ESSAY QUESTION:
An author once wrote that “The invention of the telephone prevents us from appreciating the distance between us.” Today this is even more true as the rise of the Internet has enabled inexpensive global communication.
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the position stated above. Support your viewpoint using reasons and examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
YOUR RESPONSE:
The argument states that we no longer appreciate the distance between us, because the invention of the telephone and the Internet has enabled inexpensive global communication. I agree with this statement because these technologies have enabled low cost, instantenous communication.
It is now easier than ever to get in contact with loved ones around the world. The invention of the telephone has allowed people to have conversations with people who are miles away. And with the Internet, the options for instant communication have expanded. The Internet enables one to send letters that arrive in a few seconds, participate in video conferencing, and talk to people from about the world. The telephone and the Internet have help make the distance between two people that live miles away from each other seem much smaller.
I have experienced how low-cost communication can help a person keep in contact with friends and family who live thousands of miles away. For example, I live in California. I have family who lives in Brooklyn, New York. Whenever I want to speak to them, all I have to do is reach for the nearest telephone.
This instanteous communication is different from how people who lived before the 20th century used to communicate. Back in these times, if a person wanted to send a letter to a person who lived far away, it would take weeks, if not months, for the letter to reach the intended recipient. During these times, a person living in New York seemed extermely far away for a person living in California, since any attempts to communicate with one another was time consuming and difficult.
In conclusion, the invention of the telephone and the Internet have prevented us from appreciating the distance between two people who live far apart. The instant communication that these two technologies provide makes the distance seem much smaller.
