By Lizzy Owoyemi
Technology has improved the way people communicate, store and quickly pass information to almost anywhere around the world. There is no doubt that technology has improved the way people communicate and has even made education more interesting.
The invention of mobile devices such as cell phones makes communication with people easier at any time of the day. Even though technology is gradually making face-to-face communication less desirable, it has played a role in giving people an opportunity to express themselves. Some people talk more when they are on phone, but keep quite when engaging in face-to-face communication. It might sound weird, but phone technology gives some people an avenue to communicate better.
Text messaging is one of the fastest way people get hold of friends and families these days, unlike the days when all people had were landlines. I keep imagining how frustrating it was then when you called a friend’s home for an urgent discussion and all you get is the voicemail. Now I feel relieved at the invention of smartphones — like the Blackberry — which make it easier and faster for me to get important information from as far as United Kingdom without having to dial a number.
With the computer as a part of our daily lives, we can now store, organize and even manage huge amounts of data. In my opinion, the computer has become one of man’s best friends. Yes, they can eat up much of our time, but they are there to help make our workload in the office, and even at school, lighter. Can you imagine storing your important information or documents in a huge pile of files instead of a thumb drive?
Today, the internet has become the most working communication platform and the largest means of sending information. Is it not amazing that I can travel to other states in the United States and still take classes at Cameron? It’s possible, thanks to technology and online classes.
In schools today, students and even instructors go around with their iPads, Kindles, smartphones and so on. Although these devices look fashionable, they have changed education. Students have become more efficient in typing because they do not have to take notes with a pen and paper. Microsoft word has become the paper and the keyboard produces the ink.
As a student studying in another part of the world, I do not have to wait for telegrams or letters from my friends and family to know how they are doing. I talk to my family everyday and I wonder how it would feel if I do not hear their voices just for a day. That is disaster knocking on the door but thanks to technology; I do not have to wait that long to hear my mother’s sweet stories on how funny my father can be. I still feel so connected, even with the distance.
Come to think of it, there would be no social networks like Facebook, MySpace and so on if there were no technology. These social networks have given this generation a more global perspective. People share thoughts, give opinions, reconnect with old friends and even learn about other culture from these social networks. I remember getting a friend request on Facebook from my childhood friend. This did not just bring back memories, it made our friendship stronger.
One fault I have about technology is that people have become so addicted to it. It can be a form of distraction in class, at home and even on the road. Rather than listen to an instructor in class, a student may pay attention to the next post on Facebook or a text message.
Just like being media literate, we also need to know how and when to use these devices so we would not be controlled or become too addicted to them.