The fact that technology is outpacing the needs of those in cultures that can afford the technology creates cultures of excess consumerism.
Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim. In developing and supporting your position, be sure to address the most compelling reasons and/or examples that could be used to challenge your position.
One of the major challenges in the modern world is the culture of excess consumerism. There seems to be no end to the consumption of the modern consumer. It is, however, more difficult to ascertain the cause of this consumer culture. In this essay, I argue that whilst technology is outpacing the needs of the modern consumer, this is not a causal relationship. The exponential rate of technological innovation is instead a manifestation of the scientific temperament and a desire to seek perfection, which should be commended. Rather, excess consumerism stems from a materialist desire to seek happiness in external pleasures, and this is a thirst which cannot be quenched.
The first remark that must be made is that it is too large a generalization to state that technology is outpacing the needs of the modern affluent consumer. Rather, some sectors of the technology industry, such as medical technology, environmental technology, and agricultural technology, are trying to meet the needs of the modern consumer. Cures for cancer, mitigation of climate change, and sustainable food production are some of the areas in which needs are far ahead of the technology.
Nevertheless, much technology has innovated far beyond human needs. Modern smartphones and smart televisions are just two examples of this. It is incorrect, however, to state that this technology is the cause of excess consumerism. On the contrary, they are simply stimuli which a latent desire inside the human being attaches itself onto. The desire does not exist within the iPad but within the human. It is the individual which views the iPad as an item which must be purchased. Thus the problem exists, not with the pace of technological progress, but with the worldview of the individual that seeks the pleasures uncontrollably.
As noted earlier, modern technology acts as a stimulus and not a cause of modern consumerism. Excess consumerism is a manifestation of an aspect of the history of Western Civilisation. A foundational myth of the West is that man was made in the image of God. This mythology continues in a secularised form and places man at the center of its worldview. This is compounded by the notion that nature exists to satisfy the pleasures of man. This results in a worldview which, in its secularised form, seeks to satisfy its desires through the external world. Unfortunately, such desires cannot be satisfied. Instead, they continue to increase. This naturally results in a consumer culture in which the masses uncontrollably seek pleasure externally, and this is the root cause of excess consumerism.
It could be argued that such consumerism exists in non-Christian societies, thus my argument is moot. However, such an argument fails to take note of the fact that Christendom (in one form or another) ruled over much of the world. Most of the consumerist world follows a post-Christian economic and educational model. Thus, it is inevitable for this same problem to exist there.
To conclude, I believe that it is incorrect to state that the pace of technological innovation is the cause of excess consumerism. Rather, it is a problem that stems from the history of Western civilization, and its founding myths. Technology provides a stimulus, not a cause. The cause exists within the individuals that make up the society. This cause is a worldview which is anthropocentric and seeks to quench its desires in the external world. Such desires can ultimately never be quenched. Technological innovation is one of the great results of the Enlightenment. It is some of the other aspects of the Enlightenment's roots that need to be viewed with suspicion instead.
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Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 3, column 427, Rule ID: SOME_OF_THE[1]
Message: Simply use 'some'.
Suggestion: some
...ge, and sustainable food production are some of the areas in which needs are far ahead of t...
^^^^^^^^^^^
Line 5, column 483, Rule ID: SENT_START_CONJUNCTIVE_LINKING_ADVERB_COMMA[1]
Message: Did you forget a comma after a conjunctive/linking adverb?
Suggestion: Thus,
...Pad as an item which must be purchased. Thus the problem exists, not with the pace o...
^^^^
Line 7, column 439, Rule ID: ENGLISH_WORD_REPEAT_BEGINNING_RULE
Message: Three successive sentences begin with the same word. Reword the sentence or use a thesaurus to find a synonym.
...exists to satisfy the pleasures of man. This results in a worldview which, in its se...
^^^^
Line 11, column 578, Rule ID: SOME_OF_THE[1]
Message: Simply use 'some'.
Suggestion: some
...eat results of the Enlightenment. It is some of the other aspects of the Enlightenments roo...
^^^^^^^^^^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
but, first, however, if, nevertheless, so, thus, such as, on the contrary
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 41.0 19.5258426966 210% => Less to be verbs wanted.
Auxiliary verbs: 8.0 12.4196629213 64% => OK
Conjunction : 14.0 14.8657303371 94% => OK
Relative clauses : 24.0 11.3162921348 212% => Less relative clauses wanted (maybe 'which' is over used).
Pronoun: 48.0 33.0505617978 145% => Less pronouns wanted
Preposition: 83.0 58.6224719101 142% => OK
Nominalization: 16.0 12.9106741573 124% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 3078.0 2235.4752809 138% => OK
No of words: 598.0 442.535393258 135% => OK
Chars per words: 5.14715719064 5.05705443957 102% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.94510247834 4.55969084622 108% => OK
Word Length SD: 3.16628098675 2.79657885939 113% => OK
Unique words: 253.0 215.323595506 117% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.423076923077 0.4932671777 86% => More unique words wanted or less content wanted.
syllable_count: 968.4 704.065955056 138% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.6 1.59117977528 101% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 17.0 6.24550561798 272% => Less pronouns wanted as sentence beginning.
Article: 5.0 4.99550561798 100% => OK
Subordination: 1.0 3.10617977528 32% => OK
Conjunction: 6.0 1.77640449438 338% => Less conjunction wanted as sentence beginning.
Preposition: 5.0 4.38483146067 114% => OK
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 37.0 20.2370786517 183% => OK
Sentence length: 16.0 23.0359550562 69% => The Avg. Sentence Length is relatively short.
Sentence length SD: 36.9666503208 60.3974514979 61% => OK
Chars per sentence: 83.1891891892 118.986275619 70% => OK
Words per sentence: 16.1621621622 23.4991977007 69% => OK
Discourse Markers: 1.97297297297 5.21951772744 38% => More transition words/phrases wanted.
Paragraphs: 6.0 4.97078651685 121% => OK
Language errors: 4.0 7.80617977528 51% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 14.0 10.2758426966 136% => OK
Sentences with negative sentiment : 10.0 5.13820224719 195% => OK
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 13.0 4.83258426966 269% => Less facts, knowledge or examples wanted.
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.194332150279 0.243740707755 80% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0507597937378 0.0831039109588 61% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0483436205302 0.0758088955206 64% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.112971165371 0.150359130593 75% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0499981211501 0.0667264976115 75% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 10.9 14.1392134831 77% => Automated_readability_index is low.
flesch_reading_ease: 55.24 48.8420337079 113% => OK
smog_index: 8.8 7.92365168539 111% => OK
flesch_kincaid_grade: 9.5 12.1743820225 78% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 12.29 12.1639044944 101% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 8.07 8.38706741573 96% => OK
difficult_words: 138.0 100.480337079 137% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 9.0 11.8971910112 76% => OK
gunning_fog: 8.4 11.2143820225 75% => OK
text_standard: 9.0 11.7820224719 76% => OK
What are above readability scores?
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Rates: 50.0 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 3.0 Out of 6
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Note: the e-grader does NOT examine the meaning of words and ideas. VIP users will receive further evaluations by advanced module of e-grader and human graders.