social conditions that existed in history

In this sociology class, I have been able to get a glimpse of the social conditions that existed in history following an assessment of videos like the story of stuff. In the video, a history of consumption of products in the United States has been documented. The video was important in bringing out the history of consumerism that is deeply engraved in the purchasing behavior of American consumers. Also, When "How To" Becomes "Have To" have accounted for increased consumption of technological products while overlooking the negative externalities associated with consumption patterns (Steele & Price, 2007).
The Story of Stuff
 I found this video very interesting because of the history of consumption of more products by the United States. The video informs me that because of production of toxic substances in the time, consumers were not aware that they were consuming contaminated products. To rescue the American populace, the period saw the creation of the Environmental protection agency to protect the citizens and the environment from the prevalent importation and production of toxic chemicals.
The twist in the video is that despite the formulation of the agency and the passing of the legislation on control of toxic substances, thousands of chemicals were grandfathered by the passage of the act. I really enjoyed the video because it was depicted in a manner very easy to understand. This is a very important video for a sociology class because pictures and diagrams have been used to depict the social changes that were taking place during the period (Steele & Price, 2007).
The video is humorous because it describes the United States as an irresponsible fraternity because of trashing the country and ignoring the probable environment effects. Some of the ideas that caught my attention included the idea that breastfeeding by women was emitting toxins to the children. Most of the mothers in this period thought that they were doing the most appropriate thing but the realization that they had consumed toxic products that could harm their babies made them consider that they were not safe because they had not taken the necessary safety measures. Looking at the video, it is clear that the chemicals are the probable culprit of many children suffering from the diseases in the present-day America. Men are presently suffering from low rates of fertility and this could be linked to contaminated water. It is apparent that the country has never taken both appropriate and comprehensive measures to protect the citizens from health hazards linked to environmental degradation (Totten, 2014).
Being part of a sociology class requirement, the video points out that only 4% of our original resources have been left because of using more than the share of worlds resources we possess. Moreover, creation of 30% waste is a source of concern. Leaders in the country are called upon to converge and discuss the benefit of environmental protection. This is an appropriate intervention to mitigate the risks associated with environmental pollution. I realized that the video was very impactful because it encapsulates important consumerism concepts. The quote We have become a nation of consumers resonated with the situation shown in the video with the primary the primary identity of the American populace is that of consumers and not teachers, farmers, fathers, and mothers. With many products going to waste it is sad that we might soon run out of resources to produce more stuff. There is no realistic and possible outcome in case we humans continue to consume at such an alarming rate (Giddens, Duneier, Appelbaum, & Carr, 2013 ).
There is a disturbing quote by Lebow who claims that the enormously productive American economy demands the populace to convert consumption as a way of life by converting the use and purchase of goods into a ritual. Lebow also adds that we ought to seek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction, in the process of consumption. In his claim, Lebow meant that our measure of social acceptance, social status, and prestige was to be found in our patterns of consumption. Also, the significance and meaning of our lives was to be expressed through consumptive terms. With great pressures upon individuals to conform to accepted and safe social standards, the individual will tend to express aspiration and individuality in terms of what he/she drives, wears, and eats. The aforementioned view is not only unsustainable but American. It is apparent that the consumption-oriented nature was drilled into us long ago. The video left me with strong convictions to stop letting companies and the media and companies belonging to marketing masterminds to stop dictating the level of my self-esteem (Duneier & Appelbaum, 2009).
When "How To" Becomes "Have To"
In this video, I concur with Bell that individual participation should not be mandatory and that we cannot be involuntary technology victims. It also reveals human beings as consumers are responsible for the role technology has assumed in our lives. Fundamentally, the consumption of products in the modern society is not for necessity but for convenience. Parents are buying their kids expensive phones because the kids have to own those phones. It is hard to cope with technological changes because after purchasing such devices, more advanced ones emerge. Indeed, attempting to keep up with technological changes is an exercise in futility because once an individual purchases the newest model of a certain gadget, the gadget is soon replaced by a faster gadget with the capacity to work faster and do more work (Giddens, Duneier, Appelbaum, & Carr, 2013 ).
 In case the electrical grid is affected in the United States, it would be a large-scale problem because we depend on electricity for the functioning of our gadgets. It has become a routine in our daily lives to use technology and gadgets. There is the need for us to become a community of people again, but that can only happen after the incidence of a catastrophic event. The present community has become more of an online community or a community that has impersonal ways of connecting with the outside world (Totten, 2014).
