Has Technology Simplified Modern Life?

Our world today is changing fast due to the introduction and upgrading of technology. Most people say technology has brought positive results because of the improving social well being in our societies, whereas there are skeptics about that. Nevertheless if there was no technology you wouldn’t have been able to read this document.

Technology has enhanced modern life in many ways two of them being communication and transportation. Before the invention of telegram and telephones, moving information from one place to another for long distances was quite challenging and unmanageable. If we look at it today, information can be conveyed from one end to another swiftly within an instant. The global news networks have helped people all over the world through informing them. For instance, news can be presented on what is happening on the other side of the world instantly, weather forecast and natural disasters are foretold before they occur.

Transportation means have improved significantly. Goods and people can be transported from one destination to another reliably and efficiently resulting in building up of the economy and social well being of a country. Technology has cut distance between people and brought the world together making our lives quite easy and convenient.    

  Picture courtesy of Tesol greece.

Education systems have improved quite well although some developing countries have obstacles on upgrading their technology because of other matters. It is now easier to do an academic research or work because of the internet, television or using other specific types of advanced machinery. One Roman Catholic Priest stated that ‘’the information and knowledge of the Bible has taught quite a lot of people since the creation of Facebook and Twitter’’. Distance learning of certain programs can also be done through the internet.

Medical institutions have improved in terms of examinations, treatments, and researches all over the world, leading in improvements in life expectancy and mortality rates of many countries. Treatments for many diseases which are too many to outline, are being discovered. Furthermore, preventive treatments are improving for previously deadly diseases like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and cancer. The introduction of new technology as well as upgrading of medical equipment has reduced the spread of these infectious diseases.                                                                                                                                                            

Due to new medical technology, the majority of the people in the world now have better knowledge of some of the world’s common killer diseases.

Technology has simplified our lives but in some ways it has also brought up some negative impacts. Although technology has improved medical treatment, it has brought danger to people’s lives. For example the creation of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) which are claimed to have contributed to the development of some cancerous infections. Technology also has harmed the environment in many ways. . Oils and fumes from vehicles and factories has caused air and water pollution causing the destruction of plants and animal life. Most people do not know that chemicals used in refrigerators contain fluorocarbons that contribute to global warming. 

School children these days are spending more time on media than on their academic work or talking to their siblings or parents. David Volpi an Otolaryngology surgeon said ‘’heavy technology use is linked to fatigue, stress and depression in young adults’’ Although he does not explain how but I would like to believe it is true. Technology has improved the search of information; students now just go online rather than physically going to the field or library.                                                                                                                                                         

Most things are now being done through the internet; that is shopping, school work, banking and work assignments. Because people do not move their bodies due to technology, it is literally killing our social behavior.

Some people have become overly dependent on technology as a result making them lazy and ignorant of other aspects of life. Technology has simplified our lives but we should use it wisely knowing what can occur in the future as a result of its use. Has technology simplified our lives or it has destroyed it?  It’s now up to you to decide. But I urge you to think twice before you use it.

 

The Dark Continent

Home of different manifested cultures, land of prosperity and integrity, and a continent which is among a few of the richest in the world despite its ample resources. The motherland of fifty three beautiful countries magnified by its warm heart caring and most of all loving people with million smiles, Africa. 

 

How lovely this continent is, born and raised in one of its magnificent countries in the southern region, Zimbabwe, which at a certain time was nicknamed ‘the bread basket of Africa’. This is one major aspect which just makes me feel so proud of it and mainly its achievements attained by most of its countries even though the achievements are on a minor scale. On the contrary it simply shows that we still have a long way to go in terms of development, especially in the fields of  education, healthcare and poverty alleviation  in our beloved but not so magnificent Africa

Some may ask why Africa was called the ‘dark continent? Is it because of the complexion of the majority of the people who live in it or simply because of the colour of its soil, but neither both of them are true? Initially it was named so by early European explorers because they thought it was unnoticed meaning it had nothing of their interests at that time, of which they totally had no idea of because of its numerous delicate resources which are too many to specify, and also that it was mysterious in some way to them around the 19^th century, post slavery time.                                                                                                                          But however the idea of Africa being ‘dark’ could be that because of its backwardness at that time in terms of development and civilization. Which in a way, we Africans may find somehow insulting.

It was then named Africa which some believe to have been derived from a Latin word ‘aprica’ meaning sunny or a Greek word ‘aprike’ which means not cold hence the weather of the continent which does not  experience severe cold temperatures like in Europe.

We are facing many despicable and frightening problems in Africa today and one of the major ones is wars. Most of them are ravaging some of our beloved countries only to realize the mass destructions after the war, and destroying an enormous amount of human lives. To a certain extent we sometimes wonder if some people can ever learn from our own history of civil wars, uprisings and coups. Looking behind the stories of the conflicts, it’s all because some people mainly leaders of our nations, never want to understand one another or they have too much pride and want to embrace an everlasting reign.

Africa still has a long way for it to be developed. Not fully developed but just to be developed, whereby its countries have progressive economies and advanced technological infrastructures. Since most of the countries are pre-industrial and mostly agrarian we have to improve to more of a post-industrial society where the service sector produces more wealth than industrial or manufacturing sector.

