Internet has become a vital part of our lives over the recent years. This World Wide Web technology has turned the whole world into a global village. Back in early 1996 on a visit to Toronto Canada from Karachi Pakistan, my brother introduced me to internet technology for the first time. It was an absolute new invention and this magic just baffled me.
Along with him I attended a seminar on information or internet Technology which was just in infancy and very few people knew about it. Every one including me was so curious to know and understand it. After getting a bit of knowhow, got a dial up connection at that time to use e-mails and stay in touch with my loved ones. I would leave my story here to proceed further with comments from a few people.
Information Technology has taken strides over these years. As with every new invention and technology it has its blessings and curses. Big huge size Computers transformed with thin sleek big monitors, from desk tops to laptops, from big laptops to small mini, thin and then to tablets. Apple corps invented iPad and every year a new iPad is coming in, this year its iPad air. The other companies too didn’t lag behind with Samsung and many more; they brought their own tablets in the great comparison of cyber world and market.
In smart phones the pioneer black berry is on the verge of bankruptcy. IPhone, Samsung, LG and others phones are just like small computer tablets, much in vogue and demand.
With these online contacts and cellular phones we all are closely connected to each other. Kids have got a lot many handy games and gadgets to play on and now with iPhone and all other smart phones there are a lot of games and apps to get on.
Sofia– is a senior lady but a computer savoy. She started using it for almost 16 -17 years. She has a knack of reading and writing and found computer screen as a best tool for expression. She is associated with many online Islamic and literary groups. After the introduction of Urdu script on computers, she types a lot of stories in Urdu too and posts it to groups, newspapers and magazines. She sends her English articles to English Newspapers and magazines. She has a vast online circle .She attended many Online classes through Pal Talk, hot conference and webinar. She is excited with all these online tools and finds it a great source of knowledge and solace. Seeing her passion, she got two laptops as gifts from her sons. Last year she got an iPad 2, she enjoys its great speed and hi-tech approach on web surfing. She uses social media sites, Facebook, g+, twitter and Linked in. She has a regular cell phone, just for emergency contacts. She is connected through Skype with friends and family.
She gets annoyed some times when whole of her family members are busy on their laptops, cell phones and tablets, only getting together at dinner table for a short time.
Seerat, is a home maker, a part time employed from Oakville Canada. She is direly against all these modern and latest gadgets may be laptops, tablets, desk tops, smart phones and kids games. In her opinion through these, people have lost their family time, activities, talking and sharing to each other. Every one sitting around is holding one or the other gadget and busy in that. They are all linked into an unseen world, connected to their online friends, having fun, enjoying jokes on their own. Even in one house the family is connected through computers and phones. She herself doesn’t know much about computer use but still watches Pakistani, Indian dramas online on YouTube and other sources.
When doing nothing she sometime plays solitaire and benefits from Skype connecting to her son and his family in Malaysia. She has a regular cell phone for normal usage.
Sarah is a young lady, mother of four; right now she is a home staying mom or a home maker. Her kids ages are 10- 2.The oldest two go to school, while two young stay at home. She has a Samsung Galaxy cell phone with 3 G network. It’s called android system,it has all the apps like iPhone, free chat and call network, Google GPS system. She uses her phone most of the time for keeping in touch, checking e-mails, social media, camera and video. She has down loaded whole Quran through Quran explorer in the voice of Mishari Al Hafasi , listens Quran with on speakers while driving and enjoys it a lot. In this way her kids can hear tilawat too and keep attached to Quran. Never been a big fan of music, she plays some kid’s poems. Her kids sometimes borrow her phone for games. They play a lot of hi-tech games Wii, Gameboy, Xbox, PlayStation and many more. Sometimes they play on her iPad.
With her busy schedule of, she hardly finds any time to sit on a computer. Over her phone she receives e-mails, go over Facebook and chat with her long distance friends and relatives.
Shehla is a high school student. She has a laptop and a cell phone. She uses laptop for her school work, homework, emailing and web surfing. She doesn’t have an internet data on her phone. It’s only used to make calls and texting. She keeps in touch with her family and friend and her parents keep a check on her when she is going to get off from her school and bus.
Zara is a grade 8th student. She is quite a bit computer savoy, got a kindle fire as a gift for her good grades. She downloaded many books because she is a prolific reader. She plays Nintendo Wii with her brothers over the weekends. She carries a normal cell phone for emergency contacts with her family and friends.
Omar is a University student he has an iPhone 5 with him, which he enjoys a lot. He is quite satisfied with its multiple apps and 4G networks. Keeping iPhone is sufficient for me to check my e-mails, Facebook update, and write down short notes. He uses it as a camera, movie recorder it’s free calling apps, through which he does free long distance video calls. Its GPS is pretty good.” I use a laptop and desk top for my assignments, presentations and other projects. I feel like these gadgets are a kind of blessing for us which has made my life and studies far easier.” He informed me.
