Technology

Tech: harm and the good

The advantages

When its downside persists, the mobile phone has proven indispensable in modem life. It is handheld, lightweight, portable and multi-functioned, allowing users to send text messages, exchange music files, make voice calls, browse Internet, and so forth. Meanwhile, within twenty years, mobile phones are expected to be more pervasive|prevalent|omnipresent as technical advances and mass manufacture will make them low-cost personal items. Given those factors, the mobile phone will continue to perform its role as a key social tool, by which one keeps in touch with others much more easily than did the generations before

>> lợi ích, tương lai nhiều tính năng và giá rẻ

Admittedly, thanks to modem technology, people can thus spend less lime on compulsory|required activities (e. g., working), but it should also be noted that other non-compulsory activities have come to consume a larger proportion of people’s after-work life|personal life, such as education. If leisure refers to the time spent in non-compulsory activities, people’s leisure time has in fact contracted. The growing concern on education has increased the likelihood that people are willing to give up their leisure lives for educational opportunities. This trend is attributed mainly to competition and fears of job loss, causing people to turn to on-the-job training and education for secured employment Another incentive is the increasing flexibility of educational institutions. Worthwhile knowledge can be passed on|transfered|handed on from one generation of workers to another in different forms of education, such as televised teaching and online courses. It comes at the cost of their leisure time.

>> non-compulsory activities: education >> on-the-job training and education for secured employment

Because of technological advances, people are now given learning opportunities in different

contexts at work, at home or through leisure activities. People in a modern society are not confined to

formal channels (e.g., schools) but provided with more options, such as studying either via the

Internet or television, known as distance learning or e-learning. Learning can occur at all ages.

The working people, parents with childcare responsibilities, the disabled and the elderly are all able to learn now, with time and location constraints being transcended/exceeded/surpassed. The era when education was available only in a formal school and intended for young people is bygone.

Distance learning, a state-of-the-art educational model, has received wide currency|popularity|prevalence|support among qualification seekers. Despite being an important alternative to formal education, whether distance learning can achieve the same effect as the traditional form of university education—i. e.，going to university in person—is genuinely open to discussion.

Distance learning, first o f all, requires a high degree of maturity or commitment from students

because it proceeds in the absence o f teachers or tutors. It suits those self-motivated and self-directed|self-ruling students, instead o f those who have difficulty in self-scheduling and independent learning. For those young learners, who are generally lack o f motivation and self-control|willpower|self-discipline, their learning effort tends to be disorganised|unsystematic, futile|vain|ineffectual|fruitless and fragmentary. They w ill over time develop bad study habits and lag behind|fall behind|drop behind their peers.

While posing a threat on people’s leisure lives, technologies might on other occasions, give workers more flexibility in controlling their work and more quality time after work. A traditional workweek has been cut, as the amount of manual work continues to decline because of automation The availability of various means of transport has released working people from lengthy commutes. The line between work and private life is much more blurred, with many workers shopping, checking private emails and reading newspaper online even when working.

>> benefits in the workplace: reduce manual work; transportation: released working people from lengthy commutes

Earlier technology: machines, cars, airplanes; the recent technology: Internet, computers

While the invention of automobiles was a landmark|turning point in the technological evolution of humankind, the widespread use of computers and telecommunications technology has dramatically reshaped|reformed|restructured|remodeled the nature of the society. One might have benefited a lot from one's improved ability to move rapidly from one place to another because of the availability of automobiles, yet this benefit has been discounted|impaired|damaged because of the advent of the Internet. With Internet access, the world has become accessible to people and one can perform many tasks at home (e. g., grocery shopping) and let their fingers do the walking.

>> with Internet access, individuals can perform many tasks at home

Lifestyles are changed by recent technologies in equal measure. Before computers and the Internet were created, most working people struggled with a lack of leisure time and the balance between family life and work life. They were fully occupied by employment and various chores, such as shopping .With Internet, they are now able to spend much less time on those routine, dull|tedious activities and lead active leisure lives.

