ACtE08 · Chapter 8Demo · Set 4🏛️ Past Licensure QuestionID: c5315f22
Which of the following is considered a primary negative societal impact of rapid technological advancements?
Which of the following is considered a primary negative societal impact of rapid technological advancements?
Multiple Choice Options
- A
Lower labor requirements
- B
Mass communication capabilities
- C✓ Correct Option
Environmental distortion and degradation
- D
Standard specialization of professions
Detailed Technical Solution & Explanation
In engineering ethics and societal impact studies, while technological advances deliver immense positive benefits (efficient global communication, task automation, professional specialization), their primary adverse externalities include environmental distortion and degradation—including electronic waste accumulation (e-waste), intensive greenhouse gas emissions from data centers and manufacturing, resource depletion, and habitat disruption.
Option Analysis:
•
Option A (Lower labor requirements): Ambiguous, but generally viewed as an economic efficiency benefit liberating human labor from dangerous/repetitive tasks.
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Option B (Mass communication capabilities): A distinctly positive societal benefit connecting global communities.
•
Option C (Environmental distortion and degradation): Correct; unequivocally identified as a harmful, negative impact of industrial and electronic technologies.
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Option D (Standard specialization of professions): A positive developmental aspect enhancing domain expertise.
Reference: Demo · Set 4NEC Licensure Syllabus