UNIT 3

1	There are several issues raised by the technological revolution.  The first is the merging of technology providers.  A single company can now provide access to television shows, telephone service, cell phone service, and the Internet.  On the one hand, as communication media merge, more and more options become available to the home user at lower and lower prices.  On the other hand, fewer companies own more of all media (radio, TV, newspapers, magazines).  Some worry that this trend will eventually limit the variety of programs and points of view offered.  For example, Clear Channel is a company that owns a large number of radio stations throughout the country.  The owner has strong political views, and he has on occasion refused to play the music of musicians who publicly criticized the president.
2	Another challenge is the effect of all this technology on children.  Some worry that American children and young people are spending too much time watching television, using their computers, and playing video games.  Clearly, they are not getting enough exercise, and the lack of physical activity has led to serious problems of childhood obesity and a sharp rise in the number of children with type 2 diabetes.
3	Others worry more about the quality of what children are watching on TV and what they are seeing on the Internet.  Americans face a constant dilemma \\ how to balance the right to free speech with the need to protect children and maintain standards of decency.  Because Americans place such a high value on individual freedom, particularly freedom of speech, they have traditionally been very hesitant to censor, or even restrict, the flow of information by any means of communication.  True censorship occurs when the government sets the standards; most Americans would prefer that the entertainment industry regulate itself, and the movie industry does have a rating system for films.  Now that many American children have access to the Internet, there is a debate over whether and how to regulate it.  For example, there have been arguments over whether public libraries should deny Internet users access to certain websites.
4	Finally, there is a concern about the growing gdigital divide,h the gap between Americans who own computers and those who do not.  People who have more education and are higher on the socioeconomic scale are likely to spend less time watching television and more time on their computers.  Many of those on the other side of the digital divide, those who do not own computers, live in poverty, and some belong to minority populations.
