Are computers taking over our lives?

[sherby]

Hi, I need your opinions on the folowing subject for an English essay. 'Are computers taking over our lives?' Would you be so kind as to give me your opinion and why? Thanks very much.

[redpepper]

If it's an English essay you are doing, you could make some references to contemporary literature as an opening. Possibly 1984 by Orwell and Brave New World by Huxley. Some references to the ways in which computers have replaced the jobs of people, the use of computers in descision making (defence systems), and the potential for invaion of peoples privacy. Social aspects such as the internet replacing the need to communicate face to face, and the emergence of virtual reality. Some sites that might also help: http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/review/299458.html http:/
/www.presshere.com/html/me8903.htm http://www.cs.tcd.ie/Brendan.Tangney/ComputersAndSociety/2001/Paper1/Alan_Donnell.html http://students.dcs.gla.ac.uk/students/ritchiem/ug/level4/pi/Want.html My own opinion is that computers will take over the running of part of our lives only as long as we permit this to happen. best of luck with your essay

[woodpam]

One of the effects of the computer age is the proliference of information now available with just a few clicks of the mouse. Many of us now have access to an infinite amount of knowledge and opinion, more than we could ever absorb in a lifetime. Whereas we might have gone to a library in the past and researched a subject using limited resources, often written by academics, we can now get our information from many different sources and investigate subjects from many different points of view. I read somewhere once that 150 years ago a rural working class person would not be exposed to any more information in their lifetime than is contained in one day's issue of a broadsheet newspaper. That may or may not be accurate but the exposure to information we have now is immense.

[bluedolphin]

There was an interesting thread some weeks back here about how quickly the formats change and the constant need for update where as a simple paper book can survive decades and is very acessible etc. One project The Doomesday Book was cited as an example. Done in 1970s put onto disc is now unreadable though ther are efforts going on at the moment to remedy it. On a personal example my young kids know how to use the paint program in windows but think dial phones are so unusual. A recent article in the observer put computers on the same level as tvs and videos as a teaching tool. Kids are now using the microsoft presentation program to do projects at school and English teachers are lamenting that they are using short phrases rather than full sentences. Hope some of these observations help in giveing you some ideas for yourself if not to share with your school mates.

[woodpam]

It occurs to me that you might want to mention some of the technological advances which would not exist without computers. There are mobile phones, medical equipment, and a variety of helpful innovations as well as more efficient weapons systems, spy satellites and the like.

[woodpam]

don't forget to tell us what grade we got Sherby. I remember "helping" with my son's maths homework once and getting a D. I was pretty hacked off I can tell you.

[Gef]

Your question would seem to suggest that they are!

[sherby]

Thanks alot guys! You were a huge help!!!! I got an A-!