Robotic arms seems to be a science fiction these days in action movies and sci-fi networks; however, the idea of giving back mobility to those who have lost it sparked the technology into reality. Those who are fortunate to afford and adapt to a new limb got back a sense of control in their life. These technological advances ultimately resolved a need and cultural anxiety to those who are missing body parts. In a way, it also affected the people around them. Families of the handicapped are rejoiced to see their loved ones gain back the confidence and mobility through cuting-edge innovation.
Many of the common behaviors today like driving, texting, surfing the Internet are due to the fact that Americans in the 21st century have made technology an asset to improve their lifestyles. Not only that, but it seems that technology has made Americans a part of who we are. We are around technology all the time giving time and attention to objects we find useful in life.
I definitely agree with this, in American culture, we embrace technology and use it to improve the way we live and how we experience life. This also reflects to Daniel Caeton's lecture about disability. He explained how in American culture, you hear more about trying to come up with a solution or a cure instead of just living with a disability.
ReplyDeletegreat, y'all! eric, there are incredible advances coming through in medical technologies dealing, particularly, with loss of limbs due to war, and it's fascinating how we give technology this power to 'save'. and jazmin, you're spot on - we use technology to mitigate our anxieties about disability and categorize folks (especially, as you point out, eric, who can afford it) as 'saved' or saveable through technology.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with this, technology greatly influences our lives and gives people opportunities that weren't possible years ago. I read an article about Prosthetics in Developing Countries and for many war torn countries like Cambodia and Iran, the advancement present in the United States has not yet reached them. This has a huge impact on war veterans that have lost limbs. Many end up on the streets and it usually degrades their social status. This reminds me of a sense of American exceptionalism, in that other countries have not discovered and implemented technologies we have, which causes this social barrier for disabled people in their developing countries societies.
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