>> enrich lives

Modem technologies also account for the evolution of people’s perception of society. People tend to develop, modify and repurpose technology for their own use. Interdepence, previously a core virtue of many societies, is now undermined. Cell phones allow people to insulate their private interactions from the culture around them and to create their own micro-cultures. The mobility given by modem transport meanwhile, allures them to leave their place of birth and work and live elsewhere. Cultural norms are subject to modification and the communal|collective lifestyle is going out of fashion.

>> cultural norms

On the positive side, the fast rhythm of life requires people to enhance efficiency when working and then allows them to enjoy longer leisure lime. With the advance in telecommunications, people can make inquires by phone, instead of travelling long distances. Internet access makes it possible for one to perform various tasks without leaving their offices. Even though people have to travel every now and then for meeting business partners, visiting clients in other cities or other purposes, modem transport networks reduce the amount of time they spend on commutes.

>> enhance work efficiency

The acceleration of the pace of life also implies the expansion of people’s social circle. In the past, social relationships were limited by physical factors such as geographical distance and low mobility, but. nowadays, one can travel further and get acquainted with more people with those technological advances, such as the railroad, the automobile and the telephone. For instance, the rapid penetration of telecommunications technology has made the mobile phone a key social tool and people rely on their mobile phone address book to keep in touch with their friends.

>> extend the social circle|network|relationships

Despite the negative effects, the Internet has its positive implications to the well-being of society. Online shoppers are able to seek out the lowest prices for items or services. Manufacturers, therefore, have to improve product quality and lower price levels in an effort to win the favour of consumers and secure a stable market share. Telecommuting-working at home using a computer is a solution to traffic congestion, the urban air pollution and petrol use.

>> positive implications to the well-being of society

Despite the negative effects of excessive computer use, adults can take advantage of computer technology in different areas of education. Educational games, for example, are believed to have positive effects on children’s intellectual well-being. Some computer games are developed specifically to help children develop academic skills required for school work. Computers meanwhile provide an escape|pastime|diversion for children who experience high levels of pressure in the daytime and offer them a balance between campus and off-campus life.

Online education has a large number of advantages. It allows students to set their own study time. Unlike traditional learning, online courses offer children greater flexibility and enable them to create a timetable in line|accordance with their needs and characteristics.

Students can also save tuition fees, because a virtual school normally charges students much less than a conventional school does. It is particularly a great option for those students with physical handicaps|students with disabilities, who have great difficulties in commuting to school campus.

For those who live far away from the school, online education is remarkably favourable. It can be expected that the Internet is very likely to replace a physical school as an education provider in the near future if its drawbacks are removed.

The maturity and popularity of network technology, together with|accompanied by|coupled with|combined with the expansion of the software industry, has given today’s entertainment seekers many opportunities to share pleasure, and enhance their intelligence. In the past, people could only play chess, cards, or other similar games with their friends. Now they can challenge other players via the Internet, professional|proficient|trained|skilled or non-professional|inexperienced, familiar or unfamiliar|strange|unusual. Some online games, by simulating|replicating|imitating real life conditions, enable players to exercise various tactics in dealing with difficulties. They improve players’ abilities as well.

>> introducing new interactive games

Technology also enables any person in a contemporary society to become enlightened and empowered|competent|authorised|capable and exhibit a high degree of creative power. Creativity stems primarily from knowledge. In the past, one’s knowledge developed slowly or even stagnated throughout much of his/her life, simply because the access to information was limited. The situtation has been subject to dramatic change, with the advent of modem technology. By gathering information from a variety of sources, modem people can adopt, adjust and restructure|reorganise different strategies to address an issue. Even in doing simple jobs, such as gardening, dressing, people can expand their creative energy and add new varieties, regarding it as a means of self-expression.

