In an era where human progress is soaring at a dizzying rate, society must adapt its technology to solve current world issues. In a world where the Internet, cell phones and notebook computers are becoming a necessity for everyday living, we often forget about those who still suffer attempting to meet their basic needs, including clean water, food and health care. It is time for the developed world to use their technology to help those who can not help themselves. By using these technologies there will be advances in medical services, a new economy based on the Internet, emerging information technologies and new methods for the farming and industrial sectors. More importantly, these technologies will provide the education and knowledge for these people to become prosperous nations that can fend for themselves and provide for their people.
Transfers of technology from the developed world to the developing world will improve the standard of living, increase efficiency in production and become a base for economic growth, without this transfer these countries will fall further into poverty and economic ruin, with little hope for survival. For most people of the developed world, the developing world is not something they concern themselves with; they do not see it everyday and therefore it does not exist. This could not be farther from the truth. The developing world is in need of help but the developed world constantly turns a blind eye. Our current love affair with technology may provide the answer for underdeveloped nations problems. The standard of living is so low in these countries that our everyday conveniences are a struggle for the entire population to obtain.
If the developed nations could meet these base needs, these countries may be able to overcome their current problems. The first issue that must be dealt with is the unsatisfactory health care and medical technology. If the developed world could send excess medical supplies along with the personnel to administer them, they might learn to take care of themselves. In time, the common diseases that kill thousands in these countries will be under control and people will start living longer, healthier lives.
A second issue is the exchange of technology for agriculture and industry. As a result, new jobs will be created to provide income, while reducing child labor. As the people of these countries start to build income for themselves, the amount of crime will be reduced as people will be able to afford to meet their basic needs. As an example, instead of having to steal or beg for food or clothing, they would be able to purchase them; thus reducing crime and increase economic growth. The case study of China completed in class, showed that as people became educated and more career oriented, the size of families decreased thus reducing overpopulation. This occurs for two main reasons, people will not have time for a family and less children are required for the work force.
With overpopulation and the rate of natural increase under control the standard of living in these countries will increase. With just a small jumpstart from the developing world, developing countries will experience a chain reaction that will increase their standard of living. This chain will start with improved medicine to increase life expectancy, followed by new jobs that will bring income and finally education that will reduce overpopulation and crime. All of these factors resulting from technological transfers will lead to an overall increase in living standard. In the corporate world of North America, it has never been easier to start a business or company.
Using modern technology such and the Internet and a computer, an individual or group of individuals can become major players in today’s ever increasing electronic economy. As the overall cost of doing business drops, it will make “the technology more rapidly available, at a decreased cost”(Freund, pg. 2) and therefore level the economic playing field. As companies start cropping up, built around a new information based economy, there will be more and more demand for jobs.
These jobs will give local workers a chance at making some money and providing a living for themselves and their families. With employment on the increase, people will start making decent wages, they will spend it locally, thus increasing the local economy and helping their own industry to grow. This economic growth will have multiple effects that include more health care and educational funding and allow the development of infrastructure. Once the countries have started to reach this level, they will be able to increase their initial technologies to further communications and computer systems, again allowing them to be competitive players in the global market. In recent years the Western world has experienced exponential growth in the computer and information market, which has in turn led to an improved economy, increased political spending and the further development of technology. As developing nations take hold of this technology, they will jump the gap from an agricultural to an information society, hopefully giving them the same benefits the developed world has experienced.
Developing nations are going to be able to take advantage of technology used by the Western world to give their economy a much needed advantage, without all the problems the West has experienced. They will be able to learn from the developed world’s mistakes. “When the steam engine was invented in England at the beginning of the eighteenth century, it took fifty years for it to spread to western Europe and America. In contrast, innovations in transistor and semiconductor technology since World War II have, on average, taken only about 2 years to spread among countries. ” (Freund, pg.
2). Accordingly, underdeveloped countries on the verge of economic explosion will have an advantage over the developed world. A developing economy based on information and computers requires much less overhead than an traditional, industrial based economy. Due to the fact these countries do not have a lot to work with from the start, they will have a chance to start the ball rolling in their country by using new technologies to their advantage. This fact alone will provide the base for economic growth that these countries need and allow for the transition from a third world country to possibly a second or first world country, while at the same time, raising their standard of living. It is human nature to think that bigger is better.
Only in the past twenty years have we started to learn that efficiency is the key to solving many of the world’s problems. For example, it has been long thought that the world would not be able to produce enough food to feed itself. With increased technological advances, we have learned how to increase food production and currently can supply every person in the world with food. For the developing world, getting the most out of what they have available to them is very important. The biggest problem holding back these developing nations, is the lack of food. To overcome this problem we must teach the farmers in these countries how to properly irrigate their land, harvest their crops properly and combat pests.
These elements combined with high yielding varieties of seeds should prove to increase food production and therefore feed those in need. Unfortunately, most agriculture is for export and therefore does not help to combat hunger. Transfers of agricultural and industrial technology that allow for the streamlining of business, such as combines and the production line, will create new jobs and contribute to increased production output. As the developing world experiences this technological transfer and growth, the demand for power in these countries will increase dramatically.
To avoid power shortages and reduce pollution, the governments of these countries must find a way to deliver more efficient power production on a larger scale. With help from the developed world, these countries will be able to build environmentally friendly power plants to help increase the living and industrial potential of the developing world. The best part of technology transfers to these third world countries is that they will continuously put money back into their local economy, which will increase education levels, health care standards and therefore have a direct relation to the standard of living. As these developing countries use newfound technology to increase their living conditions, they will unfortunately run into some of the environmental problems the developed world has seen. For example, pesticides and herbicides used in combating pests and weeds, leach into the soil and into the water table.
Most of these chemicals are having profound effects on both the people and the land, leading to premature deaths and unfertile soil. This is an unfortunate side effect of increased technology but, a somewhat necessary evil if these countries hope to increase the conditions in their countries. Many of the world issues we have today are a result of the developed worlds actions. If the global village hopes to advance as a singular race, it must share what it has learned and treat everyone as equal. Technological transfers will be the key factor of development where living standards are low. These transfers will give countries who need it, the necessities that the developed world has, such as health care, an education system and a strong economy, that if were not received, would significantly lower the chance of survival in the developed world.
