【challenge yourself小组】第五次作业 issue151

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TOPIC: ISSUE151 - "High-speed electronic communications media, such as electronic mail and television, tend to prevent meaningful and thoughtful communication."

平衡观点：电子产品的应用是在一定程度上减少了人们见面的次数，但更多情况下它促进了人们的交流。

We live in a world where technology is accumulated by multiplying, and which provides us more choices to come into contact with others through high-speed electronic communications media, say, electronic mail. I concede that too much using of such kind of electronic media prevent us from visiting friends or families as often as before in some cases. However, I suppose the author’s assertion goes to extreme and ignore the necessity to take a consideration depended on different circumstances.

Admittedly, in current society, the increasingly psychological loneliness through individuals’ hearts have paid tribute to the less times we meet our bosom friends, which due to the excessive use of electronic communications medias for we can just sent them E-mails to express our blessing or give them a call instead of see them face to face. However, by connecting with others through such manner of communication we have a limited opportunity to acknowledge other people’s inner world and their real thoughts for it seems awkward to talk about some serious topics in an electronic letter. In fact, more often the letter we send are being so stuffed with civilities, polite greetings, or something which does not matter. Moreover, watching those letters on the screen often strengthen our sense of loneliness due to we may feel we are talking to a machine or someone who live far from us even though in fact they may live only miles from our houses. Thus, while E-mail or telephone maybe convenient and speedy, the communication between souls is impeded.

Having recognized the problems of excessive use of electronic communications media, I strongly disagree with the author's claim that high-speed electronic communications media tend to prevent meaningful and thoughtful communication. In fact, we should a reconsider the speaker’s assertion in some other aspects.

On one hand, in some fields, particularly in business, the revolutionary changes in modes of communication not only earn the companies more profits, also assuage the tense atmosphere in the office and even strengthen friendship. Consider, two international corporations which come from two different countries have frequent business affairs and their charges cannot be stay together each day. When facing with some emergencies they can hold a video conference to discuss and make decision which accords with both sides’ benefits. If they have to discuss the issues face to face in the past days, I suppose they may miss the best business opportunities. Moreover, people nowadays endure great pressures form various directions, say, competition in office. By sending electronic birthday cards with some blessings to colleagues, we can turn the tense atmosphere to a cozy one in the offices, and in addition maybe we can earn friendship and talk to each other about the difficulties and confusions in work or life, rather than be treated as an enemy.

On the other hand, the contribution of such electronic products actually offers us chances to get contact with friends or families even we are busy and impossible to use computer to write to others. For example, when we wait for a bus or taxi in a stop, we can resort to mobile phone to send a message or E-mail to our loved ones to express our deeply misses; Also, at a leisure time during working hours we can call our friends to confirm the dinner party at someone’s house. Someone may argue that people waste too much time on television and they gain little time with other people, and which destroys the communication among people. I concede that some people are addictive to television. But the fact is, were television not existent, surely these people would have found other escapes, such as alcohol or gambling for instance. In my opinion, it is not the television, but the spiritual emptiness leads to their problems.

To sum up, the author begs the points. I agree with the speaker's claim that excessive use of high-speed electronic products can diminish the times we visit friends or families. However, more often we benefit from the application of such kind of electronic communication media such as obtaining friendship at work.