AWA - Analysis of an Issue - please respond!

[Guest]

Hi, I just started off with an AWA (Issue), please have a stab at my first essay below:

An author once wrote that "The invention of the telephone prevents us from appreciating the distance between us." Today this is even more true as the rise of the Internet has enabled inexpensive global communication.
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By saying that the invention of the telephone prevents us from appreciating the distance between us, the author essentially implies that the invention of a technology which allows easy communication between distantly located individuals leads us to a point of uncontrolled seamless communication, which becomes obsessive and robs us of the personal space which we need and cherish. I disagree with the author primarily because of two reasons.

First, I believe that it is always up to the individual how well he or she wants to remain connected to the far-off world. It is always possible to control one’s exposure to such technological advances. Let me quote an example of Warren Buffet who has only one phone at his work, no cell phones and doesn’t have internet at home. He doesn’t attend to any phone calls from home and doesn’t have internet at home. He has the phone only for emergency purposes.

Second, the author’s argument seems more of a passive restraint to the technological advances. In his complaint, he is comparable to my old grandfather who used to complain that CDs are not as good as LPs and that hand-fans were far better than Air Conditioners. Just as people regulate air-conditioners and they don’t keep them switched on all the time, similarly with seamless communication technologies at hand, people have learned to limit the use of telephones and internet, especially for personal purposes. Just imagine if were to travel by bullock-carts today because we could not afford to miss the nostalgic slow and shattering ride with an occasional smell of the dung!!

In conclusion, I disagree with the author because I believe that people control the use of technology and not vice versa. There are some like the legendary Warrant Buffet have developed a habit to have only a few hours of daily use of the latest communication technologies, and then there are some like me who would take an occasional vacation to the wild and shut off all possible connectivity to cherish that period of complete solitude.

[StaceyKoprince]

Hi - not sure whether you read the sticky, but instructors do not critique essays. Traffic is just too high in the forums overall and these take too long to grade / critique. Hopefully some fellow students will give you advice, though! And if you do want to get some essays formally graded and critiqued, you can contact the office for options (you get some done for free if you're in our class or you can pay to have some done if you're not).