The ability to read and write is one of the most important skills a human being can possess in life. This is a fact that most of us are often guilty of taking for granted.
The U.S. has been blessed in its ability to at least churn out students who can read, write and do basic mathematical functions. Many countries suffer dramatically from this lack of education.
Northern Kentucky University students should utilize this skill more often and balance their technology usage with more primitive, human skills.
Life in America is radically different than it was 20 years ago. The time before WiFi, YouTube and Facebook may seem like a thousand years ago and, in many ways, it was.
Our technology has grown exponentially at a break-neck rate. Dial-up connections used to take several minutes to stream a badly pixelated image on your computer screen. Now you can watch the newest films on your cell phone and in high definition.
There are many things to entertain us as students at all hours of the day. So much in fact that it may be harming us more than aiding us. This doesn’t apply to all students but there’s something to be said for the lack of interest in reading.
When was the last time you checked out a book from Steely Library (or any library) for recreation? Some may look at it as a sign of progress in society that the majority of people who go into a library spend their time gawking at a glowing screen for hours on end. This could also be argued as a sad state of affairs and a look at what the future could hold for us as a society.
When was the last time you wrote a handwritten letter to somebody you cared about and mailed it? Email and texting have long since eliminated the need for such practice. Instead of a cold, sterile screen with perfect letters wouldn’t you rather see that the certain someone misspelled a word or smudged the ink?
Technology isn’t the worst thing to have but it shouldn’t be the only thing either.
“We have developed speed but we have shut ourselves in: machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical, our cleverness hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little: More than machinery we need humanity; more than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness.” – Charlie Chaplin in “The Great Dictator.”