Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs explains that human needs exist within a hierarchy, and when our lower-level needs are met we begin to focus on the higher-level needs.

Growing up in the late-1980’s and throughout the 1990’s I can look back at my experiences with technology and see, at least from my perspective, that the world as a whole went through this hierarchy.

First was the spread of technology. Phones, computers, and the Internet have reached most corners of the Earth in some way, allowing people all over the world to tell each other stories and share information. A large percentage of the world has achieved this bare-essential level of technology. I can still remember the days of no cell phones, and if you wanted to look something up you would have to go to the library or hope you have all of the CD’s for your encyclopedia program (Encarta at my house). The day came when we met the basic physiological need, the Internet, was the day we received our first AOL CD in the mail

The next step was when everyone realized what the Internet was capable of. I remember in the late 1990’s was when my house started focusing on Internet safety. The world, too. Soon after we set up the anti-virus software at my house, the Internet was made a safer place for artists of all kinds when there was a massive crack-down on pirated movies and music, and although we still haven’t reached Nirvana on that, the Internet was made a place that many felt very comfortable sharing themselves…

Leading to the third- and fourth-level of Maslow’s Hierarchy, belongingness and esteem. The rise of social media throughout the world has been bad for some and good for others, but the world as a whole has used technology to create a global web of friends, colleagues, and lovers. For myself, the social media web has led to life-long connections which I wouldn’t trade for everyone else in the web.

Lastly, as if to culminate all of the other levels, self actualization for the world has been seen in this globalization created by the other levels of the hierarchy. All other levels seem to be able to exist on their own, although rarely do, but the highest level seems wholly dependent upon the others. In my own life I consider this level of the hierarchy to be well on its way to fruition, as I leverage technology to further define my own morality and sense of self through reading and research. In learning about other cultures, whether by reading or TV shows, I have removed many notions of prejudice I may have developed throughout my life.