Effects of Aging and Technology on Cultural Identity

By: Lew Spratt
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:20:55
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Cultural Identity What defines a culture is the ways in which human needs are satisfied and whether we can allow for more adequate satisfaction of the entire system of needs depends on how we organise our social and economic systems.

There is basically one culture remaining on this planet, the Industrial Culture. All others seem doomed to disappear. One of the most important tenets of the industrial culture is the belief in the eternally growing economy. However the spirit of industrialism is rapidly losing its grip. The doctrine of material growth has signally failed to provide people with any lasting ideals or values. The social order is expending all its' creative energy on just maintaining the status quo.

We are now an overpopulated and overconsuming society that is pressing the carrying capacity of the global ecosystem.

There is no connection between increased living standards (beyond sufficiency) and happiness/contentment. There can be no doubt that material living standards in Australia have increased since 1960. However consider the rate of murder and other violent crime, the increase in drug and alcohol abuse and suicide. It would appear that we live in a less happy society in 2006 than in 1960. It is difficult to draw a line between sufficiency and extravagance, however it is certain that in Australia we are dying of the stresses of abundance rather than the stresses of scarcity.

Thanks to science and achievements in the health field we can all look forward to longer lives and therefore a longer period of our lives in retirement. The wonders of modern medicine have given us much greater life expectancies. If you retire in your fifties you may still have half of your adult life in front of you. Men and women of 60 are just beginning middle age. We can expect to live … and be productive … for another twenty or more years. We can be active, contributing members of society for years to come. We are the best educated generation in history. It would be ironic that when science says we can continue to be active, contributing members of society for years to come, we fail to benefit from the technology created by our own generation.

They say there are two certainties in life – taxes and death. Well there is a stage that in most cases comes before death – its called The Golden Years. It is the time when the body doesn't move quite as fast as it used to, when the mind doesn't work quite as well as it used to and where both of these facts don't matter as much as they used to. For most of us it is a time which will inevitably arrive – but which could be a less than golden time if we don't understand and address the issues involved. Human beings need social contact. This is a major issue amongst our older population, as their friends and partners die, so goes their support networks. Also these days children don't live nearby as they have had to leave the home town to earn a living elsewhere. So a lot of elderly people are left without family or friends and are desperately lonely as a result

Communication is a two way process. Once receiving a letter from a friend or loved one was commonplace and eagerly anticipated. More recently the telephones was the accepted means of communication. Many today enjoy close personal global networks using new technology. Email, sms, personal messaging, blogging are some of the ways they maintain communication with friends and loved ones. The rest of the world hasn’t retired and will continue its relentless pace. One needs to keep up to keep in touch. The most productive purpose of computers is to facilitate communication. Unfortunately, present practice tends to use computer technology as the sole conduit for communication. We realize that these technologies do not replace older means of communication like face-to-face meetings, telephones, or newsletters, but supplement and support the communications process.

Participation. The online world is a wholly constructed environment, it is worth considering what features, constraints, and challenges of the physical world might be introduced into virtual worlds and what ones can be overcome. Some 84% of Internet users have at one time or another contacted an online group. Tens of millions have joined communities after discovering them online. And many are using the Internet to join and participate in longstanding, traditional groups such as professional and trade associations. Furthermore, many people are using the Internet to intensify their connection to their local community. Government services are now largely delivered online as is banking and many forms of shopping and education. Tax returns have been submitted electronically for the past 5 years and the 2006 Census is also capable of being lodged online. We do not expect people to leave their homes to make phone calls anymore, why should they not have access to modern communications from home?

Approximately 60% of people who use the internet consider it important or very important to their decision making. The movement towards provision of services through electronic means does not acknowledge the different levels of access between different population groups. Such differences have implications for the ability of certain groups to use these tools for communication purposes which can have an impact on levels of social connectedness. Those without access or have limited access are disadvantaged.

Lew Spratt an Australian Social Physicist with a background in banking and finance, community and industry development, social welfare and technology. Now seeking to engage modern Information and Communication Technology to support and assist older people and people with disabilities. http://www.goldenagenet.tk

Article source: Expert Articles