>> knowledge learned from the Internet enhances creativity

Some people might argue that watching TV, a common leisure activity, has seriously hampered the viewers’ development in creativity. Their argument is based on an assumption that TV viewers are passive when absorbing information presented by TV and respond with no active thinking. However, there is evidence that television programmes are becoming increasingly educational and instructive. For example, quiz shows encourage critical thinking, while educational channels, such as Discovery, broaden watchers’ knowledge. While advertisements bear aesthetical and ideological values, talk shows display the art of languages.

>> educational and instructive TV programs + advertisement

One of the main advantages of using computers or other hi-tech products is improving efficiency. By recording information of books such as titles, authors, dates of publishing, or even summaries in a computer system, e-library allows readers to find a book promptly. Likewise, librarians are more able to store, seek out and manage books. Moreover, with the central network connecting libraries throughout a country or worldwide, a library user can easily locate a book in a library' wherever it is.

>> find a book promptly ˈprɔmptli + easily access

Meanwhile, one should note that e-books have become increasingly popular, increasing the likelihood that e-library will sooner or later take the place of a conventional library. Compared with paper books, e-books not only use much less space but also give readers more enjoyment in reading. For example, readers can customise their viewing experience easily by adjusting font, size and style of characters, accessing the books that have the same subject, and modifying screen contract, and so forth. E-books appeal to young users or children specifically because of its remarkable ability to demonstrate or explain a subject vividly via pictures, videos or even movies.

>> take advantage of visual effects to enhance reading experience

The importance of updating the facilities is therefore evident, but it should be stressed that the primary responsibility of libraries is to provide as many books as possible to the public. A good library is judged not by the extent to which its facilities are modernised, but by how much information it can supply. The more books the library can make available, the more visitors it can attract. At the international level, nearly every distinguished|notable|celebrated|renowned library gains its fame by providing a vast collection and a delicate|careful selection of books.

>> gain fame

The disadvantages

Similar to many other hi-tech products, such as computers, mobile phones have detrimental effects on users’ health. For example, long-time heavy phone users seem to be more prone to|vulnerable to|susceptible to certain types of cancers, although evidence to date is inconclusive.

Another lethal|fatal|deadly health concern is the link between mobile phones and road accidents. It is argued that motorists have a much higher risk of collisions|crashes|accidents and losing control of thee vehicle when driving and talking on the phone simultaneously, despite sometimes using hands-free systems.

>> cancer and road accidents

When the mobile phone has brought considerable convenience , people’s obsession with convenience has meanwhile caused enormous disturbance|annoyance|interruption. That’s why the use of mobile phones has been prohibited in many public places, such as libraries, theatres, hospitals and even transports, such as trains, buses and aircrafts. Speaking at increased volume is considered impolite or even offensive. In schools, students ate required to switch off cell phones before the class begins because mobile phones are responsible for a high amount of class disruptions|distractions|interference.

>> làm phiền người xung quanh

People’s leisure lives are continuously eroded also because of ubiquity|prevalence of modern technological tools (e. g., computers with Internet access and telecommunications equipment). It is noteworthy that people now' take fewer and shorter vacations following the increase in the number of technology-based activities. For example, cell phones and laptops make people accessible to their superiors wherever they go and wherever they are. People are more stressed than any generation before. Meanwhile, people now have to engage in more everyday processes than ever before, such as shopping, food ordering, and so on. It seems that the time budget is burdened because more time should be invested in activities that were previously ignored or unnoticed.

>> increase technology-based activities + everyday processes: allocate time in activities that were previous ignored or unnoticed

On the negative side, the fast-paced lifestyle is responsible for the upsurge in lifestyle-related problems. Jobs become demanding and require workers’ full commitment, resulting in their depression and pressure. Underneath the façade|disguise|cover-up of continued contraction of official working hours, employees arc actually working longer, primarily because Fax, e-mail or other communication devices have made them accessible to their supervisors, colleagues and customers after work. They have to respond instantly to voice and email messages from others. Private life has to be sacrificed.

