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Supposedly, with Internet access, people are able to perform transactions and to do shopping without leaving home, but meanwhile they have to pay a heavy price for it. One of the most negative aspects is, for instance, that it alters their social behaviours and habits. For many people, to spend part of the day on the Internet is quite normal. It can be expected that being addicted to Internet use, most of home telecommuters or Internet users will become socially isolated. Poor social life and feelings of loneliness are those problems that are very often found among heavy users.
It is also likely that people have become increasingly accustomed to living in a world that appreciates convenience and inactivity and they do not want to evade those maxims. It gives explanation of why the sedentary lifestyle is now prevailing and why people spend little time on leisure or recreational activities. Time has been spent in front of the computer or Internet. The net result is that they suffer serious loss of vision, back pain and obesity. It is true that many people finally end up with struggling with deteriorating health.
Despite the negative effects, the Internet has its positive implications to the well-being of society. Online shoppers are able to seek out the lowest prices for items or services. Manufacturers, therefore, have to improve product quality and lower price levels in an effort to win the favour of consumers and secure a stable market share. Telecommuting-working at home using a computer is a solution to traffic congestion, the urban air pollution and petrol use.
As outlined above, people's growing obsession with Internet use, such as online shopping or banking, has both immediate and long-term impacts on health, social involvement, lifestyles and emotional well-being. Although it is of great value from a net surfer's perspective, people should step up efforts to minimise the negative effects.
alternative= replacement = substitute
supposedly = theoretically = purportedly
price = penalty
telecommuter = teleworker
social life = spending time with friends and other people
inactivity = idleness = immobility = indolence = sluggishness
maxim = rule = principle = tenet = guideline = motto = dictum = axiom = truism
Topic 22: Many people are optimistic about the 21st century and expect scientists to make positive changes to the world. To what extent do you agree or disagree with their optimism? What changes would you like to see in the new century?
As the 21st century continues to unfold, many technologies have arisen, most of which were previously out of the reach of people's comprehension. While some people are content with the current standard of living and tend to owe it to technical advances, an opposing point of view is that not all these changes to lives are positive. I am of the opinion that there is still room for improvement and many problems remain unsolved.
The continued improvement in technology undoubtedly accelerates industrialisation but meanwhile leads to the deterioration of the natural environment. Accompanied by technological development, many problems, such as over-exploitation of natural resources, intense use of artificial fertilisers, reliance on automobiles and deforestation, have arisen and intensified. Even worse, little progress has been made toward addressing these problems, possibly because implementing environmentally friendly policies will inevitably impede the development of energy-intensive industries. That is why the use of petrol continues to climb, despite the fact that many countries pledge to curb petrol use and discover or invent alternative resources.
Another problem is that many technologies have put people at great risks and highlighted the need for innovation. For example, the spread of the Internet is directly responsible for people's sedentary lifestyle and many health problems, such as obesity. The rise of the fast food industry, owing mainly to the development in the food processing technology, is linked to diabetes, stroke and heart disease. Many stress-related diseases are attributed to the increasingly fierce competition in society, a result of technological development. Fears of job loss have become one of the most common sources of social anxiety in these years, as computerisation has undermined the traditional position of labour by eliminating jobs. All these problems demand quick solutions.
Some other problems are associated with technology as well, although the actual impacts remain unforeseen. For example, the future of genetic engineering, a radical new technology intending to introduce genetic changes to a species, either animals or plants, and to increase crop yield, is dim. To date there is no compelling evidence to show that GE food has a good track record for human safety, especially when it has been found related to thousands of poisoning cases.
Overall, whether technology is a blessing to people remains yet to be seen, so does what the 21st century can bring to them. It seems to be a fact that whenever a new technology arises, there must be some problems that follow. When people are impressed by the benefits brought by a new technology, it is important to evaluate its negative impacts and take precautions in advance.
unfold = display = disclose = clarify = become known = reveal
content = satisfied = pleased
deterioration = corrosion-weakening = worsening
artificial = man-made = synthetic = non-natural
track record = past performance = reputation = background = history = profile
precaution = preventative measure = safeguard
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