Speech topics about current trends can include what people buy, how much people spend on technology products and what upgrades to computers cost consumers every year. Topics also include the speed of technology, the changing face of television (from black and white to color to HDTV) and how wireless technology makes people more mobile. A funny speech topic in this area might be what consumers bought 20 or 30 years ago and how much it cost, analyzing how consumers obsess over the latest thing. Speakers can integrate public opinion polls, research about what lies ahead and failed technology.
Technology creates ethical issues including using photo manipulation software to make someone look thinner, using computers to buy college research papers and software piracy. Other topics include music file sharing, intellectual property, Internet censorship, plagiarism, data mining and regulation of the Internet. In the health technology field, how long to keep someone alive, putting health records on the Internet and stem cells are all topics surrounding the developing technology. All of these topics can be informational or persuasive (or both) often leaving a speaker to chose a side in the argument.
Technology greatly increases communication and speech. Topics can examine social networking sites and its effects on relationships, how it limits face-to-face communication and what it does writing skills. Topics can also include how students grieve online in these forums when a classmate dies or how students form online protests to voice an opinion. Speakers can address many of the positive impacts of technology such as using cell phones in the case of an emergency or computers making office work more efficient. Like other topics, many of these can become easily persuasive.
Technology creates jobs for many people whether they fix, install or maintain computer systems. Topics in this area include what kinds of jobs are available and the special skills people need in order to get a job; some of those special skills include careers in cybersecurity and how those professionals keep network systems safe. Aside from the traditional software or computer companies, speakers can talk about where people work -- hospitals, financial companies, legal firms and the government. Whatever the topic, the speaker should address what these professionals do and how important their skill set is to the office.