Today it seems that no one can live without technology, as it means much more than just iPhones and televisions, it can be defined as knowledge put into practice to make life easier. Smartphones seem to be taking over, especially among younger generations, as it is common for children to get their first smartphone at a relatively young age. With smartphones comes the growing use of social media. Social media has become a big part of how people see each other, and it has become a problem that no other generation has faced before. These are just two examples of how technology can impact a society and how people learn to adapt to this change. Our society today tends to take technology for granted, as it has come a long way since the beginning of US history. Technology has made life easier for many generations and is also an important factor for a successful economy. Technology also contributes to improving the quality of life. Although technology has a huge impact on today's society, the greatest technological advances occurred in the 1990s, 1920s, and 1940s because these were times when society changed the most. We say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The first major influence of technology can be seen in 1900. The introduction of the industrial age enabled many social changes. The most important inventions of this period were the various creations for transportation such as canals, steamboats and railways. The railroads allowed for a national market, something unlike the United States had ever seen before. Railroads were a large investment, and many companies chose to take shortcuts rather than go further into debt, resulting in injuries and deaths due to dangerous working conditions. Greed for money caused many unnecessary railways to be built and the economy failed to support it. Although the rail boom had some flaws, it still provided many jobs and even more opportunities to the nation. Another new technology that brought opportunity was the telegraph. Instant communication, like the telegraph, made life easier and increased production for the economy. Telegraphs allowed businesses to sell goods and services easily and efficiently. With the growth of the railroads came the growth of large corporations. These companies have become remarkably large, powerful, and very competitive with each other. Monopolies began to arise which led to the elimination of all other competition. This changed the lives of both consumers and businesses because the consumer could only purchase their goods from one source and small businesses could not survive due to the prices offered by major companies. Some of the greatest entrepreneurs of this period included John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie. These men were particularly successful because their companies produced goods such as oil and steel, which were in high demand. Because these products were in high demand, the treatment of workers was often terrible. Unions began to become prevalent in society and were not always formed for the best. As noted in the primary source, strikers would do everything they could to torment those who did not strike. Families would be afraid to go to sleep at night, fearing that their homes might be looted or burned. Many men should take secret routes to work just to avoid conflict and harassment. Technology in 1900 was oneof the first eras in which society was strongly influenced by its new inventions. Many jobs were provided, which influenced economic success and enabled change in society. The next social change due to technology occurred in the 1920s. This time period is often referred to as the “New Era” because there were so many drastic changes in technology and economics. As a result, there has been an increase in jobs and income. With an increase in income, people had more money to spend which led to consumer culture. The time period is essential to this change because it took place after the war and people were able to find joy in spending their money recklessly. Electricity began to become more abundant in the average household, which allowed families to spend their money on new appliances. Many homes have begun paying for convenience with technologies such as indoor plumbing, washing machines, irons, fans, vacuum cleaners and lighters. All these new technologies have increased business productivity, especially for entertainment industries. Movies became the nation's largest form of entertainment. Movie attendance in the 1920s averaged 80 million people each week. While movies were a great form of entertainment, they also influenced society by setting standards. New fashion, dance and music emerged from film production and even influenced a sexual revolution. Another common technology during this time was the radio. Many families had radios, which would change home life forever. All family members were able to bond over the radio, listening to live music during dinner, listening to sports broadcasts. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt took advantage of this by presenting his “fireside chats” to a large audience. In addition to 1900, the 1920s also saw advancements in automobile transportation. During this period, car ownership became widespread, leading to “car culture”. Although the first automobile was invented in 1895, Ford Motors allowed cars to be more affordable by producing the Model T. Ford was able to make their cars extremely efficiently, which allowed them to sell them at a lower price than any other car during this period. time. Ford achieved this by using an assembly line of sequential workstations. With demand for automobiles so high, Ford was able to pay its workers the highest wages in the industry. Automobiles also influenced people to start living in suburban areas because they could travel back and forth between home and work. Car production also increased the production of businesses whose sole purpose was to support cars. It was necessary to asphalt more roads, build gas stations and build traffic lights. It was evident, through the primary source of the Middletown studies, that technology has significantly changed the lives of many families. Especially with the car becoming more and more normal in many households, and families had to consider where they were spending their money. Many believed that owning a car was a luxury, but some would rather spend money on their car instead of buying clothes. Those who had cars felt like they were bringing family together. The times spent in the car felt irreplaceable and became a beautiful bonding experience. However, not everyone thought so, since having a car also brought many disagreements. Since most of the.