In today's society, technology has made our lives much easier by providing tools that improve our health and provides a sense of luxury because it frees our time spent toiling away at tasks that previously required physical labor. Culture influences technology by seeking the highest degree of technical progress because society relies on technology. However, in underdeveloped countries, cultural practices replace technology because knowledge or access is limited or non-existent. As a result, a culture focuses on the historical aspects of its ancestors. In examining how culture influences technology, one must examine how technology influences culture. In the sense of technological capabilities, Internet access is one of the most common forms of technology. “Over the centuries, personal communication technologies have evolved from simple personal conversations to the mail, telegraph, and telephone” (Robinson & Lee, 2013, p. 940). The Internet has a long history of technological and educational advances that impact our lives in both negative and positive ways. During the 1960s, researchers created a system called ARPAnet in which high-speed data transmission was sent from one computer to another (Storia.com, 2010, paragraphs 4-6). In the event of catastrophic events, this form of data transmission would allow the government to implement plans to protect society. ARPAnet was a success, which then led researchers to expand its use and create a publicly accessible system. In the 1990s, the Internet expanded with a web browser called Mosaic, which offered access to browsing across the web. The capabilities of the Internet have influenced society in a positive way, which in turn has expanded business...... middle of paper ......to media communication as a tool for creative thinking. Works Cited Daniels, J. (2013). Race and racism in Internet studies: A review and critique. New Media and Society, 15(5), 695-719. doi:10.1177/1461444812462849.Docksai, Rick. (2009). Teenagers and cell phones. Futurist, 43(1), 10-11.History.com. (2010). The invention of the Internet. A&E Networks. Retrieved from: http://www.history.com/topics/inventions/invention-of-the-internet. Postman, N. (1992). Technopoly: the surrender of culture to technology. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. Robinson, J., & Lee, C. (2014). Society's (virtually) timeless transition into the digital age. Social Indicators Research, 117(3), 939-965. doi:10.1007/s11205-013-0374-z.Thomas, E., & Sassi, K. (2011). An ethical dilemma: Talking about plagiarism and academic integrity in the digital age. English newspaper, 100(6), 47-53.