LibGuides: Technology Gone Wild!: Home

Topic Portals from Opposing Viewpoints

Each of the links below will take you to a portal page about the topic in the Opposing Viewpoints database. The portals contain everything you need to explore the facts about your topic, as well as a range of opinions about it.

Always begin by reading the entire Overview Essay at the top of each portal (you'll have to click on "Read More" to see beyond the first paragraph), which gives you the basic facts, history, vocabulary, and relevant laws about your topic.

Then, skip over the Viewpoint Essays at first to explore Reference, Statistics, Infographics, Magazines, Newspapers, Academic Journals, Images, Videos, Websites, and Audio about your topic.

When you've read enough to have your own opinion, go back up to the Featured Viewpoints and Viewpoints sections to see if anything you read there changes your mind.

Artificial Intelligence
"While the term "artificial intelligence" may bring to mind images of sentient humanoid robots like those of popular science fiction literature and film, most AI exists as computer systems composed of algorithms and large amounts of data entered by humans. Because they simulate human intelligence, AI systems depend upon human input to acquire skills, knowledge, and reasoning....Despite the generally optimistic public sentiment, many policymakers, ethicists, and activists advise caution, warning that the expansion of AI could spur massive job losses, worsen economic inequality, and create new forms of discrimination."
Automation in the Workplace
"Proponents of increased automation in the workplace note the potential of these technologies to save time and money, improve safety conditions, and standardize output and quality. Enthusiasts contend that these benefits will allow humans to be more productive by focusing their attention on more meaningful tasks. Critics, however, warn that the costs of such technologies may outweigh the benefits, noting that automation technologies can require substantial investment to be implemented and maintained. Economists and labor activists have also expressed concern about worker displacement and the ability to prepare workers for the major changes in production that automation will bring."
Big Data
"Big data refers to the massive amount of information that is created, collected, and analyzed to provide insights into consumer preferences and behavior....The rapid increase in the collection and use of big data...has raised questions among US consumers and associated advocacy groups. Many individuals and civil liberties organizations have expressed concerns regarding the privacy and security of users’ personal information, such as Social Security numbers, medical information, and religious affiliations."
Cloning
"Modern cloning has been used to improve food production and develop new medical procedures, and some supporters argue that it may prove crucial to mitigating the impact of climate change on species loss. Others are more hesitant, however, and worry that cloning could have dangerous, unforeseen consequences and be used unethically. "
Designer Babies
"Designer babies are babies whose genetic makeup was selected or modified at the embryo stage to ensure the presence or absence of certain characteristics....While most bioethicists note that it is possible to use these practices in ethical ways to prevent suffering, they caution that, when undertaken for other purposes or in the absence of a solid ethical framework, genetic editing could have far-reaching negative, unintended consequences."
Domestic Surveillance
" Civil libertarians have argued that government monitoring, collection of private data, and other forms of domestic surveillance violate a person’s right to privacy. Defenders of domestic surveillance maintain that the intelligence gathered through these practices is essential to national security."
Drones
"Drones...are remotely piloted aircrafts. They are used by the military for surveillance and can be armed for air strikes in dangerous or risky situations...Drone use is controversial and raises questions surrounding civil liberties and ethical and privacy concerns."
Facial Recognition Technology
"A facial recognition system is software technology that maps and verifies a person's unique facial features. These systems are capable of identifying individual human faces by comparing input from an image against information stored in a database. Simpler systems use algorithms to analyze faces and generate matches, but more advanced software uses artificial intelligence (AI) to improve precision and accuracy...
Beyond the potential for private-sector privacy abuses, facial recognition technology's surveillance applications have also sparked major concerns."
Fake News on Social Media
"Media experts define fake news as factually false information, delivered in the context of a supposedly true news story and deliberately designed to deceive readers....Many media and legal experts have raised concerns that US policies, processes, and legal statutes are inadequate and outdated for regulating fake news on the internet. In many cases, organized purveyors of fake news use paid social media–based advertising to spread false stories."
Gig Economy
"The gig economy refers to the emergent and growing body of short-term, contract, and freelance work increasingly pursued using online or digital platforms. People who work in the gig economy and lack primary, permanent full-time positions are also called the contingent workforce because their continued employment depends upon the availability of contracts, projects, and tasks....Various efforts have been undertaken to address the contingent workforce's economic insecurity and lack of protection, including unionization of contingent faculty and the passage of state and local laws."
Live Streaming of Violent Acts
"The live streaming of violent acts poses challenges to lawmakers in determining if the person who records, broadcasts, or views a criminal act should be held accountable or has any obligation to act. Likewise, social media companies that provide platforms for streaming such content must find a balance between providing an open forum where users can express themselves freely and providing safe spaces that adhere both to users' local community standards and company guidelines."
Nanotechnology
"Nanoscience is an emerging field focused on the study, management, and engineering of objects and their properties on the nanoscale, which is the scale of molecular and atomic structures....Nanotechnology represents a pioneering field of scientific innovation with transformative potential in such areas as agriculture, biomedicine, cosmetics, clothing, electronics, energy, environmental science, food and drink, manufacturing, and national defense and security." Critics are concerned, however, about the safety of ingestible nanotechnology, the risk of hackers controlling medical nanodevices, and increased surveillance.
Privacy
"As organizations and corporations obtain an increasing amount of personal data on members and users, more and more questions arise regarding how that data is used and whether individuals' privacy is put at risk by such practices."
Smartphones
"Psychologists have warned that smartphone use can affect brain function and social skills. Some proponents of smartphone use, however, have suggested the impact is minimal.
Smartphones collect significant amounts of personal information from their user, including their online activity and physical location. Privacy advocates have expressed concern about how companies use or sell this data and how securely such data is protected."
Social Media
"The popularity of social media has generated debate on a range of issues, from user safety and consumer privacy to the long-term effects on public health and companies' actions to keep their platforms free of disinformation. Most social media companies generate revenue with advertising, the sale of which earned Facebook $16.6 billion in one quarter in 2019. Advertisers' and other interests' access to user data persists as a topic of contention. Some uses of social media by employers, educational institutions, law enforcement, and others in positions of authority are particularly controversial. Critics contend these practices violate user privacy and invite discrimination."
Technology and Education
"Technology transformed education in the twenty-first century by integrating digital tools into classrooms and by moving classrooms to virtual environments. Digital tools can be leveraged to enhance and accelerate learning processes, broaden access to academic resources, and connect teachers and students in new ways....Critics caution against applying technology as a solution for every issue within the education system. They warn that technology must be applied with forethought and planning to maximize its benefits and minimize the potential for disruption and distraction. Advocates for equity voice concern that technology can widen the achievement gap by creating a digital divide that disadvantages some students."
Teens and Privacy
People under 18 do not have all the legal privacy rights that adults do, but they do enjoy some Fourth Amendment rights. Experts in child development have found that teens have a psychological need for privacy. Teens' privacy can be threatened at home, at school, and online.
Virtual and Augmented Reality
Virtual reality provides immersive experiences that can be almost indistinguishable from physical reality. Some critics are concerned about potential problems for users' health, safety, equality, and privacy.

