Technology

In the series that NPR did about planet money’s T-shirt project, we were able to see the very complex process of how a simple T-shirt goes through the complex process of being made. From the cotton field to the finished product being worn we were able to see the T-shirt travel to different countries and come in contact with many different people. Through its travel and many steps of the process, one thing remained constant when making the T-shirt, technology. From the intricate tractors on the cotton farm to the multiple machines in the factory that turns cotton into fabric, the T-shirt making process would be vastly different without this helpful technology. This makes me think about how much technology plays a role when it comes to consumption. Despite the fact that nearly everything we consume has been created by technology, we often never stop to think about how something we are purchasing or consuming is made. This series by NPR truly gives us the opportunity to take a glimpse into how the things we use in our day to day lives are made, and how the advancements in technology have made it easier for the producers and consumers.

For my video, I wanted to stress the point of the impact technology plays in creating products. While watching the short video clips one quote really stuck out to me, “It goes from plant to fabric with barely a human being involved.” This quote really made me think about how much technology plays a role in creating the goods we consume every day. The video I chose was from Buzzfeed and it is called “24 Machines That Prove Automation Is Beautiful.” This video includes just some of the technology that makes it much easier to produce goods efficiently and abundantly. The picture that I chose was a man holding a glowing world map in his hand because I wanted to symbolize how technology connects the world. Just like we saw in the video technology makes it easy for a T-shirt to go from the U.S. to multiple different countries and back. Lastly, the audio I chose was the song Technologic by Daft Punk which is a song that once again emphasizes our use and reliance on technology in our day to day consumer lives.