Are teachers needed in todays world?

Summary:  This video had a man talking about whether or not teachers are needed in schools still. He was discussing that because technology has gone so far, could it possibly replace teachers’ roles in school.

My opinion: Obviously the school would have teachers; they’d just be virtual so they wouldn’t really be there. The virtual people clearly couldn’t be trained so that they could teach it in the correct ways for children to explain, whereas you can rely on teachers to teach you in the correct ways and they will have been trained in the correct ways. Although they may have better knowledge than a teacher as obviously it’s related to technology, so it would know more and have more background knowledge into a subject. I don’t think it would work as classes would become out of control and if we didn’t understand something you cannot ask a virtual question, so therefore for that you need a teacher. You can’t also rely totally on what they say, as they may get the information from Wikipedia and at times they can be wrong, as obviously random people can go and edit it, so it is likely it won’t be 100% correct and I don’t think you’d be happy to learn everything wrong.

Online security and peer pressure

I personally think that the pressure to keep up with modern technology is incredibly high and is still increasing. For example somebody who necessarily doesn’t want to be involved in social networking may feel as if they have too. This can cause all kinds of problems as they can end up being cyber bullied and this obviously is not good, as it may lead to self-harm or suicide in cases. Of course, after the person had committed suicide the bullies would feel incredibly bad and maybe learn their lesson, but I doubt everyone will learn the lesson, and it shouldn’t resort to suicide anyway, they shouldn’t be cyber bullied. People who have less than others feel left out if they don’t have the newest gadgets, and this isn’t fair, there should not be the amount of pressure on people to have the newest gadgets that there is, it’s totally unfair. If people feel the need to have the newest gadgets, they may go as far as stealing to get them, and that’s just wrong, you shouldn’t have to resort to crime, you could just wait and save up for it. I think people will find it hard to get away from their new technology once they have it as they’ll just get addicted and become a lot less sociable than maybe they should be at their age. It’s incredibly crazy how people can so easily hack into our banks and things online, as accounts can easily be hacked and then money easily used to buy things or just stolen, this isn’t good, so really online banking should be cancelled and just go back to using the actual banks and not risking the online security.

Different types of advertising

Different types of advertising will have different effects on different people. On Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc, they only advertise products or companies, so they wouldn’t really have an effect on someone, unless it was a new product and you feel as if you need to have it. Online shopping websites advertising can have both effects on you, as you will want the products you like, but it may have a bad effect as you maybe don’t have enough money, so will feel depressed that you don’t, or will lose the customers in the shop as shopping online is a lot easier. In magazines that girls read, they may have skinny models and diet tricks etc, this would most likely have a negative effect on you as you will feel as if to be the right size and have people like you then you may need to look like them and be that size, this could possibly cause girls to develop eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia,  they will do this because of all the pressure put on them by the media and models, when really they probably are the right size, they just ruin it because of the wrong influences. I think if it’s good adverts, to do with TV programmes, music and good products that they’d have a good influence, but I also believe that when it gets to around Christmas time the adverts mainly all focus around Christmas, and they manage to get people feeling very Christmassy, clearly this has a good impact on people as it may brighten their day.

Google and Wikipedia

I feel as if Wikipedia and Google are two of the biggest sources of information, although Wikipedia has its own drawbacks as obviously anyone can edit it and the information could clearly be wrong in places, so it isn’t actually that trustworthy. So for this reason Wikipedia may have a slightly negative effect as also; teachers have access and can check if you’ve copied it. Really you should check in about two to three places before you assume your information you’ve found straight away from Wikipedia is correct. Although on the other hand the effect from them can be good as you can find out what you want to do nearly as soon as you type it in, Google is basically a lot better as it comes up with so many different answers so that you can check and see what the majoritive right answer is. I don’t think it can really make you unsociable as you would probably rather go out than do your homework and it most likely isn’t something you do in your spare time.

3D cinema/virtual reality

3D cinema is effecting most films, as people think it’s “cooler” to go and watch something and feel as if you’re ‘in the action’, directors and makers take this into consideration and decide whether or not to convert the film to 3D. I don’t think it makes people feel as if they’re in a ‘virtual life’ as I feel as if people know they’re only watching it, I do however think that people may seem as if it gets you more involved in the film, but not substantially.  I don’t think it would make you less sociable as to go to a 3D film, you would probably be with your friends, so in a way it’s a good thing to do if you want to have something technological in your day, you can only tell someone they’re being unsociable if they’re in their own home, but even then they’d probably be with their family.

Cable, tv, plasma, size and cost

Tv has developed a lot since it was first started, there is now a much wider range of channels and different types of programmes, we can now record television and watch it when it suits us, we also can rewind and forward wind through adverts if we’ve recorded something. It is incredibly high tech, but it’s also incredibly good to have. We can also now have “surround sound” which can make home cinema seem much more effective; we can now stream through our tele, and watch films when we want to. In the future I can see technology taking tv even further and possibly be able to watch what’s on at the cinema in the comfort of your own home. I think it depends what kind of programme you are watching as to what kind of effect it will have on you. If you’re watching something with romance in to women it may seem really sweet and have a good effect, whereas to men it may seem really soppy and have a bad effect, whereas if it was fighting it may seem to be the other way round. Although if it was a family comedy it will actually be suited to everyone and will probably have a good effect, if it was a big comedy teenage show, it may have only a good effect on the 14-35 year old range depending on your sense of humour. TV can definitely make you unsociable as you can have a certain favourite programme on at a certain time, you would most probably stop what you’re doing to watch it, which may stop you from going out with your mates or something.

Nintendo, Wii fit, PlayStation, Sony, Online gaming and portable devices

I think all the gaming websites/console games can have a negative effect on people, as if its guns or boxing or something, it may course people to think that the circumstances are okay to do in real life. Although obviously it entertains people but I would highly recommend people uses ones that are their age or extremely close. I would also say it makes people a lot less sociable as they’d get to the point where they wanted to just stay in and play the games on either the computer or a console. The first hand held portable Nintendo device was released in the late 1980’s, early 1990’s; it was the Nintendo game boy in America in April 1989, but September 1990 for the UK. The Nintendo DS was released in November 2004 in the UK. The Nintendo 3DS was released in Europe in March 2011. The Nintendo Wii was released in 2006 and many new Wii products have come onto the market as a result of the first one being so successful. They have had a huge effect on kids worldwide, at some point a large proportion of the world will have had a Nintendo product, they are a worldwide multi-national company. People can clearly get addicted to these sorts of games, which can make their eye-sight bad and they will become less sociable. Wii fit is a very good game to play, as whilst you are playing a videogame, you can also exercise and lose some weight, so it is good to play as its healthy at the same time. PlayStation released their first product in 1995. It was mainly the big consoles, but over the years they have brought out many new models and made it much smaller but more complex each time. They have a few handheld devices out also. A lot of kids around the world will have had a PlayStation product at one time also, as they are also a multi-national brand. They have a few hand held devices out as well, the PSP being one of them. They are a multi-national brand and a lot of people have heard about them. Portable devices can definitely have a negative effect on you as you’ll end up taking them with you wherever you go, and therefore you’ll become a lot less sociable than you already are, as you will just play the games instead of talking to people and being with them.