Band 80-90: Please Press There

“The point is not how we use a tool, but how it uses us.” said Nick Joakvin to express his feelings about the detriments of technology and internet. As he said, it is often assumed by humankind that technology and internet (TI) are so constructive instead of thinking TI is being the owner of the world, of the people themselves. Thanks to technology(!) , on the internet everyone can share what they do, what they eat, where they go. However, people are not even aware of sharing their private life effortlessly without thinking over the significant results. Especially the youth is getting obsessed with TI more easily than the adults by overusing smart phones, smart TVs and some other deceitful tools. Not only TI is a threat for youth or adults, but also because of TI, there might be no life in the future in terms of wars and political issues. As is seen, TI is baneful for people in many ways which three of them are so remarkable; privacy and easiness, youth, wars & political issues.

First and foremost, it is a vital problem that people share their private life with the others in such a simple way. TI, which guarantees the inviolability of privacy, make people ask a reasonable question about how TI, itself, gets the information of people's private life.  If TI keeps sharing people’s private life, because of letting TI, soon there may not be right of defending our privacy. And also TI makes people consider that life is more easier on using tools but acutally people are getting lazier in virtue of TI. They do not worry or think about the problems because TI does instead of them. TI seems attractive by their easiness and privacy but in reality these two are essentially abominable.

Secondly, because of TI, youth is getting highly obsessed with technological devices. With unhealthy obsessions, in their daily life, time is being spent unnecessarily with TI; they are using mobiles, TVs, computers, laptops, headphones, wifi... There is almost no communication among teenages. The only thing that young people care about is a world of lie on the internet which made by technology. They cannot breath without Wi-Fi instead of not breathing without oxsygen. The other problem is that youth is not healthy because they do not need to move anymore. It has been thinking that everything is quite simple and available. For instance, young people do not want to climb up stairs, they use escelator. With a lot of examples like this situation that can be known nearly by everyone, might be thought as a threat of a dreadful obsession.

Thirdly, wars and political issues are the most critical effects of TI’s surrounding the world. Especially wars are not occuring like in the past centuries; weapons, people, thoughts... The weapons and even people & thoughts are developed by technology. Unfortunately these developments are so infinite and happening so fast that today these can be the reason of the end of the world. Wars that happening via TI can have an end if politicians let. However they think that as a country, if you have the weapon of TI, you have the power; If you do not, then you are not a country anymore. They want to feel powerful so they do not let the war end. If people let the war continue, TI also continue surrounding the world and the end can be dark.

All in all, besides it is thought that TI has a lot of profits, it also has curical and dreadful detriments. As mentioned before,  people should not let TI have the information of their own private life that easily. Conjointly, TI obviously make every tool slightly accesible, on the other hand, people are getting lazier by this situation. Conspicuously, the youth can be seen at the top of the laziness chart.  Moreover, not only youth are getting lazier, but also they are getting much more obsessed with TI day by day. Furthermore, wars and political issues that affect the world are the results of TI’s being the owner of the world. The most effective and healthy decision is to use TI sufficiently and effectively. As far as I am concerned, people are on the edge of a cliff and the more people let TI hold them, the less they may have the chance to live.

by Sümeyye Aydın 1st year ELT Student @ Erciyes University

Band 90-100: THE NEW ERA: TECHNOLOGY AND INTERNET

      Technology and internet have a great importance in our lives because they are a milestone like renaissance, reform, industry revolution. Both of them contribute to our lives with significant improvements. They have developed and continued to developing gradually from past to present. In previous years, whereas technology and internet progressed slower and more ineffective, nowadays they advance more effective and faster. Moreover, fast and impressive progress of technology and internet have impacts on our lives. Internet and technology provide us various services in some areas. Thanks to these services, technology and internet manage to penetrate the world that we live. Technology and internet, which change and improve our lives, offer a range of benefits in some remarkable fields, such as in business life, social life and in the field of education.

       One of the most considerable benefits of technology and internet can be observed in business life. As internet and technology provide facilities in numerous fields, they put forward some facilities in business life. The more new devices and machines, the more level of productivity increases. This makes it easy to reach the product that we want. For instance; when industry revolution occurred, machines were made and production started to get faster. Moreover with improvements of technology and internet, new working fields occur for people such as defence industry, manufacturing industry, information technology. For example; nowadays, the demands for information technology brings new working fields in this area. Thanks to this, firms are established for producing smart phones, smart TV, the latest technological devices. Competition occurs among countries and it supplies more durable and authentic products for customers. Furthermore, thanks to internet, business people connect with their customers directly. Customers can obtain information about products that they will buy. Also, customers can buy their goods on internet or they can sell their goods via internet. Internet and technology offer beneficial services for all people. We can see the advantages of them in business life.

        In the second place, technology and internet have significant impact on social life as they become part of life. Compared to past, people tend to make use of  internet and technology for many purposes. For example; people can contact with their friends, family and relatives, via technological devices and internet supplied. People can communicate by video, telephone, messages etc. and therefore are always in touch with one another owing to technology and internet. Moreover, many people can obtain information about whole world, their countries and their cities. People can be aware of all events by using routinely technology and internet to follow the news, weather forecasts, sport news. Additionally, people use internet and technology to enjoy, by watching videos, various movies, surfing on social networks. For instance; many people frequently share their photos or videos via social networks to keep people following them updated. Many people spend their time thanks to internet and technology. Existence of internet, invention of technological devices, discovery of social nets, affect social life which become comparatively easier and more enjoyable, accordingly in parallel with those improvements.

