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TEXT 1

WHY IS COMPUTER EDUCATION IMPORTANT FOR SOCIETY?

Once the preserve of scientifically inclined «geeks», knowledge of how computers function is now a crucial skill for everyone to develop. Virtually every aspect of modern life is affected by computers, and developing digital infor-

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mation literacy is essential in the 21st century. Computer education is exceptionally important for modern society, and is broadly required in order to maintain economic competitiveness at the personal, regional and national levels. Have a question? Get an answer from Online Tech Support now!

Social observers have identified a phenomenon known as the «digital divide», a term that refers to the separation between those who possess information literacy and those who do not. This divide, which tends to separate along socio-economic fault lines, is characterized by the amount of access an individual or community has to the Internet, especially depending on the presence or absence of computer hardware and/or broadband access.

Computer education is especially key for students, from primary through graduate school. Students today are expected to conduct research on the Internet, complete homework online, and make use of presentation software in class discussions. Weak information literacy skills will hold students back just as certainly as weak conventional literacy skills will. Once students enter the work force, productivity on the job requires effective use of time-saving resources, and the computer is certainly on the top of the list. Training in basic software programs is considered elementary for most white-collar positions, even at the entry level. Communication through email is an office standard as well, and employees must learn to manage multiple means of communication using up-to-date technology.

The 2010-2011 Occupational Outlook Handbook of the U.S.Bureau of Labor Statistics describes above average job growth for computer and information systems managers, considering employment prospects «excellent» for qualified job seekers. Information Technology is an increasingly important element of modern industry, and computer education is an essential element for people entering the job market, or seeking to advance in their career.

Social networking in the digital environment has also become increasingly common, as people find more and more ways of creating Internet-based communities. These groups have proven very effective at everything from political mobilization to dating services. The proliferation of social networking websites have made our world much smaller, allowing individuals to connect with each other in novel ways and organize to support causes that might otherwise receive scant attention from the broader public. A lack of computer training means a person has limited access to resources that might be of significant concern.

The rapid development of technology unfortunately allows for criminal innovation as well, with identity theft and other Internet-based scams proliferating. Effective computer education reduces user vulnerability to everything from computer viruses to unwanted email. This is not merely a technical skill: training provides the user with a sense of how information is shared and distributed, warning them, for example, about the problem of posting embarrassing comments or photographs on a social networking site only to find them unearthed by a prospective employer in a job interview.

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TEXT 2

NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF TECHNOLOGY ON COMMUNICATION

Technologies used for communication have changed the dynamics of human interaction. Communications technology such as the Internet, mobile phones and VoIP applications to make phone calls through the computer, have all ushered in a telecommunications revolution. While the

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modes of human communication have expanded, the use of such technology has also had negative effects on the nature of the communication itself, according to The Redoubt Reporter, an Arkansas newspaper. Have a question? Get an answer from a Medical Professional now!

It is common to see someone multitasking while communicating with someone else. You could be talking on the phone while surfing the Internet; you could be checking e-mail and using your mobile phone simultaneously. Communications technologies have made all this possible. However, although you think that you are saving time by engaging in this sort of multitasking, the net effect is that the quality of the communication suffers if you can't give your undivided attention to the person you are communicating with, advises the paper.

The Internet has made it possible to keep in touch with people from anywhere in the world. And you can communicate on the go using text messaging and cell phones. This has led to some complaints that such technology has led to a decrease in face-to-face interactions. Communicating with someone face-to-face allows you to watch their nonverbal cues, such as a smile or a frown, and this is another layer of communication. Technology doesn't allow people to catch these sorts of nonverbal cues. As Dr. Pam Hayes, an Alaska psychologist, tells the paper, "I think there is the potential for greater richness in face-to-face interaction because you lose the body cues and facial expressions when you're doing work on the Internet. The subtle forms of communications are lost over the Internet."

Another downside to communication technology is that even as we communicate with more and more people using various technologies, some people feel more isolated than connected. The paper cites a study done in the 1990s on the effects of Internet use on social well-being. The study found that some people who used the Internet a lot for communication actually felt more isolated than before. However, the study was redone in 2002 and had different findings. The 2002 study found that the initial negative effects of Internet-use wore off for those who tended to be extroverts, while those who tended to be introverts continued to feel isolated even with the passage of time.

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TEXT 3

GOOD AND BAD EFFECTS OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY

As humans have evolved, so has their technology. From the first rock arrowheads to globe-spanning communications networks, humans have attempted to use technology to improve the length and quality of life. Yet, while

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technology has produced an enormous number of benefits for mankind, it has been responsible for a number of pernicious effects as well.

In the 20th century alone, the average lifespan of a human has increased dramatically, particularly in wealthier, more industrialized nations. This is due primarily to technology. With new agricultural methods and equipment, the world is able to produce more food with less work at a cheaper price. With better medicines and more effective treatments, people can survive diseases that would have once easily killed them.

An era beginning in the late 20th century has already been called by some historians as «the information age». Improvement in communications technology, beginning with the invention of the printing press in the 15th century and continuing up through the proliferation of the internet in the 1990s, has allowed more people access to an amount of information that would have once been impossible. It helps them to become better educated and more informed.

While technology has greatly improved the overall health of humankind, it has also afforded it the means to kill more people in a shorter period of time than was once possible. Although the ultimate usefulness of nuclear weapons is a matter of ongoing debate, they do, for the first time in history, provide humans with the means of bringing themselves to a rapid extinction.

Although the proliferation of communications technology has made it easier than to ever to have a conversation with or write a letter to another person, it has also rendered us more isolated. Computers have significantly reduced the amount of face-to-face interaction people once enjoyed. In place of the richness of human contact, many now settle for the comparatively pale pleasures of computer social networking.

Princeton professor Edward Tenner, the author of «Why Things Bite Back: Technology and the Revenge of Unintended Consequences», argues that new technology brings with it a number of unpredictable side effects, some of which are good and some of which are bad. For example, when asbestos was introduced, it was touted an important technological development in fire safety. Decades after it was introduced, however, people learned that exposure to certain types of the substance could cause chronic health problems.

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