4. What concerns you about your world? What do you hope to do to make it better? (400-500 words)
The world may one day become completely antisocial. The last five or ten years have introduced new forms of communication that may eventually lead us to talk to each other only when it is absolutely necessary. While the convenience of these new tools can be helpful, they do not provide the same kind of emotional experience that one can enjoy from having a real conversation in person.
Texting, phone calls, video chats, and social media are just some of the alternative communication methods that have increased in popularity over the last several years. The ever-advancing technology of the world has encouraged our new generation to rely on these handy tools, leaving us strangers to the experiences of real interactions. As the world's technology capacity has increased, so has the number of antisocial people. The old generation has continuously criticized the new generation for our dependence on technology, and with good reason. There is nothing like the conversations we can experience by actually talking with people. Conversations allow us to better understand how other people behave. A text message is simply a virtual string of words that doesn't indicate any type of tone or behavior. Virtual conversations are superficial conversations; they may seem great on the outside, but they have no deeper meaning or value. We, as a society, are becoming more and more superficial. While these digital devices can often times hinder communication, sometimes they can foster communication. Digital devices allow us to talk to friends or relatives who live thousands of miles away. They are also extremely important in times of emergency. The problem is that the new generation is not creating a balance between real and virtual communication. Instead, we are becoming addicting to the convenience of technology. Technology addiction is a serious problem that can lead to depression, anxiety, and ASPD (Antisocial Personality Disorder). People in the real world, especially ones from the older generation, expect to meet people who know how to talk and have real conversations. These skills can only be honed through real practice.
I hope to encourage the importance of maintaining a balance between real and virtual communication. I will try to help people improve their communication skills through "blind dating", where they will have the opportunity to speak one on one to another person about themselves. I am no stranger to the effects of texting and social media, and I have learned through time and experience that there is nothing like sitting down and having a real conversation with someone. If people can be taught to value real interactions and relationships over virtual ones, then we can stop the world from becoming completely technology dependent.
Dubby, you have created a very interesting essay here. It is a discussion about a theme that is very timely and truly is considered a great concern among educators and social scientists. I cannot find any fault with it content wise because you managed to cover all of the bases. From the concerns of the previous generation about the lack of human interaction in the new generation, all the way to the social problems that are slowly arising from the rampant use of anti-real time social technology, you have developed a very well thought out, outlined, and discussed paper. Even more important, is that you were able to cohesively present your thoughts within the word limit. Don't change anything in this paper. It is something you should be proud of and should submit with honor.
If I may suggest though, try to divide the topics into paragraphs without adding any new information so that you can stay within the word limit. This would make it easier for the reader to scan the paper and let them know when to expect some new information. It will make the paper look less cluttered :-)