       Lastly, technology and internet provide highly vital advantages in the field on education. They have undeniable importance for both students and teachers. Technology and internet offer educational opportunities such as online courses, specific webpages, e-mail communication, and tools used in the classroom like smartboards, calculators, laptops, presentation hardware. Online courses have positive effects on students because every age group of people can attend the courses and they can choose any course they want. Furthermore, students can access datum from various sources, webpages, news sources and educational videos. Information is available and updated on websites and online library in any time. This can be illustrated by online library. Instead of going local library, students can access more rapidly to online library and so they can save their time. Likewise, many students can make use of internet and technology to complete homework. Find research or information required for projects. Importantly, student can contact other students and teachers through e-mail and teachers can also contact parents easily. It is important to highlight that teachers can make use of technological devices and internet by using animations, pictures, documentaries and slides. For instance; while they are explaining any subject, they can use actual photographs. Thanks to this, classes are mostly permanent for students. Due to these benefits of technology and internet, education is more influential an organized for teachers and students.

       Overall, technology and internet impress us in various areas; nevertheless, importantly, they penetrate in the fields of business, social life and education. People use internet and technology due to a range of facilities. In business life, internet and technology offer opportunities such as fast production, durable goods, different working areas. In social life, we can see the benefits of technology and net like swift communication, enjoyable times. Also, technology and internet have useful sides namely, online courses and library, the latest technological tools, e-mail communication in the field on education. Technology and internet provide such a comfortable life that this makes them invaluable thus people cannot give up these facilities. Easiness attract people inasmuch as they do not want to experience tough events. When people experience difficulties, they start to look for solutions to sort out them and make them easy. Since internet and technology were revealed, they have offered convenience means and comfort to us. Internet and technology appeared that they become a revelation for people and with time they evolved, this is an enormous evolution. They revolved and become a revolution for all human beings. Revelation of technology and net convert into an evolution, evolution transform into a giant revolution.

by Hatice Demiral 1st year ELT student @ Erciyes University

Band 90-100

INCREASING VIOLENCE AMONG YOUNGSTERS

     According to The National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center, nearly 1561 young people, whose ages were under 18, were arrested for assassination in 2000. Throughout the world, 250.000 homicides occur among youngsters who are between10-29 years old each year, which means the %41 of the annual total number of homicides. These statistics demonstrate that the rate of youth violence is quite conspicuous. When a trouble arises, the factors that cause this trouble should be taken into consideration. The research that was done by some experts resulted in the view that there are three major factors of violence in youth. These are family, educational and social factors. Such factors, and more, bring about increasing the rate of violence among young people.

     First of all, family factors can be viewed as the most leading one causing violence among youngsters. A research conducted by Sezer Ayan in 2007 indicates that the teenagers who were exposed to violence while growing up are apt to violence more than the others. Parents had better care about their children so that they can receive sufficient affection which is their imperative requirement all the time. Parents should be aware of how to interact with their children. In order to accomplish this, parents need to be well-educated. Low parental education might lead lack of communication between parents and children. Unfortunately, parents leaving their children in front of TV sets may be observed almost everywhere. They do not even control what their children watch. It is probable that children may watch some movies or cartoons that include violent scenes without parents’ supervision. All these elements may contribute to the idea that it is quite crucial for parents to engage in their children and make them they are of great importance to their parents.

     Second major factor that brings about violence among youngsters can be educational factors. According to CDC’s study, about %2 of homicides occur among school-age children. When children begin to get education at schools, they spend much time with their teachers and other pupils more than their parents. Interaction problems may arise between teachers and students. Unless the teacher tries to put an end to such problems, this situation might become more and more troublesome. For instance, children may be deprived of their willingness to participate lessons. Additionally, they may escape from school, which most probably results in failing. Many of them may be prone towards becoming a part of gangs due to this failure. Since it is very likely for teenagers to be influenced by their peers because of the features of puberty, one student can cause the others to be drawn to gangs without difficulty. As a result of these determinants, they might be involved in violence either with their own decision or with pressure of their friends.

     The third of the most considerable factors of violence among youngsters is social factors. Unemployment can be thought as a major factor of this issue. Particularly in Turkey, the case of unemployed university graduates is an enormous problem. There are approximately 600.000 people suffering from this situation. This tough issue may cause some people to have psychological problems. Furthermore, when the people around the jobless ones begin to neglect them, their problem is likely to become a lot more bothersome. Income inequality in a society might be one of the consequences of unemployment in a country. Such cases may also have an effect on addiction to drugs or alcohol. Due to the fact that their mental health is not fine enough, they may consider that these addictions are appropriate ways to dispose of their troubles. One can be sure that addicted people will not be able to control themselves. They are likely to be brutal against their family members. Each element influences one another and most probably engenders violence.

     To put in a nutshell, the increasing rate of violence among youngsters is a problematic issue all around the world. According to the studies that were conducted previously, family, educational and social factors are the main reasons for this social case. Family is the basis of a society. To head on to such social problems, the first thing to do is establish well-educated families knowing how to raise their children. Insufficient education at schools triggers violence, as well. Social factors, such as unemployment, income inequality, addiction, are said to have a significant effect on rising rate of violence among teenagers. As this is a social issue and family is the essence of a society, every parent is supposed to care about their children and teach them to love the life they live in before the gloves are off.

Author: Fatmagul Ozalp (ELT-2)