Do you remember when phones weren’t ‘smart’, stereos had ‘components’ and marbles were entertainment? Camera’s had film, TV’s weren’t flat, and the iPad was a glint in Steve Job’s eye. They were the days, but were they better? This month The Westsider opens a can of worms and asks – how has technology changed our behaviour?
Hiren Dhorda – Despite using science and technology to better our lives, we are by one means or another becoming slaves to technology. We are exposed to technological gadgets at every stage of our lives. However, I’m sure that the technology that keeps us connected to the Internet has done much good for our lives. When I feel that digital devices are taking up too much of my time in life, I will always want to switch them off and enjoy life unplugged.
Ninfa Flores – Now that technology runs our lives and most of us rely on it, some can’t even live without it. Technology does change the behaviour of people, they become lazy and have no time to do something else, instead they just sit there and play around with it. The sad part is there’s no social interaction at all like the old days. Most people, especially kids, have no time to go out and play but instead sit there all day playing and chatting to their friends.
Dean Hoang – Technology is forever changing and rapidly progressing our lives by making things faster and easier and more accessible. Technology is making people connect easier and better, for example, people cannot live without their phones anymore. I feel that technology is making our lives easier and we definitely cannot live life without embracing it anymore. Advancements are being made rapidly and it is even scary the amazing possibilities that are taking place. I sometimes wonder if it is making us less human though and we start to rely on technology for too much, such as making things robotic and automated in shops and work places.
Muris Basic – Video games have been said by the media and governments as a scapegoat to the violence our teens commit in society, which is not true, they don’t class violent movies or books as a reason people commit violent crimes but video games they do – they are all forms of entertainment. Video games have many benefits such as a healthy outlet for aggression, stress relief, it also helps hand eye coordination, and social benefits. As an example, it is said that a lot of fighter pilots have been video game players, as well as deep sea recovery robot operators.
Jenny Conway – You have got more information at your finger tips like; shopping online, information, paying bills online and banking. Also you have got secure payment sites like PayPal and banks, plus researching things you want to price without driving your car to different stores is a lot better so that when you want to buy the product you can just go to the cheapest place that has it.
Qian Zhu – From now on, I can’t imagine my life in a state without the magic technology. I can get lots of the benefits from the advancements. The internet is the most powerful one, I can chat with friends, pay my bills and acquire information that is important to me. The other thing is MYKI, which is overwhelming used by Victorian people, that substituted the traditional tickets. Whenever I need to get a ride, it is easy for me access to public transport. I am precious being in modern technology time.
Nasr Mansour – In the past, it was like a dream feeding the scientific fiction books and movies, Today, technology is all around us at every move and go of life. Forty years ago, having your own mobile phone was a sort of a fictional idea and owning a personal computer or a laptop was a dream. Today’s technology is so advanced and still advancing every minute, so that people of an average standard of living can still afford to have both gadgets, even in one device. The ease of owning and using technology has dramatically affected our behaviour and our daily activities. I remember when I was young and had to call someone overseas, I had to go to a central communication shop to queue, waiting for my name to be called to a special cabin to make the call – if it was successful to get the other side of the world! Now it is very easy to make an overseas call on your mobile and if you have the special application installed, you end up making it for free. It is safe to say that technology has made our life far easier and comfortable though there are many side effects. One is the impact of technology on the traditional work market and the decrease of employment chances of many industries replacing humans with technologically advanced machines.
Md Jewel Kabir – Technology has impacted every aspect of our lives. Technologies – TV, video, games, internet and mobile phones have brought a significant change in our society. For example, educational programs benefit children’s knowledge and academic abilities. On the other hand, children who see a lot of violence on screens are also more likely to behave aggressively. Technology has changed the way we socialise with one another. The businesses that we interact with on a day-to-day basis are changing – face-to-face communications have become very rare incidence nowadays.
