TECHNOLOGY: A FRIEND OR A FOE?

BY: JOHNA L. MANGALINDAN

Date posted: September 2, 2020

Technology has paved its way to being a vital tool to mankind. For the past two decades, it created massive leaps in knowledge and discoveries. However, harnessing the true power of technology isn’t an easy thing to do especially to the young people; without proper supervision, it could be dangerous.

Internet and gadgets provided a wider source of information. It continuously expands faster and faster every day. In fact, it has been used in education as a tool for more efficient learning. Since it provides an interactive audio-visual medium, these are widely used all over the world to teach students. It carries many advantages with it and everyone sees it as something that can make everything easier.

Technology makes a student’s life easier both in communication and access to information. Unlike before, students today can connect and collaborate with their co-learners easily. They can make group projects through online chats nowadays. Moreover, the wide and almost endless range of accessing information makes their studies a lot more convenient. They won’t be needing to get a library card, or to search for information in the pages of old library books. Today, you just have to enter some keywords and you’ll even get to choose which ones you think are the most credible. In terms of education, technology made the life of many learners less tiring.

In addition, it has deemed to have broken the limitations of time and space. Messy piles of compiled thesis and research papers are not on trend at all today. Even writing on notebooks is being obsolete. Since computers and mobile devices have their own memory storage which seems to be more efficient.

On the other hand, total dependence on technology and internet can cause serious troubles especially to the younger generation. In some cases, the use of modern technology is uncontrolled. Statistics says that children spend 23 hours a week isolated with only their mobile devices, which is twice as much time as conversing with their family. Aside from that, they spend another hour and a half on watching television and 25 minutes more on video games daily. With or without school, children spend too much time on technology. For this reason, most kids especially those in 1st and 2nd grade have troubles in communication with their fellows since they weren’t practiced to socialize.

Generally speaking, technology is essential and efficient. But the irresponsible use of it can turn advantages into troubles. It bridges gaps and brings us closer to people far away from us. Yet slowly, it takes us away from the ones close to us.

Modern technology is undeniably helpful when it comes to educational purposes. In fact, it is helpful in every way. But proper supervision of responsible use must be observed especially to the young people.

Technology is a friend if you use it right. And a foe when you don’t.