This week, we discuss how technology and innovations drive social change and the consequences that may come from new technologies and increasing efficiencies. When thinking about rationalization and McDonaldization, I am reminded of this short video that shows the concerns of Weber and Ritzer in action. Note: This is a Chipotle commercial - please disregard the marketing, and watch the video as an example of the course concepts. Think about what you learned in the McDonaldization reading and the lecture this week to connect to the ideas presented in the video.

Back to the Start from Johnny Kelly on Vimeo.
Now let's take a closer look at technology as a trigger for social change. Here are some questions that come to my mind when thinking about this week's topic: How does and can technology impact social change? For instance, how will the addition of self-driving cars impact our current social structure? How might virtual reality change our social behavior? How does the continued desire to consume the next best smart phones, tablets, wearables, and other electronic gadgets affect our world? How will the personal and commercial use of drones and other work robots impact us? How does medical technology advancement impact individuals and society?

After pondering some of these issues, explore what interests you based on this topic by following these instructions for your posts:
Find a news story on a topic related to new technology that you find significant for driving social change in our current and near distant future. Share the news story link and give a brief description of it (a couple sentences). Then respond to some or all of these questions posed:
What do you envision for the future based on the technology? How will it impact society? What consequences may come of it, and are they positive or negative (or both)? Explain.
How do the concepts from this week, such as rationalization or McDonaldization relate to the story you have presented? Is there a desire to return to more traditional ways, or is it more positive to move forward with our technologies? Explain.

How might we best adapt to new technologies? What new type of society may come from the changes?
In your answers, use information from this week's readings and videos to support your ideas, and work to discuss the large-scale changes that affect the social structure rather than only on a personal, individual level.
Important: You do not need to answer each and every one of these questions. They are just to get you thinking and discussing significant issues related to technology and social change. Be sure to use a news article on new technology and analyze how we may be impacted by it, and use these questions as a way to direct your responses.