Some people believe that our ever-increasing use of technology significantly reduces our opportunities for human interaction. Other people believe that technology provides us with new and better ways to communicate and connect with one another.
Write a response in which you discuss which view more closely aligns with your own position and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should address both of the views presented.
---------------------------------------------------
The rapidly shifting world of technologies has drastically changed the way in which people behave in society. Technologies developed in the past several decades has fundamentally altered the socialization patterns and behaviors of this generation, in both positive and detrimental ways. Developments such as texting, Skype, and Facebook have made available myriad new ways of communicating and interacting with one's friends. However, these technologies also make it more difficult to be exposed to new people and viewpoints, and gain socialization behaviors necessary for healthy interaction with society at large.This paradoxially hinders human interaction and isolates those who depend on such technology.
The ability to interact and keep in touch with one's friends at any time and place seems like a great boon at first, but over-reliance on this network stagates one's social skills, and prevents people from fully immersing themselves with new people and surroundings. Texting, in particular, is often used as a social crutch in uncomfortable situations. It's a common ocurrance in a crowded elevator full of strangers to see everyone with their phones out, attempting to avoid each other's gazes. Even at restaurants, it's not uncommon to see couples texting their respective friends rather than engaging in conversation with each other. Technologies such as texting provide a social safety net available anywhere, at any time. However, the downside of this is that people don't learn how to deal with new social situations, and voluntarily restrict their own social contact.
Besides being a hinderance to forging new social connections, technology can in a way replace human contact altogether. Deep and dedicated friendships with plenty of face-to-face contact is eschewed in favor of hundreds and hundreds of barely-recognizable Facebook "friends", online gaming buddies who have never met in real life, and forums and web communities which provide comfortable places where the unpleasantries of real-life interaction, clashing interests, and dissenting opinions don't have to be dealt with. It is far too easy to become lost in a virtual world, to the detriment of existing in the actual world. This sort of behavior exists all around the world, from stay-at-home all-night gamers in America to 30-something "otaku" hermits in Japan, to die-hard Internet cafe residents in China. The social problems caused by technology infatuation are so severe that several countries, including India, South Korea, and Russia, have passed laws attempting to curb such behavior.
Technology is a wonderful thing, and provides new and _ methods of human interaction. However,
----------------------------------------------------
That's as far as I got, but I think the summary should be pretty obvious. So, what's up with my essay? And for those who know a bit about the GRE, do you think leaving the summary hanging like that will affect my score?
Write a response in which you discuss which view more closely aligns with your own position and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should address both of the views presented.
---------------------------------------------------
The rapidly shifting world of technologies has drastically changed the way in which people behave in society. Technologies developed in the past several decades has fundamentally altered the socialization patterns and behaviors of this generation, in both positive and detrimental ways. Developments such as texting, Skype, and Facebook have made available myriad new ways of communicating and interacting with one's friends. However, these technologies also make it more difficult to be exposed to new people and viewpoints, and gain socialization behaviors necessary for healthy interaction with society at large.This paradoxially hinders human interaction and isolates those who depend on such technology.
The ability to interact and keep in touch with one's friends at any time and place seems like a great boon at first, but over-reliance on this network stagates one's social skills, and prevents people from fully immersing themselves with new people and surroundings. Texting, in particular, is often used as a social crutch in uncomfortable situations. It's a common ocurrance in a crowded elevator full of strangers to see everyone with their phones out, attempting to avoid each other's gazes. Even at restaurants, it's not uncommon to see couples texting their respective friends rather than engaging in conversation with each other. Technologies such as texting provide a social safety net available anywhere, at any time. However, the downside of this is that people don't learn how to deal with new social situations, and voluntarily restrict their own social contact.
Besides being a hinderance to forging new social connections, technology can in a way replace human contact altogether. Deep and dedicated friendships with plenty of face-to-face contact is eschewed in favor of hundreds and hundreds of barely-recognizable Facebook "friends", online gaming buddies who have never met in real life, and forums and web communities which provide comfortable places where the unpleasantries of real-life interaction, clashing interests, and dissenting opinions don't have to be dealt with. It is far too easy to become lost in a virtual world, to the detriment of existing in the actual world. This sort of behavior exists all around the world, from stay-at-home all-night gamers in America to 30-something "otaku" hermits in Japan, to die-hard Internet cafe residents in China. The social problems caused by technology infatuation are so severe that several countries, including India, South Korea, and Russia, have passed laws attempting to curb such behavior.
Technology is a wonderful thing, and provides new and _ methods of human interaction. However,
----------------------------------------------------
That's as far as I got, but I think the summary should be pretty obvious. So, what's up with my essay? And for those who know a bit about the GRE, do you think leaving the summary hanging like that will affect my score?