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Science and technology

Monday, 20 January, 2014 - 11:51

Parents and Technology


30
by :
TeresaC

My parents are useless with anything remotely technological. Computers, printers,


cameras, mobile phones, iPods … you name it, they can’t use it!

Over the Christmas holidays, my parents had to ask me repeatedly how to take a
photograph on their mobile phones because they kept forgetting or getting stuck. Other
times, they would ask how to open a new tab on their internet page. And don’t get me
started on Facebook!! Recently, to keep in contact whilst I am abroad, my Mum decided to
create a Facebook page. In my opinion, parents should not have Facebook if they can’t use
it, and should NEVER be ‘friends’ with their children! My Mum only has 11 ‘friends’ - two of
them are myself and my sister! - and she ‘likes’ and comments on EVERYTHING we do - it
drives me crazy!

When I arrived at home for the Christmas holidays, my Mum presented me with a list of
things she needed me to help her with on her computer before I left. Number one on this
list was ‘how do I make a folder to put word documents in?” - something I learned at
primary school!

My Mum has also recently heard of the ‘selfie’ and attempted to take a few over Christmas
and New Year to prove that she is ‘down with the kids’ - an expression meaning that she is
cool and up-to-date. However, she regularly forgets how to change the camera focus so it
is facing towards her, and her finger is often covering the lens! She also often moves the
camera when she takes a photo so that they come out blurry. Her favourite mistake is to
accidentally change the function to video, so when she looks back at her ‘photos’, you can
see her standing still and smiling for a few seconds, followed by her voice saying ‘oh dear,
I’ve done it wrong again!’ It makes me laugh a lot, and luckily my friends have similar
problems with their parents and technology!!!

Sometimes I get annoyed when my Mum asks me (for the hundredth time!) how to do
something on her computer. but I try to stay patient and help her. She has now started to
ask my sister for help too, so she isn’t constantly asking me!!

Science and technology


Monday, 25 November, 2013 - 09:26

Has technology taken over?


65
by :
TeresaC

In E. M. Forster’s short story, ‘The Machine Stops’, he talks about ‘The Machine’, which is
worshipped by the majority of people in the world of the book. In the story, the world's
population is encased in a machine, and each person has an object similar to an iPad, with
a Skype-like function - ‘there were buttons and switches everywhere […] there was the
button that produced literature. And there were of course the buttons by which she
communicated with her friends’.

Recently, I accidentally spilt a glass of water over my beloved 2-year-old laptop. Almost
immediately, the screen went blank and it hasn’t worked since. I phoned my mum in tears,
telling her what had happened. It felt like I had lost a limb! I began to panic, knowing that,
for a few weeks (until I can get a replacement) I will have to live without easy, quick access
to Facebook, email, Skype, YouTube…
And then it hit me; technology is taking over my life! Not a day goes by without me using
the internet for at least two hours a day, be it for work, or fun, or online shopping, studying,
or contacting my friends and family. In Forster’s story, people become obsessed with their
‘Book of the Machine’. When I first read the story six months ago, I found it a little scary
because it does reflect our lives today, to some extent. We are all attached to a ‘machine’,
be it a mobile phone, a computer or laptop, an ipad, or an iPod or an MP3 player… When I
realised that Forster had written his story in 1909, I was frightened – how did he manage to
predict the future so accurately? Although we are not yet as obsessed as the characters in
the story, it is believable that one day we may be!

Something else that has surprised me recently is using a pen and paper for writing – I’ve
become so used to typing that writing has become a little strange! I used to love writing,
particularly letters, but also schoolwork - anything really! But in the last couple of years, I
have become used to typing quick messages to my friends and family, and I have word
processed all of my university work. My handwriting, once lovely and easy to read, has
become a rushed scribble. Surely technology is supposed to make our lives easier, not
rushed?!

Realising this, I’ve decided that a few weeks without a laptop will be good for me! I am now
using my mobile phone less, and instead I’ve written letters to my family and friends, taking
time to really think about what I am saying to them.

I’m sure that once I have a replacement computer, I will fall back into my bad habits – but
for now, it is a refreshing change!!

Modern Technology

a. Modern technology is changing the way we live our lives. Clever gadgets make everyday
activities easier and enable people to use their time effectively. But what impact will this
change have in the future and is it really a positive thing? People are busier than ever before.
Technological advances mean that things are often possible with the touch of a button. A
hundred years ago, however, things were very different. Everyday jobs, like doing the laundry,
would take a whole day, and the telephone was a new invention! Nowadays, almost every
household has a washing machine and a dishwasher, and there are more than 70 million
mobile phones in use in the United Kingdom alone.

b. Research shows that around 28% of children in the UK are overweight or obese. Some
people are concerned that this is because young people spend too much time online and not
enough time socialising with their friends and playing outside. In the past, nearly all children
walked to school because their parents didn’t have a car. They didn’t have all the luxuries that
many children have now, so they used their imaginations and played outdoors in the fresh air.

c. Years ago, when people wanted to stay in touch with their friends and family, they wrote
letters. These days, however, E-mail communication and social networking sites, such as
Facebook, allow instant, free international communication.

d. Online banking and shopping make essential activities possible from the comfort of our own
homes. But what effect will this have on town centres and shops? In some towns and cities,
many shops are now empty, and a lot of people think this is because more and more people
choose to use the Internet for shopping.

e. There are many benefits of using technology but we need to be responsible in the choices
we make. Modern equipment is often very expensive and does not last a long time. It is
important to consider how much we really need these things and the impact they have on our
health, the environment and society. (Facts sourced from http://www.dh.gov.uk)

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