Task
Which aspect of our daily life has been affected most by technology?
- communication
relationships
working life
Some opinions expressed in the discussion:
- 'It's great to be able to communicate with people 24 hours a day.'
'It's so hard to make personal relationships - everyone's online every time.'
'People have an easier working life because they can work from home.'
Vast technological advancement has transformed our everyday life beyond recognition. New technology, confidently making its way into the modern world, quickly renders old habits ineffective, changing our lifestyle, the way we study, teach, work, do business, or communicate with other people.
Among different technological improvements the world sees so much these days, the digital revolution seems to have affected our working life the most. Invented more than half a century ago, computers have conquered the world during the last thirty years. Along came the Internet and mobile phones.
Computers allow us gather, store and analyze a considerable amount of data daily, relieving workers from a lot of paperwork, giving instant access to information, and generally letting perform work faster. Digital appliances have not just changed the way we do things in office, but have also made remote work possible. Teleworking is becoming increasingly popular, involving more and more people of even conservative professions such as lawyers or doctors.
Not only has technology changed our working life, it affected our relationships with other people. Nowadays it is easy to communicate with people living on other continents. For example, I have no problem teaching my Belgian friend Russian via the Internet, what was hardly possible even fifteen years ago.
As amazing as it seems, it occurs to me that technology makes a pleasant addition to our social life rather than fundamentally changing it. Working at a computer, making presentations or teleworking, at the end of the week many of us still go out with our friends or plan a family weekend outside of town. That is why I think that our working life has been affected by technology a bit more than our actual social relationships.