>> lifestyle-related problems

Supposedly, with Internet access, people are able to perform transactions and to do shopping without leaving home, but meanwhile they have to pay a heavy price|penalty for it. One of the most negative aspects is, for instance, that it alters their social behaviours and habits. For many people, to spend part of the day on the Internet is quite normal. It can be expected that being addicted to Internet use, most of home telecommuters|teleworkers or Internet users will become socially isolated. Poor social life and feelings of loneliness are those problems that arc very often found among heavy users.        

>> social isolation occurs in heavy users

It is also likely that people have become increasingly accustomed to living in a world that appreciates convenience and inactivity|idleness|immobility and they do not want to evade those maxims|rules|guidelines|principles. It gives explanation of why the sedentary lifestyle is now prevailing and why people spend little time on leisure or recreational activities. Time has been spent in front of the computer or Internet. The net result is that they suffer serious loss of vision, back pain and obesity. It is true that many people finally end up with struggling with deteriorating health.

>> sedentary lifestyle + suffer serious loss of vision, back pain and obesity

The continued improvement in technology undoubtedly accelerates industrialisation but meanwhile leads to the deterioration|corrosion|weakening of the natural environment. Accompanied by technological development, many problems, such as over-exploitation of natural resources, intense use of artificial|synthetic|man-made fertilisers, reliance on automobiles and deforestation, have arisen and intensified. Even worse, little progress has been made toward addressing these problems, possibly because implementing environmentally friendly policies will inevitably impede the development of energy-intensive industries. That is why the use of petrol continues to climb, despite the fact that many countries pledge to curb petrol use and discover or invent alternative resources.

>> detrimental effects on natural environment

Another problem is that many technologies have put people at great risks and highlighted the need for innovation. For example, the spread of the Internet is directly responsible for people’s sedentary lifestyle and many health problems, such as obesity. The rise of the fast food industry, owing mainly to the development in the food processing technology, is linked to diabetes, stroke and heart disease. Many stress-related diseases are attributed to the increasingly fierce competition in society, a result of technological development. Fears of job loss have become one of the most common sources of social anxiety in these years, as computerisation has undermined the traditional position of labour by eliminating jobs. All these problems demand quick solutions.

>> individual problems demand quick solutions

Some other problems are associated with technology as well, although the actual impacts remain unforeseen. For example, the future of genetic engineering, a radical new technology intending to introduce genetic changes to a species, either animals or plants, and to increase crop yield, is dim. To date there is no compelling evidence to show that GE food has a good track record|past performance|background|profile for human safety, especially when it has been found related to thousands of poisoning cases .

>> unpredictable impacts

The second weakness of distance learning is its over-dependence on media. Media have a myriad|numerous o f contents that are likely to divert students’ attention from their study. Online games and browsing

webpages, for example, consume much o f young learners’ time. In addition, sitting in front o f the

computer for several hours in succession|consecutively|in a row might cause boredom, fatigue, or other physical problems.

The university campus, in contrast, leaves no chance for this kind o f problems, because students are

supervised and monitored by faculty members. Meanwhile, their interactions with classmates are

constant. ĩt is beneficial for learners to organise teamwork and develop interpersonal relationships.

Learners' low motivation and commitment, inadequate interaction with teachers and some other inherent problems have made it nearly impossible to replace a traditional class with a virtual class.

The first drawback of a virtual school is lack of human contact, as opposed to a noted merit|value|advantage of traditional teacher-led education, providing students with ongoing daily interactions with teachers. This weakness can be solved by taking advantage of bandwidth network technologies. The interaction between students can be guaranteed when one can contact with another—whenever and wherever he or she likes—via email, post comments on message boards and chat rooms, or even videoconference for communication.

Educators are also concerned that online learning cannot make all skills and knowledge transferable\coveyable. For example, some courses require a high proportion of hands-on practice, which is beyond the capacity of online training. This problem can be nevertheless addressed by introducing multimedia as a teaching aid. By using audio and video, students can sample\experience\try different learning styles and acquire both general and specialised knowledge of a subject.

