iWrite - Isabel Jenkins

It seems that any mention of technology brings about the same age-old question. Is the technology of today having a good impact, or a bad one?

I consider that to be an impossibly inconclusive debate. There's no doubt that technology is overrunning our world, whether it be the constant murmur of a TV in the background or the obsessive glances toward a cell phone in class. Yet it would be foolish to dismiss the benefits of technology - advancements in medicine and science, access to more information, and a general better quality of life. I could not imagine living in the dark ages. But living 20 years ago?

I can still recall the times when I spent most of the day outside with the neighbors, making up stories or going on adventures. The only form of "modern" technology I ever encountered was American Girl flash games. But as I grew older, the dreaded Webkinz and DS became increasingly popular. And playing "pretend" became increasingly dull.

I have always fantasized about living in a simpler time. Technology has definitely improved communication, but I believe people used to have different relationships. I can't say whether or not they were more genuine, but they definitely required more effort. We live in a world where doing something as mundane as saying "hey" or something as extreme as breaking up takes only a few button taps. But of course I love going to the movies, and looking up information online, and being able to quickly text a request without having to find a pay phone. So my ambivalence prevails.

But all fantasies aside, I'm content in the time period I'm in now. (Mainly because if I had been born 20 years earlier, braces wouldn't even have been an option for my horrendous overbite - they'd just break my jaw and reposition it. Eugh.) My youngest brother has grown up with a Wii, Xbox, iPod Touch, TV, and computer. He never played "pretend." I'm glad I got to spend a bit of time without all this technology, even if it was just a taste.

I Write Noah Welch

    

Technology has many extreme benefits that have helped influence the world I live in. Technology helps transport me to school, cook my food, and give me information about the world. I can have knowledge about anything in the world with the click of a button.  Medical advancements have helped prolong my life and help healed me when I needed surgery.  Technology helps improve the standards of human life and helps develop vaccines that help protect people. Technology, such as modern glasses and contacts that are cheap and affordable help me see. Without them I would be legally blind. Technology helps grow food by using modern pesticides and tractors that help increase food production. It also purifies water so I can drink without the fear dying from water borne illness. I can be thankful for modern uses of heating and air-conditioning to help keep me comfortable.  Technology also helps me find both sides of arguments so I am not bamboozled into believing in false premises. I can also watch movies, play games and do my homework all from my computer. I have taken online classes that have allowed me to advance without actually being in a class room. All in all, my whole life is what it is because of technological advancements that have helped improve our society.

Luke, come to the dark side- will mathews

I think that there is a clear cut good and evil but that there is a grey area as well where good people often do things that are bad. What I mean by this is that there are clear good people like Mother Teresa and bad people like Hitler, but then there is a third category for the average guys that won’t go save a third world country but also won’t kill thousands. They are generally nice people who do the right things as much as they can but on occasion may let someone else take the blame for something they did or lie, things that in moderation don’t make you evil at all but leave you as a good person who ventures into the moral grey zone. I like to think that I’m a good person, I go to church, I am kind to my friends, help people when I can but I’ve done things I wish I hadn’t, I’ve been mean when I shouldn’t,  judged when I shouldn’t  but this doesn’t make me a bad person it just means I make mistakes like an normal human.

Iwrite- Will Mathews

I wish that I had grown up 20 years ago, because I hate the way our society today interacts. There is no more real conversation it is all over the internet or through cell phones. I fell that back then you actually got to know people, now most of what you know or think you know you have found out through social media. It gives people the feeling that they do not actually have to have real human interaction because they can just text you or DM or whatever you instead of having real conversation. So I feel that the relationships that were built then are much better than those of today. Therefore I would prefer to grown up 20 years ago when things honestly were just simpler, people got along with people not technology. I think that the kids of today are to technology oriented and could be very harmful later in life.

iwrite- Amelia Rogers

            If I had grown up 20 years ago, I think my life and my perspective on technology would be very different. I actually pretty regularly think about how I would rather have grown up in an earlier time, just because technology has become so advanced and such a major part of our lives now.

            I love using my phone and my laptop to do everything from texting to writing a paper to taking pictures to playing games- seriously everything. Sometimes I just think about how many things I use my phone for, and it’s really crazy. But there are also many times when I feel like my life is controlled by technology. I feel like its everywhere, and we’re all addicted to it. I see little kids who have grown up with iPads and iPhones and it makes me sad. They don’t appreciate toys like Legos because they have more interesting electronic games, or they don’t like books because the pictures don’t move. We teenagers are glued to social media. The second that we have a break, we’re back on our phones. We just can’t bear to be without them. There are many times that I wish all of the high level technology we have would go away, because I think we are really missing out on what’s going on around us.

            If I had grown up 20 years ago, I know my life would center a lot less on technology. I would be closer to my friends. I would take time to write letters. I would read more. I would go outside more. I would actually consider the world around me more often. I think my life would honestly be a lot better. I hope that when I have children, no matter how advanced our technology has become, I will be able to show them the beauty of life without it, even as I am trying to learn that lesson myself. 

Assignment 3: Come to the dark side, Luke

The news does not shy away from stories that show the moral flaws of humanity. Read any newspaper and there is always something about the latest crime in its pages. Every so often though, we are fortunate enough to hear stories of people who still want to do the right thing. For instance, Leah Kleppinger recently found a wallet when no one else was around. When she opened it, she saw $4,600 in cash and credit cards and had every opportunity to pocket it, but instead returned it to its owner.

But just because we hear about bad things and nice things happening does that mean there is a true battle versus good and evil? Is Leah Kleppinger the epitome of good while someone who would have kept the wallet the definition of evil?

So...you're prompt for the week:

Do you believe in absolute good and evil? Is it as clear cut as Harry Potter versus Voldemort, the Sith versus the Jedi? Is there no war at all between good and evil; is there just this gray area where sometimes good people do bad things? Are good and evil even things that have to exist? Can one eliminate the other once and for all? What is evil? What is good?

Use examples when applicable, tell a story to illustrate your point, show causation - whatever you decide to say about it, explain yourself.

Your post will be due by Sunday September 14th 11:59 pm

iWrite- Anthony Tamasi

We all love technology, whether you would like to admit to it or not. We use it every day, and the capabities of small 5 inch long devices we keep in our pockets, are ever expanding. In fact, iPhones now have more processing power than what was used to first put man on the moon. That's crazy.

Technology has paved the way for new, and great innovations in history, with fire, guns, cellular phones, etc. However, they do have a negative impact on society, when is the last time you went out to lunch or dinner with a few friends and not once did someone pull out their phone? You probably can't name a time, right? These days, people seem to be spending more time on their electronic devices than even going outside. Now, I'm in no way saying that I'm against the use of technology in this day and age. I think my

phone is great and useful, but I think we need to learn, as a society, when it's time to set it down for a little bit.