Google's Sphere of Influence

Google’s Sphere of Influence

Over the past few decades, the way people live in America has significantly shifted. The society and culture has shifted towards the use of technology. Google is one of the companies that began this change. Created in 1997 by two Stanford students, Google embarked to change America. In Google’s lifespan and future, they continue to have a colossal, positive impact in America’s day-to-day life.

Google’s accessibility of tools has impacted places of education. Using innovative programs to connect and improve education in America, Google has been able to become resourceful to schools and libraries. Google has created a software called Google Analytics, which is “a widely used, free web analytics tool that collects, analyzes, and reports website traffic data...In fact, many libraries are already using it” (Farney and McHale 1). Libraries are a dominant access to educational resources in America, and Google is able to aid them and in doing this they aid the people utilizing the libraries. Providing the free tool to libraries furthers their ability to impact education. Google has also largely impacted schools across America, becoming something used daily by most schools. Recently created, “Google Apps for Education is a widely used service offered by Google to school districts for free” (Bray 1). Not only are the apps free, they are convenient, reliable, and connected. The use of the apps allows students and teachers to simultaneously work on assignments in and outside of school as well as an easy way to contact each other. Google’s ability to positively impact education in America illustrates its positive impact in America.

Moreover, Google is currently having a huge impact on society such as the ability to sway elections and advance humanities research. A conducted research showed that a “google” like search engine, which was created solely for the purpose of the experiment, was able to change people’s opinion and choice for their leader. The links that were provided first were almost always the ones used for research by the subjects and the experimenters changed the links appearing first to see if there would be an effect. It was concluded that this happened by which links showed closest to the top when things were searched, and that “Google long ago went from being a mere directory of the Internet to a shaper of online reality, helping determine what we see and how” (Timberg 1). Google is now a powerhouse, and has the ability severely influence America. It can decide the resources that are available and which will most likely be utilized. Another way Google is currently impacting society is in the humanities field. Google allows quick access to many different sources, as “12 million digital books that Google has scanned and archive...could boost the new and emerging field of digital humanities” (Swift 1), granting the ability to quick and reliable access at the fingertips of humans. The effect of this is the ability to find new answers, “Over the past few years has humanities researchers increasingly joining with computer scientists to answer questions that they could hardly conceive of asking before” (Swift 1). Google now provides massive information to help further our understandings of humans, which subsequently has the potential to answer unanswered questions and change the way we live. Through their powerful search engine and knowledge storing ability, Google continues to influence America.

Google is creating new projects to reshape and improve the future. Thinking of things that people use daily, Google has invested in spreading wifi and smart cars. Normal cars will transform to “cars equipped to run Android Auto, a new technology that essentially turns a car’s infotainment system into a giant smartphone” (Steinmetz 2). Running more technologically advanced cars, which is the absolute most frequent motive for commerce, will reshape travel. Smartphones have heavily changed the mobile industry and smart cars are bound to alter the car industry. The new software will be able to provide safer and more convenient features as well as more reliable and accurate diagnostic systems. An additional way Google is trying to improve the future and people’s lives is through spreading the internet to places that do not have access. Google plans to “spend more than $1 billion on a fleet of satellites to extend internet access...hoping to overcome financial and technical problems” (Barr and Pasztor 1). The impact this plan will have is countless. As there are now many online schools, kids who live in places without access to a good education will now be able to with the internet. Another thing this will do is grant the ability to the endless knowledge of the internet, which could help people medically as they would have access to information they could not have before. Google’s focus on positively