Personal Computers as a Way of Spending Leisure Time - Essay Example

How do the people, teenagers and adults alike, spend their leisure time today? Where do they look for vital information? How do they buy grocery or order for food? How do they keep themselves abreast of the latest in the field of sports? The answer to each of these questions is ‘personal computer’. The digital age has transformed the world. Personal computers, in particular, have changed the way people live, think, and respond to situations. It has changed the system of education, the healthcare system, the mode of communication and entertainment. From the time we wake up in the morning, until the time we go to bed, computers direct and assist our life. Personal computers today come in various forms – there are the desktops, the laptops, and the palmtops and if that was not enough, even cell phones can be used as personal computers. A computer in every home has changed the way people communicate. People wake up by the alarm that rings from the cell phones and even before they are out of bed, they check the emails on the cell phone itself. In Japan, people describe the cell phone as an extension of themselves (Faiola, 2004). Fifty-five percent of the population in Japan has signed up for internet access from their cellular phones. On the way to work, they answer all their emails. Cell phone is now a way of life, as they link it to their home-office PC, download music, use it to access information, read newspaper and even read novels. They use it to watch the TV programs, navigate the streets with the built-in GPS system, scan bar-coded information, get e-coupons for discounts on food and entertainment, and pay bills. They use it at school too by emailing the questions to the professors in the classroom. The professors answer them orally. The Japanese are so skilled at writing emails on cell phones, that they find it simpler than using computer keyboards. Computer technology is used in everyday lesson plans at the Highland Middle School (Horace). A SMART board, or a dry-erase board, when teamed with the projector becomes a touch-screen computer monitor that the whole class can see. The operator’s fingers act as the mouse and as soon as the board is touched, signal is sent back to the computer. This way they can browse the internet, make interactive presentations, and write on the screen. At The Pennsylvania State University, emails have replaced letters, telephone calls and memorandum as the preferred means of communication (Auguston, 2002). Learning occurs in classrooms, labs, libraries, residence halls, commons areas, and in all of these settings, technology plays a key role. Technology enables the faculty to better serve the students, claims the management. Computers are used to play video games which is nor more considered a waste of time. The stigma is removed thanks to the lessons that students leans while playing the game. Steven Johnson, in his book, Mind Wide Open, says, "With most video games, at every point you have to make decisions," Johnson says. "You have to think about patterns and long-term goals and resources, and then you make decisions and get feedback from the game, and use that to adjust your decisions.” (Maney, 2005). Johnson argues that in reading you follow someone else’s decision while in playing a video game you make the decisions your self, an example of how technology has changed the way people think. Visits to libraries have reduced drastically with e-brary, and online databases being available in plenty. Most universities have their own online libraries, which allow easy access to students from the comfort of their homes and at their time and pace. Students in America have their tutors in India who log on to their computers for an hour’s video conference session thrice a week. The same video-conferencing technology helps students to learn through real life activities, according to Horace. About 87 percent of the teenagers use the internet (Lenhart et al., 2005). Their online lives have broadened. About 84 percent of the teenagers own at least one personal media device: a desktop or laptop computer, a cell phone or a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). Instant messaging (IM) is the digital communication backbone of teens’ daily lives. The internet has allowed the music lovers to force the music industry to change the way they do business (CNN, 2005). Even CDs are becoming redundant with the availability of pen-drive MP3 players, which can be attached to the personal computer. Teens have grown up in a world overflowing with information and entertainment and they know they can now download games free, which otherwise they would have to pay for. Interactions have altered, with more and more people preferring to send short crisp messages to emails. Online chatting has virtually shrunk the world with web cameras making up for loss of personal touch to some extent. Personal computers are extensively used for ecommerce. Goods are easy to procure and cheaper than shops. Shoppers have the option to compare prices, check availability, look for discounts, and bargain offers. In the healthcare system, pathology reports are delivered online, and action taken online. Medical transcription is done in a matter of hours across nations. The doctors provide post surgical care through video-conferencing technology, where the patient has access to personal computer from the hospital bed. Progress is essential to the continuing development of the society. Personal computers have invaded homes across nations and internet is cheap. Gone are the days when people would standing in queues at the departmental stores to pick up groceries. The capabilities of the current technology are beyond words, which have shrunk the world, reduced the size of the computer chip, but have expanded its reach. It is considered a revolutionary breakthrough because it has altered the way people think, it has enhanced our daily life, it has made communication easier and cheap. We are moving towards a world with fewer wires, cleaner air, and everything available at the touch of a button. References: Auguston J G (2002), Information Technology At Penn State, 14 June 2006 CNN (2005), Top 25: Technological breakthroughs, 14 June 2006 Faiola A (2004), In Japan, a wireless vision of future for U.S., 14 June 2006 Horace M (n.d.), Technology Revolutionizes HMS Classroom , 14 June 2006 Lenhart A et al., (2005), Teens and technology, 14 June 2006 Maney K (2005), Video games not necessarily turning kids brains to mush, 14 June 2006 Read More