The impact of internet and new technologies on business

When it comes to new technologies and concepts that progress civilization, there have always been those who are for the innovation and those who are against it. I’m sure there were plenty of people complaining when writing was becoming more popular just as there are people who complain about the growth in modern technology. While many new inventions offer efficiency and convenience, they have also been a long-time threat towards human workers. Often times the voice of workers falls on deaths ears.

Consumerism grew more popular in the 18th century. For example, rather than traveling to find a tailor to make their clothes, people could now just go to the nearest shop and buy clothes. This was more convenient for many in the sense that it required less travel, it was less expensive, and one didn’t have to wait for the clothes to be made. Thinking about modern times, more and more people are beginning to take advantage of online shopping and in store companies are left trying to keep up. Those that can’t end up as just another memory of the past and their workers are left trying to find other jobs.

The artisans and rural workers impacted in the 18th century did not find the industrial rise all too dandy. Fearing that the new weaving machinery would cause more people to be without work, English woolen workers sought to stop the expansion of this new technology through a petition. This petition is known as the Lees Woolen Worker’s Petition and it was published in 1786.

At one point, the petition reads “ How are those men, thus thrown out of employ to provide for their families.” Unlike present times, people usually specialized in one field of work and stuck with it for the rest of their lives. Considering that the machines took many of those jobs away, people were stuck without work and with little to no alternatives. Based on the continuing rise of manufacturing in the years afterwards, it’s easy to say that the petition didn’t do much.

A similar fear of technology taking peoples jobs is still an issue today. As certain creations expand, there’s just seems like no need for others. One recent example we may all know about is the fall of the Toy’s R Us business. Many assume this is due to an increase of online shopping in the past years. Toy’s R Us couldn’t really stand a chance over Businesses like Amazon and even Walmart for too much longer. There’s really no need to go out buy movies when there are online services like Hulu and Netflix that offer a catalogue of movies/TV shows with a monthly fee. Yet there are plenty of people who still do. Toy’s R Us closing due to debt load would lead to thousands of people losing their jobs.

According to one article, Toy’s R Us workers would also not “ be receiving severance pay, even if they worked for the company for decades.” As a response, employees from all over the country decided to protest against this decision. I think it’s easier now for workers that feel as though they are being treated unfairly by larger companies to have their voices heard thanks to the rise of social media.