Introduction to the Topics

Welcome to Technology’s Role in Current Events.

In this unit, you’ll explore how technology both informs and transforms our world.

Technology creates greater awareness of current events and empowers citizens to take action.

People used to wait for the newspaper or the nightly TV news to learn about the world.

Today, technology delivers breaking news the moment it happens.

Websites, newsfeeds, and social media keep people instantly informed about a whole range of things, such as: natural disasters, political unrest, elections, and the latest new gadgets.

All over the world, many people have phones, tablets, and cameras.

People use their mobile devices to record events and share information on social media websites.

Anyone can participate in current events or be a citizen journalist when they share videos, write blogs, or post in online conversations.

Technological developments like automation and self-driving cars are even considered current events themselves.

New technology raises important questions like: Is it OK for a car to make driving decisions just using data?

Are 3-D-printed organs safe to use as transplants?

And how will humans coexist with automated devices?

Technology also influences how social movements develop.

For example, during natural disasters, people use social media to share news and save lives.

Software developers create apps and websites to make it easier to report problems and get help during an emergency.

Technology influences current events, from the way they unfold, to how the news is reported, and even what topics are covered.

In this unit, you’ll explore how technology transforms current events and our responses to them.

Now, it’s your turn.

Click Next to move on and choose a topic.

Explore your topic in an internet search, create a project in a Google application, and present your project to your classmates.