Almost all the African countries are poverty stricken and I am not saying Africa is the only continent facing this delinquent situation. Over three billion people in the whole world live in poverty that is with inadequate shelter have no safe water, have few or no health services and of all have no education. But as African citizens we have to get out of our comfort zones and do something about it. It is a major problem and has to be dealt with in no spec of time. Imagine if all the money being used for wars could instead be used to resolve the problem of poverty, it word be a magnificent idea albeit controversial.

Our other problem in most African countries is of dependence and reliance. We rely mainly on donors and most of these donors are typically the same nations which colonized our African states back in the 18^th and 19^th centuries. Somehow being too dependent on these donors also brings a form of colonialism in a hidden way. Some of our raw materials are still being taken away from us and later sold to us in form of finished goods, which is more or less the same as buying our own products. Where are we going to end up and how will we develop by being too dependent on the western countries?

The best means to improve our economies and reduce the problem of poverty at a maximum point we can and being independent, is to firstly improve our education sector, as I believe acquiring some knowledge can help our nations solve these problems and also move a step forward towards civilization.                                                                                             Africa has so many raw materials and resources that only if we could trade among ourselves in Africa we could reach a favourable standard of living.

Why I Want To Study Journalism

I want to study journalism because, I have a great passion for this discipline which I developed interest in while at high school. I was in my upper sixth form when I realized I was good at constructing English essays. Some of the essays were very, good and creative to the extent that I was encouraged by my teacher and class mates to have them published in one of the main local newspaper in my country in Zimbabwe. To my surprise the editor agreed to publish the articles which focused on issues which affected high school students. Secondly my ear for news and writing about things that happen around me and a keen interest in current issues I read and hear on television and read in the newspapers and internet has developed the capacity to analyze with a critical mind the current state of affairs of things around me and the world at large.

For me to become a prolific writer, improve on my creativity and resourcefulness and set myself on a journey to become a professional journalist, I feel I need to study for a full journalism course which I am confident I will complete and pass. A trained journalist supports his writings with facts derived from asking the right questions which relate to the situation or problem being written about. Also a trained journalist is able to predict or gauge the likely course or behavior of developing events. As once stated by one Australian journalist, ‘’It is not enough for journalists to see themselves as mere messengers without understanding the hidden agendas of the message and myths that surround it’’ For a journalist to be able to see himself as more than a messenger and understand the agendas hidden in the message, he has to be appropriately trained and be prepared for news opportunities as well.

For one to be a good journalist, he must be a good networker and also must be a good researcher. These two attributes help in basing stories on relevant facts. I strongly believe that Journalism is the activity of writing or presenting stories in newspapers or news networks which contain true information about the society the journalist is writing about and informing.

I have noticed that some ‘journalists’ or rather news writers publish false information to please influential members of the society. My view on this is that, journalist who act in this manner which shows bad ethics are not properly trained. As a future professional journalist, I see myself after training and graduating being true to the profession through educating, entertaining, informing and correctly influencing society based on correct journalistic ethics.   

After training and working as a journalist I also hope to travel and see the world, understanding other cultures and peoples and bridge the gap between these different cultures and push the message that diversity should not drive adversity but should drive peace and good neighborliness

Why do I really want to study Journalism? I think it’s a great profession and it will make me pursue my reading and writing passion.

Be A Millionaire By 30

You can become a millionaire by 40 if you lay the groundwork in your 20's to do it. You know when you're right out of college, you may have debts, you don't have the highest paying job, you're focusing more on having fun, less on your long-term financial perspective. Not saying you shouldn't take one crazy weekend in Las Vegas or Durban, but you need to be thinking about ways you can position yourself for long term wealth.

Get started in the company 401k plan. Put as much money as you can comfortably do from your income. Look for that first piece of real estate. Buy a condo/flat, maybe go to your parents for help with down payment.
There's a lot of people who have opportunities to do things but don't do that because they are just not focusing on the long term at that age. But you need to start sooner rather than later. And one day, you'll wake up and you will be rich.

You should be conservative at all times with your money. But, when you're younger, you can afford to take a little more risk in terms of what you're investing in. For example, you probably don't want to put all your money in one stock. Bad idea. But you can invest your money in a mutual fund that owns a number of stocks and spreads the risk and is professionally managed. If you're older, for example, you may have money in mutual fund that owns bonds, which are more conservative and pay a steady income.

If you are younger, you can afford to have your money in a mutual fund that owns smaller companies-- companies that are more growth oriented-- and they may fluctuate in price more dramatically than a mutual fund that owns bonds but over the long term should appreciate more. So that's an example of taking a conservative risk. 

Where to invest your money in your 20's


The most important thing is to put some money in the stock market. Okay. Probably if you're starting very small, you don't want to have individual stocks. You want to have money that is diversified in a mutual fund. And you're using your employers 401k plan. And you're taking advantage of the matching and tax deferral that those all provide. And then your next step is thinking about real estate and buying yourself a place to live. Not making a quick buck. And you take care of those two things, you know your savings plan and your place to live and... it's amazing just how many people become millionaires just that way.                                                

What are some common mistakes investors in their 20's make?

The most common mistake young people make is not investing. The easiest way to wealth is to not spend. Because you're getting yourself in debt an you're taking money that could have been invested and be making money for you working for you. Instead you're just spending it on clothes and cars and fancy vacations and a lot of times in bars I'm sure. So take some of that money and put it aside and get that money working for you rather than somebody else.

Courtesy of Chris Palmeri (Senior Correspondent, BusinessWeek)