Unit 2 Assessment – Individual and Societal Impacts

Instructions
As you have explored in this unit, advancements in technology can have both individual and societal impacts. However, the impacts experienced by an individual are different than those experienced by society. Consider energy. The advent of new technologies to switch from fossil to renewable fuels may lead to loss of income, poverty, and homelessness. This can impact individual emotions, mental health, the sense of well-being, increased substance abuse, and changes in cognitive function; in contrast, technology may impact society and lead to changes in social mobility, public health, crime rates, social cohesion, and political stability.
In this assignment, you are asked to write an essay that includes your analysis of the chosen technology’s individual/sociological impacts. You may choose any recent (last 10 years) technological advancement to complete this assignment. Some areas to consider:

Communication
Transportation
Energy
Medicine
Education

Your completed essay will include at least one paragraph for each of the following:

Description of the technological advancement chosen
Explanation of your choice of technological advancement
First individual impact with one (1) external reference

Choose from the following:

Emotions
Mental health
Sense of well-being
Substance use
Cognitive functioning

Second individual impact with one (1) external reference

Choose a different impact from the individual list.

First sociological impact with one (1) external reference

Choose from the following:

Social mobility
Public health trends
Crime rates
Social cohesion
Political stability

Second individual impact with one (1) external reference

Choose a different impact from the societal list.

Your analysis of how these impacts are similar and how they are different based on whether they are individual or societal means supporting your analysis with existing sources or, as needed, new ones.
Your analysis of how the individual impacts influence the societal ones will support your analysis with existing sources or, as needed, new ones.
A summary of what you have learned about the difference between the individual and the societal impacts of technological change, use internal sources* as needed.

*Note that an internal source is anything you use from the course content.
Be sure to use appropriate sources for the external references required for this assignment.