Research Log: Technology’s Impact on Workers

1. State the title, and provide a link.  

Technology’s Impact on Workers: http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/12/30/technologys-impact-on-workers/

2. Read/watch/listen to the entire Source.
3. What year was this written/produced? What do you know about the author/creator, and the source that published it? (Google author? publication?)

This was written in December of 2014. The source that published the article is the Pew Research Center which is a nonpartisan opinion group which focuses on social issues, public opinion, and demographic trends in the United States. Kristen Purcell, one of the authors of the article is the associate director for research at the research center. She has a Ph.D. in sociology from Rutgers University. Lee Rainie, the other author of the article is the director of internet, science and technology research. He is a graduate of Harvard and Long Island University.

4. What new perspective have you gained about this subject?  What questions does the source raise for you? What was most interesting? Use examples from source to explain.

I have gained a large about of information about the differing opinions there are on technology’s impact on the workplace. Most of the information I have heard on the subject has been negative, however this article poses a different stance. For example, the article stated that based on the research, 46% of people feel more productive in the workplace because of the internet, cell phones, and email. Additionally, the research stated that of the sample interviewed, 35% of workers increase their work hours due to internet, cell phones, and email. Additionally, in the parlor discussions, there was a conversation regarding how much employers should be able to restrict their employees in terms of cell phone and internet use. In this article I read that certain employers block access to specific websites. I was aware that schools did this, however I did not know that employers had the authority to do this. I found this fact very interesting because I believe that it can bring up the argument of personal freedom.

5. Does this source refer to other sources? If so, how and why? If not, why not?

The source does not refer to other sources directly in the article. I believe it is because this is an opinion based research facility that conducts its own experiments and creates articles based on the information found.

6.  Any interesting links to follow?  If so, discuss which ones and why.

There were no links attached to the article to follow. However, they do include a report on the specific research they conducted including populations, sample sizes, graphs, and in depth explanations of the results. I believe this was included to show that the data they collected was accurate and not falsified.

7.  What does this source make you want to know next?

This source makes me want to look into the possible moral dilemma surrounding employers taking away certain websites from their workplace network.

8. List any helpful search terms you’ve gotten from this source.

• Digital tools
• Office-based and non-office based employees
• Blue collar and white collar

9.  Feel free to do any other “thinking out loud” about the source/topic.

I think that this article introduced a lot of new ideas to me that I would not have looked at before. For example, when I started this inquiry project I had the mindset that I would look at the workplace as one typical office building or a corporate office. Now I am intrigued by the different settings in the workplace such as “blue collar” and “white collar” jobs and how I can apply those two different fields to my research.