1.6.1 - Impacts of technology

1.6.1 - Impacts of technology

THINK

How would you approach this question:

People often want to buy the most up-to-date models, such as the latest smartphone, even when their current device still works. Discuss the impact of people wanting to upgrade to the latest smartphone. In your answer you might consider the impact on:

Technology, Environmental & Ethical [8]

PAIR

Share your thoughts with others - compare

People often want to buy the most up-to-date models, such as the latest smartphone, even when their current device still works. Discuss the impact of people wanting to upgrade to the latest smartphone. In your answer you might consider the impact on:

Technology, Environmental & Ethical [8]

SHARE: What are your main points you have come up with?

8 marker breakdowns

In all these questions the marks come in three ways:

Knowledge and Understanding:  The actual raw knowledge and points you can make about the topic raised

Application:  Applying your understanding of these to the context of the question

Evaluation: conclusive points, opinions about applications you have made, usually pros/cons.  Could end with a final point 

Fail to plan - plan to fail

You must plan these questions out in your mind before you commit your answer.  Some important things to consider:

• Shortlist the most important points you could make
• Check you can give pros/cons to the point you are making
• Make sure you give an overall conclusion
• DO NOT waffle (better to bullet list your main points)

Dissecting the question

People often want to buy the most up-to-date models, such as the latest smartphone, even when their current device still works. Discuss the impact of people wanting to upgrade to the latest smartphone. In your answer you might consider the impact on:

Technology, Environmental & Ethical [8]

Notice the point about "when their current device still works".  This means we really need to focus on that desire/want to upgrade rather than a "need" to upgrade.

Discuss is the highest level command word you will encounter.  It is essentially a series of explain level responses which ends with a conclusion.  You will always get one 8 mark discuss on paper 1 on this topic area.

When you see the text "you might want to " you should read it "you MUST".  These three things will be on the mark scheme so stick to the guidance of the question

Technological aspects
+/-

+

-

Durability of modern phones

phone hardware not upgradeable

phones use proprietary parts

Improved battery

Faster processors

Environmental
impacts

Consider

• Phones contain many precious metals
• they need extracting and processing
• Phone needs manufacturing
• impact of energy use and pollution to do this and then you need to charge the phone
• throwaway culture - are all phones even recycled?
• 3rd world dumping ground - toxins 

What does ethical even mean?

Ethical

Ethical issues?

Think about the overall question

People often want to buy the most up-to-date models, such as the latest smartphone, even when their current device still works. Discuss the impact of people wanting to upgrade to the latest smartphone. In your answer you might consider the impact on:

Technology, Environmental & Ethical [8]

We want to pick our best points and work on them

Planning

Technology:

• Battery   +improved efficiency  -disposal
• Hardware  +improved performance  -not upgradeable

Environment

• throwaway culture  -landfill -toxic waste
• raw materials -extraction -waste

Ethical

• Health -mental -physical
• social pressure -parents -bullying

Building a response

When considering technological aspects of upgrading a phone you could argue that the battery will be improved in a