SPJ INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE INC.

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

S/Y 2019-2020

COMPUTER SYSTEMS SERVICING NC II

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Activity I
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 SPJ INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE INC.
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
S/Y 2019-2020

Benefits of Technological Literacy

The argument for technological literacy is rooted in a single, fundamental belief. In a
world permeated by technology, an individual can function more effectively if he or she is
familiar with and has a basic understanding of technology. A higher level of technological
literacy in the United States would have a number of benefits, for individuals and for the society
as a whole.

Improving Decision Making

Technological literacy prepares individuals to make well-informed choices in their role as

consumers. The world is full of products and services that promise to make people’s lives
easier, more enjoyable, more efficient, or healthier, and more and more of these products
appear every year. A technologically literate person cannot know how each new technology
works, its advantages and disadvantages, how to operate it, and so on, but he or she can learn
enough about a product to put it to good use or to choose not to use it.

Americans are not only consumers; they are also workers, members of families and
communities, and citizens of a large, complex democracy. In all of these spheres, they face
personal decisions that involve the development or use of technology. Is a local referendum on
issuing bonds for the construction of a new power plant a wise use of taxpayer dollars? Does
a plan to locate a new waste incinerator within several miles of one’s home pose serious health
risks, as opponents of the initiative may claim? How should one react to efforts by local
government to place surveillance cameras in high-crime areas of the city? Technologically
literate people will be much better able to address these and many other technology-related
questions.

Decision making is not only personal. Leaders in a variety of sectors, including business,
government, and the media, make decisions daily that affect what others—sometimes
thousands or even millions of people—think and do. These individuals in particular will benefit
from a considerable understanding of the nature of technology, and an awareness that all
technologies involve trade-offs and may result in unintended consequences. With a higher level
of technological literacy in the nation, people in positions of power will be more likely to manage
technological developments in a way that maximizes the benefits to humankind and minimizes
the negative impacts. Of course, there is no hard-and-fast line between purely personal
concerns and business interests, the needs of states, and the needs of the nation. In most
cases the personal interests of everyday Americans do influence decisions by policy makers
and company CEOs.
 SPJ INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE INC.
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
S/Y 2019-2020

Some concrete examples can illustrate the importance of technological literacy to

decision making at all levels. The next three sections present descriptions of current issues that
require decision making of some sort. The first is the use of car air bags and relates mostly to
the concerns of individual citizens. The second addresses genetically modified foods, an issue
relevant to individuals, who must decide which foods to buy at the grocery store; policy makers,
who must take into account regulatory, trade, and other considerations; and the biotechnology
industry and farmers, the two groups most responsible for creating and selling such products.
The third example is the California energy crisis, which has put pressure on individuals,
businesses, and political leaders to develop short-term and long-term solutions.

All three examples have a central technological component, which may be part of the
problem, part of a solution, or both. The technological component cannot be separated from
political, legal, social, and other concerns. A box at the end of each example shows how the
three dimensions of technological literacy—knowledge, capabilities, and ways of thinking and
acting—might come into play in each case. Recommendations by safety experts that young
children be placed in the back seat and that a distance of at least 10 inches be maintained
between the driver and the steering wheel to minimize the chances of air bag-induced injury.
Some people feel that air bags are not worth the risk and would like to shut them off, or at least
have the option to do so. An on-off switch can be installed, but it requires permission from the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and costs several hundred dollars.
The decision to disable your air bag has potentially serious consequences. To make the best
choice, the decision maker should know something about how air bags work, how well they
protect, and in what situations.

All air bag systems operate in basically the same way. On board sensing devices
measure crash impact. Once activated, the crash sensors signal solid-propellant inflators to
begin the chemical reaction that generates nitrogen gas that fills the air bag. The gas inflates a
folded nylon bag, which acts as a protective cushion between the occupant and the inside of
the car. As the person collides with the air bag, vents in the bag allow the gas to escape,
absorbing energy and reducing the severity of impact. Ideally, occupants collide with the bag
just as it becomes fully inflated. But if the bag strikes the occupant while it is still inflating, it can
cause serious injury or death because the bags travel at speeds of more than 100 mph.

Studies show that air bags are about 13 percent effective in saving the lives of drivers
not wearing a lap-shoulder seat belt (NHTSA, 1996). That is, if 100 fatally injured drivers in cars
without air bags had been driving cars with air bags, 13 of them would have survived. By
comparison, seat belts are approximately 42 percent effective in preventing driver fatalities,
compared to situations in which no seat belts are worn. The combined effectiveness, for drivers,
of seat belts and air bags is 47 percent. This means that, overall, air bags reduce the risk of
death for drivers wearing seat belts by 9 percent ([58 – 53]/58).