In the video, a key example of findings by Bell related to the interaction between technologys how-to, which a creative aspect, and the constraints that emerge. Then how-to of technology shifts into have-to with the purchase of tablets and laptop computers by the students being a prime example. The decision of a student to purchase a laptop is borne out of convenience and not necessity. Most students have access to computers at their homes, but the convenience of doing their homework wherever they are (Totten, 2014).
This is an indication that the modern-day society has become more dependent on technological devices like mobiles and computers. I think it is very hard for present-day companies to function without computers. Instead of taking control of the modern technologies, the technological devices have completely controlled us.  According to Bell, technology is a creation by the society that can be termed as a force shaping the form that social creativity assumes. Definitely, there would be a complete change in lifestyle in case we did not possess cell phones. When pagers were the in thing, most individuals possessed them and students that did not possess them had to borrow from their friends. Presently, the technological devices have become very effective that we simply cannot imagine not using them. One can consider living without a smart phone but the idea of using paper maps and writing notes on real papers is both time consuming and tedious (Duneier & Appelbaum, 2009).
It is apparent in the video that most people cannot consider the idea of living without their smart phones because one would be compelled to carry paper maps for direction, carry dictionary, and use stamps to mail letters. These conventional methods of doing things have been eliminated with technological changes because the aforementioned activities can be carried out by a smart phone (Giddens, Duneier, Appelbaum, & Carr, 2013 ).
The use of the GPS signal it would be hard to locate where we are. Many students are increasingly purchasing expensive tablets to enjoy the convenience of take notes in the classroom instead of constantly writing out everything. The capacity of devices such as smart phones and tablets to sync everything to an individuals Google drives account, Dropbox account and school cloud has made it both easier and more convenient to access photos, videos, and notes. Moreover, it is also encouraging to note that students no longer have to worry about losing their important data in the case of computer crash even if they are good at backing up their data at a regular basis (Steele & Price, 2007).
Efficiency is a norm associated with technology, with one of its manifestations being the capacity to sync everything for easy access of data and information, notwithstanding the location. It is important to note that the companies involved in the manufacture of major electronics in the world, like Apple are associated with horrible conditions of work in their factories, long hours of work, and increased employees suicide. Particularly, inside the manufacturing warehouses, the companies have been compelled to install nets on their buildings for safety so that the workers would not attempt to jump to their death. Literature on bad working conditions and the prevalence of suicide in the manufacturing warehouses of technology companies is comprehensive (Totten, 2014).
Notwithstanding the believe by many individuals that the purchase being made by the modern-day consumers are more of wants as opposed to actual needs, it also makes sense that these kinds of technological purchases are a matter of constraint brought about by increased consumerism. Bell mentions technology as a creation in the society and a powerful force that shapes our social creativity forms. Because of the routine need for availability and structure of information presently, looking at Bells work can help an individual to see that there are a lot of invisible problems that have been brought about by technology. The effect of technology with this regard is known as the elbowing effect. The elbowing effect described by Bell is more technically assessed by economists as an externality. Externalities refers to the economic impacts that are not taken into consideration in the decision making process of a market. Bell continues to describe the two categories of externalities in positive and negative externalities. Increased inequality, as in the case of companies which are large global brands but have bad working conditions and pollution, are appropriate examples of negative externalities (Steele & Price, 2007).
Bell adds that there are positive externalities, which are benefits not accounted for in making economic decisions and may possess wide utility like more effective production. An example of positive externalities is the capacity of smart phones to sync files and be able to access them anytime, anywhere. Conceivably, the positive externality may also take the form of an economic arrangement whereby the economic choices made by an individual promote enhanced equality, and reduces pollution among other positive aspects. According to Bells suggestions, we have become so used to routine use of technological devices that it has become increasingly hard to change the situation. Purchase of tablets and computers has become both a have to and a want. Simply, students are finding it necessary to be accustomed to being capable of dealing with their electronic data in a specific way. Hence, it would be increasingly difficult to consider using floppy drives and carrying important information in a manner in which it can be stolen, broken or lost (Scott & Marshall, 2009).
 References
Duneier, M., & Appelbaum, R. P. (2009). Introduction to Sociology. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company.
Giddens, A., Duneier, M., Appelbaum, R. P., & Carr, D. (2013 ). Introduction to Sociology. New York, NY: W. W. Norton, Incorporated.
Scott, J., & Marshall, G. (2009). A Dictionary of Sociology. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Steele, S., & Price, J. (2007). Applied Sociology: Terms, Topics, Tools, and Tasks. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Totten, S. (2014). The Importance of Teaching Social Issues: Our Pedagogical Creeds. London: Routledge.