Corrections

In the last 20 years, technology has undoubtedly changed our lives: we live in a globalized, interconnected world where distances do not exist – or at least they can be easily overcome.

As it always happens for major changes in lifestyles and traditions, there are some people who are more than happy to comply with it and there are some who abhor it and wistfully regret the past.

As far as I am concerned, I cannot say that technology does not affect my life: Internet helps me to keep in touch with my distant relatives and my friends across Europe; it provides me with free entertainment whenever I want it and it proves itself very useful when it comes to studying – as a language student, I have access to a wide range of free multimedial material on the web.

On the other hand, it is true that technology has an unsettling hypnotic power: a recent survey showed that the average person checks his/her mobile phone 150 times a day.

I have seen more than once real-life conversations fading away because the other people felt the sudden urge of checking their Facebook profile; I find this really unnerving and disrespectful.

The pervasiveness of technology, though, affects even people who are not compulsive social network users: for example, employeés that, being always reachable via e-mail or cellphone, are virtually at work 24 hours a day.

In conclusion, I personally think that Internet is a very powerful and useful tool, and as a tool it cannot be inherently evil: people– especially younger generations – should be taught to use it in a wise and responsible way.