidently, our prisons are 110% full.

Answer 7

Technology does not govern personal conduct. The degeneration of society is a function of personal conduct. Personal conduct is a result of moral values practiced in the lives of the citizens. With the loss of family units, the loss of religious instruction, we have the consequential loss of moral values, thus the deterioration of personal conduct and the degeneration of society as a whole.

Answer 8

A society degenerates when it sees that its future is not an improvement on the present -- and therefore to work for a better future is a waste of time.

It loses the Will to Live.

Answer 9

Technological advancement is the real cause for degeneration of society. Man finds new ways of killing and mass killing. The earth is getting depleted of all animal and plant life. Pollutants have increased and ozone layer has thinned out. seasons have changed and Polar ice is melting.

Answer 10

Yes