People Consume, Create and Govern Technology

People are Consumers of Technology Consume means “to use up.” People consume the products and services of technology. As consumers, we create a market for these products.

People are Consumers of Technology If we like a product, we buy it. Products we do not like, or do not meet our needs are left on the shelves.

People are Consumers of Technology How do companies know what consumers want? It is the job of market researchers to determine what new products consumers want and are willing to purchase.

People are Consumers of Technology Consumer demand for new products keeps a constant flow of new technologies emerging.

People are Consumers of Technology Through their purchases, consumers also contribute to the strength of our nation’s economy. By purchasing goods and services, consumers create an increased demand for these items.

People are Consumers of Technology To meet this demand, companies increase production and hire additional employees.

People are Consumers of Technology Economists study the production and consumption of goods and use this information to determine the health of our nation’s economy.

People are Consumers of Technology A healthy economy produces a large Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The Gross Domestic Product is defined as an index of the production and consumption of a country’s goods, used to determine the health of the country’s economy.

People are Consumers of Technology A fall in the GDP means consumers are buying less and production is declining.

People Create Technology People are responsible for developing, producing, and maintaining our technical world.

People Create Technology The skills and talents of workers around the world create the products and services we use each day.

People Create Technology The use of technology begins when a need or want is identified. People think of products that meet the need. People combine the seven resources of technology to bring their ideas to reality.

People Create Technology The seven resources are the following: PeopleMoneyTimeEnergyMaterials/SuppliesTools/MachinesInformation

People Create Technology During the late 1800s, Whitcomb Judson saw a need for a device to fasten boots quickly. In 1891, his creative use of resources gave the world the zipper.

People Create Technology Professionals such as engineers, architects, and scientists develop technical ideas and create specific plans for making them. Technicians and skilled workers work from these plans to produce the product or provide the service.

People Create Technology Entrepreneurs How creative are you? Do you often come up with great ideas or solutions to technical problems? You might someday make a lot of money as an entrepreneur. An entrepreneur is a person who forms or starts his or her own business.

People Create Technology Entrepreneurs Your business might be based on a brand new invention or an innovation. An innovation is a modification to a product that already exists.

People Create Technology Entrepreneurs Bette Claire Graham was an entrepreneur. As a secretary for a Texas bank, she made her share of typing mistakes (on a typewriter).

People Create Technology Entrepreneurs In search of a quick correction process, she drew upon her knowledge as an amateur artist. Mixing white paint and turpentine, she developed the first liquid correction fluid. She sold her product to secretaries in her building. Her small company grew into a nation-wide industry.

People Create Technology Entrepreneurs Bette Graham died in Her business was sold to the Gillette Company for $45.5 million.

People Create Technology Human Factors Engineering Have you ever sat in a chair and noticed that the chair back didn’t fit the contour of your spine? It was not a very comfortable chair-one you wouldn’t want to spend a great deal of time in.

People Create Technology Human Factors Engineering Sometimes the products of technology don’t seem to match the people that use them. When people create technology, they must consider the “human factor”

People Create Technology Human Factors Engineering Human factors engineering is also called ergonomics. Ergonomics is defined as the type of designing in which the designer studies how to match the product to the human user. If the designer of that uncomfortable chair had studied human posture, a more comfortable chair might have resulted.

People Govern Technology Technology brings about change within the community and workplace. People are responsible for governing and regulating this change. By creating rules and laws, people can maintain control over the impacts of technology..

People Govern Technology Regulations are designed to protect workers, consumers, and the environment from negative effects of technology.

People Govern Technology Worker Safety The technological workplace can be hazardous. Conditions are much better now than they were in the sweatshops and 18-hour work days.

People Govern Technology Worker Safety This came about through regulations designed to create better working conditions. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is the federal office that creates regulations designed to improve the working conditions.

People Govern Technology Worker Safety OSHA regulations are designed to protect the health and welfare of workers. OSHA inspectors make surprise visits to factories and other workplaces.

People Govern Technology Worker Safety OSHA makes sure employees are wearing proper protective clothing, machines are safe, and the company is following the regulations set up by OSHA to protect the employees. If violations are found during an OSHA visit, the employer can be fined.

People Govern Technology Worker Safety Minimum wage laws guarantee a fair wage for workers. Worker’s compensation laws provide medical care and income if a worker is hurt on the job.

People Govern Technology Consumer Safety Laws Product safety laws are designed to protect consumers from products that might be unsafe.

People Govern Technology Consumer Safety Laws Products are tested to ensure that they are safe to use. Take a look at a radio or stereo. There is probably a UL label somewhere on the product.

People Govern Technology Consumer Safety Laws UL stands for Underwriter’s Laboratory. The Underwriter’s Laboratory is the agency that tests products to ensure that they work properly.

Local towns and cities use building codes to set standards on methods used in construction. Electrical codes, plumbing codes, and construction codes ensure that buildings and homes are constructed safely. People Govern Technology Consumer Safety Laws

People Govern Technology Environmental Laws Many of the impacts of technology are unforeseen or not realized when the technology is first developed.

People Govern Technology Environmental Laws Henry Ford never dreamed that the automobile would have such a negative effect on the environment.

People Govern Technology Environmental Laws People have created laws and regulations to protect our environment from further damage.

People Govern Technology Environmental Laws The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the office of the federal government that creates regulations to protect our air, land and water. EPA laws forbid the dumping of industrial waste into our waters and land.

People Govern Technology Environmental Laws People have also created laws to regulate fumes coming out of smokestacks and tailpipes of automobiles.

People Govern Technology Environmental Laws Other environmental laws require developers or builders to fill out Environment Impact Statements before they begin any major construction projects.

People Govern Technology Environmental Laws Environmental Impact Statements try to predict the impact of construction on the environment, wildlife, and the surrounding community.

Key Terms/Definitions Resources: All the things that are needed to accomplish or get a job done. Consumers: The people who buy or use a product Gross Domestic Product: an index of the production and consumption of a country’s goods Entrepreneur: a person that starts his or her own business Innovation: a modification to a product that already exists Ergonomics: type of designing in which the designer studies how to match the product to the human user. Occupational Health and Safety Administration: A federal office that creates regulations designed to improve working conditions. Environmental Protection Agency: A federal office that creates regulations to help protect our air, land, and water.