One of the major drawbacks of the computer is lack of flexibility. Due to its programmatic limitations|constraints|restrictions, its teaching is uniform|identical|standardised|homogeneous, repetitive, standardised and therefore unsuited to|incompatible with the specific needs of a student. For example, it can only answer questions which have been programmed into it but fails to answer any unusual|atypical|uncommon, non-standard|irregular and unprecedented question. By contrast, a human teacher is able to respond flexibly /ˈfleksɪbəl with giving well-tailored, persuasive and inspiring answers. For this reason, a computer hardly functions as effectively as a human teacher does.

Another disadvantage of the computer, which makes it unaligned with|inconsistent with the philosophy of the contemporary education, is its failure to interact with students. Out of technical constraints, the computer is interested in eliciting|obtaining the desired response only. Students' unexpected performance, potentially exceptional and distinguished, is not recognised by the computer. It is fair to say that computers achieve nothing but make all education into an uncritical|unsuspecting type of vocational training. Students are conditioned to absorb information without questioning and given no chance to express their personal opinions.

There are some other problems inherent in the computer-based teaching, such as inability to discipline students and failing to attend to/look after/care for students’ emotional needs, making this model of teaching not as competent as the traditional style. However, the contribution of the computer as a teaching aid can never be underrated|underestimated. It not only assists teachers to present educational materials in diversified ways but also provides repetitive drills|practices|exercises to improve the students’ command of knowledge. With the computer, the teacher can spend less time on paper work and concentrate more on the development of a student in other aspects, such as creativity and teamwork skills. It is essential to advancing rounded education.

Excessive use of computers is unarguably detrimental|harmful|unfavorable|damaging, as it can place children at risk|exert negative influences on children in terms of|with regard to their physical, social and psychological development.

Studies have pointed to the fact that children need physical activity and social interaction to be healthy, happy and productive individuals.

Unmonitored|uncontrolled|unsupervised use of computers isolates them from those activities and makes them indifferent to the real world.

They are so immersed in|absorbed in the computer that they are rarely|seldom|hardly concerned about the people and matters |things around them.

It leads to a drop in their interaction with others, organised sports and other social activities that are conducive|favourable|helpful|advantageous|beneficial to their development.

Another hazard|risk|danger|peril of excessive computer use is children’s increased exposure to violent and sexual contents beyond their years, which have long-term negative effects on their lives. Repeated exposure to violence has been recognised and singled out as a decisive element responsible for children's subsequent aggressive behaviour. Although computer games that have violent themes|main subjects|main topics have been forbidden in many countries, tens of thousands of children are vulnerable to other forms of violence that spread on the Internet.

It seems that with the increase in use of mobile phones and computers, fewer people prefer to write letters. Will the skill of writing disappear completely

A majority of daily communications involve written correspondence, whether it takes the form of emails or letters. As different from communicating in speech, communicating in writing requires a large number of techniques. The prevalence of emails and text messages will not change the purposes, contents and conventions of communication, but merely medium, font or sentence length, for example, successful written communications are normally measured by clarity and accuracy, two elements that remain unchanged despite the upsurge in the use of text messages and emails. An email or text message sender should pay the same attention to such elements as vocabulary, grammar, punctuation, wording and tone as a letter writer does in order to make sure that the reader understands and interprets the message as intended. Any misunderstanding or misinterpretation will cause dire consequences.

Another fact to note is that all communication is interpersonal and interactive, thereby requiring information senders to use language properly and convey messages clearly and precisely. In order to become a successful communicator, one should plan, tailor|adapt|modify|alter, and devise his or her writing according to the characteristics of the reader. Writing a message without considering the intended reader will increase the possibility of poor understanding or even misunderstanding. For example, choosing the right tone in communication is of great importance. Readers make assumptions|notions about people’s mood and intentions and speculate on the implied meaning of the messages, according to the tone suggested by words. Getting the right tone is therefore an important writing skill that is likely to influence the success of communication. It is particularly true in cases where the messages people send contain emotional components. Failure to manipulate these components properly will cause discomfort or hard feelings of the reader.