RefLecTion TRee!

Question! : Did the industrial Revolution affect the way people lived and worked in the 19th century for the better or worst?

In my personal opinion, the industrial Revolution affected the way people lived and worked in the 19th century for the worst. Yes although people's life generally improved but also more people are frame of wealth. That's where greed came. Before industrial revolution, everything was simple. Sometimes, simple could be the best way of life. Why is human making life so difficult with cruelty, harsh and mean.

Yes, there could be many advantages which many people agreed with like better transport and communication system, higher technology and better economical impact but are we really happy? Isn't living simple but happy without any "frame of wealth" thoughts better than having high technology but so many sin and cruelty around? Things are simple but human made it confusing. Just take the example of global warming, it's the reason where human own selfishness and maybe without this high technology, there might not be a global warming problem occur now.

Life generally improved, but the industrial revolution also proved harmful. Pollution increased, working conditions were harmful, and capitalists employed women and young children, making them work long and hard hours.

In the 19th century, population continued to grow. In many countries, population doubled. The Agriculture impact quite a huge economic impact as agricultural production became more intensive and most business needed raw material. As more and more company is set up, the needs of manpower was needed too.

Another negative side of Industrial Revolution is Child labour, Many young children at that time was hired as scavengers and piecers. Scavengers had to pick up the loose cotton from under the machinery. Piecers had to lean over the spinning-machine to repair the broken threads. This was extremely dangerous as the children were expected to carry out the task while the machine was still working. The main reason why young children is employed was because the company could pay low wage and high working hours for the children.Children who were late for work were severely punished. If children arrived late for work they would also have money deducted from their wages. Time-keeping was a problem for those families who could not afford to buy a clock.

Many workers were typically unemployed at least part of the year, and their wages were relatively low when they did work. This situation led many workers to support and join labor unions. Meanwhile, farmers also faced hard times as technology and increasing production led to more competition and falling prices for farm products. Hard times on farms led many young people to move to the city in search of better job opportunities.

Deforestation, pollution, hunting wild animals for oneself greed and destroying the nature had been taken place. Another negative side is that, those businessman who had competition of rivalry company, they would do any method to destroy the rivalry's business for it's own success. Is all these worth for just improving life? It might be worth it for you but it does not worth for me.


~M.KwanG~