bittenburg

copied from my term paper on general information technologies and the impact on society

We often overlook the role that technology plays in our lives. We never have to set foot in a bank because of internet banking. We can order a pizza online, or play a game with friends in another country. Not only this, but our health and our way of life is inevitably improved by technology – we can diagnose and treat health problems, and it no longer takes hours for police or fire-marshals to assist a citizen in need. Our lives are so saturated with technology that at times, we dismiss its power and its significant impact on our lives.

While technology plays a vital role in our lives, no-where is it more dynamic than in the hands of people objecting to a tyrannical government. In Zimbabwe, where the populace disagrees sharply with the self-imposed rule of President Robert Mugabe, ‘everyday’ items like cell phones, the internet, and radio are used to assault the previously unassailable fortress the government has mantled around itself. Revolutions created by a number of citizens-turned-guerrillas, wielding AK-47s and creating chaos in the name of their cause, are no longer necessary. Citizens become journalists with cell phones and the internet, technology becomes their weapon, and their sheer numbers create a force to be reckoned with.

 Reference:

Beacham, Frank. "The Impact of Mobile Technology." TV Technology 07/20/2009 Web.21 Jul 2009. <http://www.tvtechnology.com/article/84134>.

"Current Comment - Iran's Bloody June." America 201(07/06/2009): 4. Print.

"Gukurahundi." Wikipedia. 2009. Wikipedia.org. Web.21 Jul 2009. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gukurahundi>.

Makomo, Mike. "3MG Media launches Zimbabwe Citizenship Journalism programme." The Zimbabwe Telegraph 07/21/2009 Web.21 Jul 2009. <http://www.zimtelegraph.com/?p=1657>.

Mavhunga, Clapperton. "The Glass Fortress." Journal of International Affairs 62(2009): 159-173. Print.

"Zimbabwe." Wikipedia. 2009. Wikipedia.org. Web.21 Jul 2009. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimbabwe>.