Logging into the Databases from Home

From school, clicking on any of the database links will get you directly in to any database.

From home, you need login credentials because these are subscription (that is, paid-for) databases. Click on the image below to access the Google Doc containing the passwords. You must be signed in with a Northern Highlands account to view these passwords.

Having trouble? Email the librarian at goldbergj@northernhighlands.org, or stop by the Library.

NoodleTools

NoodleTools This link opens in a new window
NoodleTools is not a database, but a suite of software that:
* Does your MLA, Chicago, or APA citation for you
* Allows you to create flexible notecards to keep your research perfectly organized and avoid accidental plagiarism.
* Has a built-in outline tool that can make an instant rough draft of your paper
* Keeps you and your partners organized with project-management tools
* Contains resources about the research, writing, and citation process
* Provides answers to individual student questions about citation
* Allows teachers to create a dropbox where they can comment on your work

NOTE: Use NoodleTools instead of free online tools. The citations are more accurate, and it contains many more features to help you organize your research and avoid plagiarism.
To create an account from school, go to the website, then follow the process for setting up and individual account within Northern Highlands. This is the best way to do it.

If you haven't created an account within school, use
UserID: nhrhs
Password: highlanders
to authenticate yourself as a Northern Highlands student, then follow the steps for creating a personal account.
DO NOT create a free account. It's a stripped-down version with few features.

Get Organized! Stay Organized!

In Freshman Seminar, all ninth graders created a NoodleTools account. If you have forgotten the username and password you created for NoodleTools, click on the "Forgot Password" link to reset it. If that doesn't work, see the librarian. She can look up your login credentials and get you access to your account.

Remember that NoodleTools has useful project management tools to help your group organize tasks, stay on top of deadlines, and take accurate notes you can easily sort into an outline. Use the resources available to you!

If you have any questions about citations or using any of the features in NoodleTools, stop by the Library.

Contemporary Topics Databases

Academic Search Premier This link opens in a new window
Probably the library's most comprehensive resource, this multi-disciplinary database provides full text for more than 4,600 journals, including full text for nearly 3,900 peer-reviewed titles. PDF backfiles to 1975 or further are available for well over one hundred journals, and searchable cited references are provided for more than 1,000 titles.
Global Issues in Context This link opens in a new window
Gale In Context: Global Issues supports global awareness and provides a global perspective while tying together a wealth of authoritative content, empowering learners to critically analyze and understand the most important issues of the modern world. Explore issues within government, law, health, science and technology, society and culture, and more.
Integrating news, global viewpoints, reference materials, country information, primary source documents, videos, statistics, and more, Global Issues is updated daily and offers 250 country pages and more than 400 issue pagess.
Newspaper Source This link opens in a new window
Newspaper Sourceprovides cover-to-cover full text for more than 40 (U.S.) & international newspapers. The database also contains selective full text for 389 regional (U.S.) newspapers. In addition, full text television & radio news transcripts are also provided.
U.S. Major Dailies This link opens in a new window
Full-text access to the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal,. and Washington Post..
SEARCH TIP: if you find a newspaper article online behind a paywall, search the title in this database. HOWEVER! The online titles sometimes change throughout the day, so if you don't find it, try searching by the author's name. If you still can't find what you want, come see the librarian.

How to Save Links in Databases

Unlike those of a free website, database URLs are dynamic. That means that they change, so if you copy and paste a URL from a database into a Google Doc, the link will not work.

Permanent links are found in different places in different families of databases. The table below will show you where to find permanent links to the database pages you want to visit again.

Permanent links
Company	Look for	Screenshot
Gale	Get link in upper right corner
EBSCO	Permalink near the end of the list on the right
Infobase	Record URL Scroll to the bottom of the page
JSTOR	Link on the left, below the image of the journal.
Proquest	In the top right corner, click All Options. You will see the link on the top of the page.	.

Librarian

Julie Goldberg

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Contact:

298 Hillside Avenue
Allendale, NJ 07401