Zakir is a student of grade 10. He is crazy after watching TV, playing WII or PlayStation. He has all the latest games and gadgets, which he bought through his pocket money. Earlier he had itouch and game boy. Now he got the old iPhone of his father and handed over those games to his younger brothers. He is always warned by his parents not to waste time and concentrate on his studies. He enjoys making videos and sometimes posts them on you tube. He took a photography course in his school for which he got a professional camera and tried many options of Photoshop. He works on desk top for his assignments and homework and sometimes borrows his father’s laptop .in his free time he mostly plays games on his iPhone.
Ainee and her friends watch a lot of anime on computer. She is a university student and has to study a lot. She got a lap top from university exclusively for university work, assignments, presentations etc. During holidays she is awake most of the night chatting with friends or playing some online games. Then she gets up quite late at night, her mom is quite annoyed on that. She has a regular cell phone for texting and Phone calls.
These are just a few examples which show how viral this trend of being online and using computers has gone. These are the blessings and curses of Modern day information Technology.
In this survey and with my observations I came to the conclusion that this technology has transformed our lives a lot. This internet technology is now a vital part of our lives. We have got so addicted to its usage now that we get frustrated when it is unavailable. Even in Pakistan most of the educated people are connected to Wi-Fi, social media, Whats app, twitter, chat rooms and e-mails. This e-mailing and chats have released the burden on postal mail and letters. Now the message is send with the blink of an eye with internet. We are connected all around and to our far away loved ones.
Computers are now used by almost everyone, every day in the United States and Canada for various purposes. The whole world is now involved in this world wide web. This innovation has evolved and can accomplish anything from writing papers, to Facebook, to sending an email, or shopping online. This technology has significantly impacted the lives of many, but for better or worse? As we progress technologically, it is hard to tell when we go too far, and whether or not advances are positive or not.
Primarily, computers seem to be a helpful and ideal tool for everyday work. Invented in 1936, by Konrad Zuse, the computer has grown to a popular item used for adults and kids for work, school, and fun. This technology made it simple to communicate between co-workers to get work done more efficiently using email, and also has features such as soft wares to create documents, charts, and presentations. Using this system is a professional way to organize and present ideas in the work force. Laptops and desktops are used in schools as well as school boards see the value in furthering technology use.
They can be used as tools for aid to teachers when they can’t always help every student. Now students can do own research and start to learn on their own. Advancements for computers have made school work easier as students can research using the internet as an almost infinite source of information. Not only are computers helpful in getting work done, but are used for personal enjoyment. These machines allow access to games, online shopping, social networking, and the opportunity to explore the world all from your own seat. More uses of computers are the serious aspects they help. Military often rely on the use of communication and technology of computers for safety. Computers also help bring the news back to us as we can watch on our own screens. Computers could be saving lives. Plus, computers save paper; computers save trees.
The bad influence or the curse of this technology is that it has stolen many lovely moments of a family life. Those moments gradually changed, first with the advent of TV, then internet. Today in a cartoon, a couple is sitting across each other, the boy is looking to his phone and the girl says, let me tie this phone to my forehead just to pretend that you are looking at me. It used to be a very bad manner not to get involved or focused to the conversation in a group. Now even the mature, grownups, responsible would hear a chime of their phone, pull it out and start texting or reading the message in the middle of a discussion. Many of them would start playing solitaire or other games to avoid boredom of the conversation. The US senators in the senate were once photographed, playing on their computers in a session. Participants are asked to turn off their cell phone in an important meeting to avoid distraction.
What to say about kids, who sneak in to get their parents phone to avoid boredom and the parents wish them to be busy too. Actually these smart phones have drastically changed the scenario with the handy computers and data connections. In North America in a normal house hold almost everyone has a laptop and most have smart phones. It’s a normal scene to watch every one holding it and busy with their gadget while sitting together.
The main concerns as we all know and I had repeatedly mentioned in my previous articles is to be aware of what one is doing on internet. There should be always this sense and caution that Allah swt, the all knower is watching us all the time and two angles kiraman katibin are recording each and every detail. There are always two aspects or sides of everything and so is with this technology. The young generation or kids should be watched what they are doing on internet. There is a lot of bad, ugly, vulgar and indecent stuff going on there. There are predators, pornographers and a lot of inappropriate sites which could devastate young, teen and even adult minds. It is a great responsibility of parents to be watchful.
To determine whether this technology is a blessing or a curse is one of the hardest decisions one can make. This has generated a big controversy, leading into the creation of two different positions and views: supporters and opponents.
From the supporters’ point of view, technology improves our quality of life. Some of the most important discoveries we have done would not have been possible without the usage of this technology. Things like the internet have definitely changed the perspective we had of distances. Now we can just connect to the World Wide Web and communicate with people who are miles away from us. This is only one of the many examples we could give to prove the fact that technology is a blessing and that our life would not be the same without it.
In my opinion, technology is neither a blessing nor a curse; it’s both. What makes it change its position is how we use it. We can’t blame a nuclear weapon for the damage it produces; we blame the person who detonated it. It’s the same with everything else, computers, medicines, cars, planes, TV, movies … and even with every day’s simple things. What should remain in our conscience is if what we do with it will either bless or curse us and our own life.