Interesting question posed by Dr. Lowell, “How does culture affect the integration of technology?”  After giving this issue some thought, I can see where the culture of an area or group could have a huge influence on what kinds of technology are accepted and how they are used.  For instance, in the US, most American, especially the younger generation, grab new technololgy as fast as it emerges.  However, even some groups within the US mainline resist these changes.  For instance, certain religous groups do not use many modern technologies, prefering a more simple lifestyle.  Also, socio-economic factors also influence what technologies become integrated….you can integrate it if you can’t get your hands on it.  Then if we look at countries other than the US, we see situations where the government keeps a tight control on what technologies are introduced into the population, and in certain other places, technology, or how it is used can even be considered a criminal act.  I recently read of a jounalist that had been sentenced to death by an Afganistan court for downloading information on womens role in Islam [see http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7207863.stm].  So it would seem that technology is not embraced readily or equally by all cultures.  As long as barriers such as these remain, the world will not be truly flat.