Please help! We live in a world where communication through state-of-the-art technology such as smart phone and computer is here to stay.  Some people consider those wall-to-wall tools can harm our ability to communicate with people face to face. I concur with this opinion. I do believe phones and computers not only rob man of much time and room for face to face, but also reduce the level of people’s interpersonal communication skills.  The modern communication tools are going to make massive inroads into daily life, directly reducing people’s time and opportunity for face to face.  A most popular YouTube video—“I Forgot My Phone” is a case in point. The two-minute video begins with a couple in bed. The woman stares silently while her boyfriend pays no mind and checks his smartphone.  The subsequent scenes follow women through a day that is downright dystopian: people ignore her as they stare at their phones during lunch, at a concert, while bowling and even at her birthday party.  The clip ends with women back in bed with her boyfriend at the end of the day; he is still using his phone. It needles people about addiction to that little screen and suggests how a modern electronic gizmo nibbles away at people’s face-to-face time and chances. Smartphone and computer-obsessed culture also kill man’s skills on reading non-verbal communication. According to psychologist, 90% of communication between people is non-verbal. Such as the expression on face, bodily gestures or tone of voice, to name but a few, can all show one’s feelings or thoughts to the other.  However, if someone, day and night, is glued to the screen of mobile phone for chatting and tweeting and, all the time, is married to virtual worlds of computer for gaming and socializing, he will hard to catch the subtle tone in employers voice, see parents’ expression as it changes from sad to outraged, and look partners in the eye to see if they are trustworthy.  In fact, people heavily relying on screens and losing non-verbal communication could give rise to suspicions, misunderstanding, even divisions. In conclusion, I am convinced that technology, especially computers and phones, is a good servant but a bad master for communication. If people were continued to stare at screens, they would have lost true face to face and even more than now.

ielts task2.Is there any error in this article? We live in a world where smart phones and computers are here to stay. While new technology makes it easier for us to keep in touch with people from far and wide, it also risks weakening our ability to communicate effectively. The proliferation of smart gadgets could in many ways hinder face-to-face communication skills. Start with non-verbal one.  According to psychologists, 90% of communication between people is non-verbal, i.e. facial expressions and body language. It reveals one’s true feelings and thoughts that are hard to convey through texting or sending voice messages.  As people grow accustomed or even get addicted to using electronic devices to stay connected, they may shy away from social occasions where a certain degree of interaction is required, such as family meals and team sports.  Therefore, they would not be able to develop the ability to read between the lines, and this could make them feel socially awkward and place them at a disadvantage in important events such as job interviews and business negotiations. Moreover, phones and computers may change people’s conversational behaviour for the worse. Heavy users of such electronics often have a short attention span and are more likely to jump from topic to topic when an idea springs to mind.  As a consequence, they may become unfocused and sidetracked during offline conversations. Internet slang also does its bit.  Today, youngsters who text with abbreviated forms of words tend to speak with the same acronyms and use internet catchphrases heavily. These forms of talking are often construed as flighty and uneducated, from which misunderstandings ensue. In conclusion, I am convinced that smart phones and computers do more harm than good when it comes to cultivating interpersonal skills. For those who are married to the wizardry of electronic world, turning off their digital gadgets may be the first step in becoming an effective communicator.