Commentary Test

1. Synopsis
Article: Deaf to the World

This article describes how many people, mostly teens, are so glued to their cellphones or music players that they face a much greater risk of accidents. Reporters conducted a test where they deliberately walked into those sending text messages and rang bicycle bells behind those listening to MP3 players. Majority did not avoid the reporters or hear the bells. However, they were still indifferent to the danger they were putting themselves in. This article raised one of the many dangers of addiction to technology.

2. Commentary
Teens and Tech: The Danger of Addiction

Many teens nowadays are extremely technology-savvy. Before, computer programming language was a thing only for adults; nowadays it is commonplace for 13-year-olds to be proficient in many different styles of coding. Recently, a nine-year-old Singaporean child wrote a program for the iPhone that receives 4000 downloads in less than two weeks. As amazing as this may seem, one soon asks, “Is my teen addicted to tech?”

It is true that the explosion in the advancement of technology over the past decade has brought many dangers to our children. One such danger is cyber-gaming. Recent studies in the US have shown that teens play between 8-14 hours of computer games per week [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_addiction]. Worse, many deaths have been associated with gaming. In 2005, a South Korean citizen named Lee Seung Seop entered a cyber-gaming cafe and played the popular game Starcraft for 50 hours, before going into cardiac arrest. It is obvious that cyber-gaming has the potential to become a major addiction in our children’s lives, possibly affecting their studies and their social life.

Pornography is also another danger. To give you an idea of how addictive pornography is, here are some shocking statistics: Every second, 28 258 web users are viewing pornography and $3,075.64 is being spent on it. The pornography industry is larger than the combined revenue of Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo and many other companies [http://www.internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/internet-pornography-statistics.html]. The porn that spreads like a virus over the Internet is more than just a picture of a few models; it is mind-numbing stuff. With the ease of access teens have to the web, it is inevitable that they will stumble across some form of pornography or another.

Even though technology has its dangers, it also has its benefits. Nowadays, students can easily churn out long essays, thanks to the power of the word processor. Before the invention of email, students had to painstakingly type each word with a type-writer or worse, write out by hand. Now, huge 100-page science reports fly around cyberspace effortlessly, saving money, time and trees. The Internet is also an excellent tool for the dissemination of information to the school population; it is now possible to notify students of, say, changes to the rubrics of a project during the school holidays.

Since technology brings about many benefits, how then do we handle its dangers? My policy has always been one word: caution. Always be cautious when it comes to the Internet, or the cell phone. We should aim to inculcate this value in our teens by teaching them the right stuff. Preach the dangers of gaming and pornography to them. You can also establish certain ground rules to prevent addiction from occurring; placing your computer in the living room is a good way to ensure your teen doesn’t do anything suspicious on the Internet. Set time limits on when and for how long your teen should play computer games. In short, keep up to date with advances in technology and keep a cautious eye on your teens. This policy has worked for me, I’m sure it will work for you.

In conclusion, technology has brought teens many benefits but it also brings about many dangers; these dangers can be easily handled if parents of teens keep a close watch on their teens.