Computers
have changed the lives of ordinary people tremendously over the past 15 years.
We use computers so regularly now that is hard to imagine that only very
recently people did not rely on them as we do today.
One
of the first things I do each day is boot up my computer to check my email.
Fifteen years ago, very few people had email. Instead they sent letters through
the mail, or made phone calls, which was not always convenient. Word processing
programs and other software have also gotten a lot better and easier to use. So
many tasks that were done on paper with a typewriter or by hand 15 years ago can
now be done electronically.
Computers
have also made shopping easier. Nowadays, I often shop online. I can find
products, compare prices, and order what I want more quickly than people did 15
years ago. Then, they had to go from store to store or call many places to find
what they wanted. And if their local store did not have what they wanted, they
were out of luck. Today, I can easily order something from the other side of
the world if I find it on the internet.
The
biggest change computers have brought is how people access information.
Everyday, I use the internet to visit various websites to check the weather,
read the news, and do research for my classes, all without leaving my desk.
With a broadband connection, I can also quickly download music, videos, and
other files. It used to be that people have to go to libraries, buy newspapers,
listen to the radio, watch television, etc. to find out what was happening in
the world. A lot of time was wasted that way.
Computers
have certainly made our lives more convenient, but they have also brought
frustrations. These days I get at least ten pieces of spam a day. And of
course, we could all live without computer viruses, freezes, and crashes. But
these drawbacks are minor compared to the great advances brought by computers.
I would not give up my computer or the internet for anything.
