Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Anecdotes from a New World of Communication
Write about your experiences with new forms of communication in the form of anecdotes (a "mini" story). Discuss two positive and two negative experiences. Each anecdote should be no more than 50 words long, so the overall word requirement is from 150 to 200 words. Be honest but there is no need to name names to protect your privacy.
Possible topics: Facebook; Twitter; Smart phones; email; texting and their effects on you personally and others around you.
NOTE: Please do bring a printed copy of your remarks to class on Wednesday. See you then!
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At the conference this week I “met” a young teacher who shared a table with eight other teachers who were discussing important issues concerning curriculum and government policy. I say “met” because her eyes never left her iPad the entire time; she neither spoke to us nor acknowledged our presence.
As I drove out to Harrison Hot Springs on Wednesday, I noticed a driver acting a bit weird as I was entering Highway 1 at a busy on ramp. She was staring into her lap instead of at the road. I assume she was texting as she drove at 100 kilometers an hour. I let her go ahead of me.
When I accidentally left my driver’s licence at my daughter’s Montreal apartment and needed to return to fetch it instead of meeting her at the car rental office, it was easy to communicate with her via text. She wasn’t happy to wait, but at least she knew where I was and when I would arrive!
As my daughter travelled in Europe six years ago (at age 18) naturally I was a worried father. When I spotted her on her gmail account, we would often have long text-based chats. It was a great relief to know she was safe and having fun.
—211 words
A few years ago, I got trapped in the elevator by myself. Until a building manager arrived, I was so scared that I was continuously chatting with daughter through a cell phone. At that time the cell phone was the most valuable and reliable thing of all.
While my two daughters were travelling in United States and my husband was in Korea at the same time, we were video chatting through face time as if we were close by. Thus, we were able to make sure our well beings and I felt like I was travelling with them.
When my friend had a fight with her husband and stayed in my home without telling him, her husband was able to track her down by an iphone application. Original usage of this application is to find one’s iphone in case they lose it, but anybody who knows the password can use this as tracking devise. People have less privacy due to this new technology.
The daughter of my niece visited me couple years ago. She was five years old and already using her mom’s iphone almost all the time. When her mother took away the iphone from her, she persistently demanded it back by crying for hours. These days, children spend less time playing outside. (214 words)
My granddaughter is a two and half years old. One day, I saw this little girl to set aside something from the screen of tablet. Oh! It is a game; recent “tablet” has lots of function, such as camera, Internet, and games for adult, and even a tot. From tablet, we have lots of fun, convenient, and amusement.
Just as the last Christmas, I did not receive any Christmas card from my friends. All of them sent a card through the email. All the cards are more bright and many greeting. It is better than the postcard, it also save the money, and is better for environment.
Most people stored their phone number in their mobile phone. My friend, Alan, who gave me a call last week, he missed his phone in a restaurant. He said,” The mobile phone is not the main point, all the phone numbers are impossible to find.” It is an incredible, unforgettable lesson. The phone number in a mobile phone will miss in a second.
Walking and texting are very common in our communication. Last month, one of my friend sent to the hospital; she fell down from the concrete stairs; having a surgery with five stitches on the left arm. According to ICBC, twenty people have been hit by cars this year. –218 words
Three years ago, my daughter was isolated to hospital by H1N1 in Korea. I was so worried about her because it could risk her life. I gave her a video phone (rarely popular at that time), and I could do video chat with her through 2cm square screen as I hoped to get well soon.
After my daughter left to Toronto for university, Skype became important communication tool for us. Whenever we wanted to see each other, I just turned on the computer, and could see her. Face-to-face chatting by Skype was more effective to observe her well-being than by phone.
One day when I watched a sitcom on TV, the actors had conversations with texting words. The audience laughed about it, but I didn’t understand them at all. As I was an older generation, I couldn’t catch up all the texting words, and communicate even with my children. I felt disconnection from them.
Last year, my husband told me he got an email from me, but it was a spam. I was frustrated because I concerned if somebody would steal my privacy information. I changed my password for all of my email accounts, but I didn’t feel safe when I used an email or internet banking after the incident. - 210 words
One day in class a young classmate charged his phone on the table beside the projector in order not to miss any calls. The phone was knocked off by another young man. He didn’t pick it up and said,
“It shouldn’t be put here.”
“At least you can apologize.” I’m still a grumpy mom in school.
My husband likes chasing new technologies, but I don’t. He teases me “an anti-science person.” I don’t mind until my daughter told me to text her or she won’t pick up my calls. I couldn’t but begin to text them. Talking on the phone is more comfortable for me.
Last week I went to Whistler with friends. We stayed in a lodge. My daughter texted me, “Hi mom, have fun and play safe! Love Leah”at 5:00PM.
I saw her text at 1:00AM and texted back.
“Why are you up so late? Good girl sleep now!” she replied.
I grinned at the tone she imitated me.
My daughter went to Maui with friends after her finals. The first three days we didn’t get any news from her. My husband checked Facebook every day. On the fourth day, she put photos on Facebook. She told us she loved Maui and went to the SPCA. Don’t call or text me. Well, she pays her own bills.
(219 words)
“Blah, Blah, Blah”, a woman is talking to her i-phone loudly on the sky-train. “Blah, Blah, Blah”, she continues her broadcast with a harsh male duck’s voice. Some people move away from this “noise-maker”, but she acts as if there’s no one else present. It’s an irony of the material civilization and the spiritual civilization.
A big boy was waiting bus. He saw his classmate walking on the other side of the road. He waved him, but he hadn’t noticed. This boy picked his i-phone and began to text. That boy moved on. Till that boy looked back, he was already at two blocks away.
Some people use i-phone with earplug, so they talk like they’re talking themselves. Once a time, a girl came towards me. Suddenly she smiled and opened her mouth saying something. I was surprised for I didn’t know who she is. While I hesitated, she passed away.
Sometimes I need i-phone; sometimes I don’t. While I sit on the bank of river, listen the chirping of birds, I don’t like someone “chasing” me. While I trek alone on a trail in forest and no other figure can be found, I usually touch my i-phone and think perhaps I use it to send “SOS.”
(Words 207)
New technologies made children less active. Kids now a days spend more time playing on iphones instead of playing physical games. My three year old loves to watch cartoon on iphone. He operates iphone better than me.
Few years back, my husband was driving to Richmond and I was with him. On a cross walk a young girl was standing and busy texting. My husband stopped and let her cross the road but she couldn’t make eye contact with the other car driver as she was busy in text messaging. The other car didn’t stop and hit her.
I was a person who used to run away from technology until my husband gifted me an iphone. After using it for few months, I would say these new inventions make humankind lazy. Now, I check my e-mails on phone and do voice chat via skype instead of computer, but still not very impressed.
It is easy to text our relatives around the globe at any time. These new phones give us opportunity to stay in touch to our love ones. I spend last weekend in Osoyoos, BC. It is five hours drive from Vancouver. During the journey, I was in touch with my mom via text.
205 words
As I looked for a place to meet someone, I was very anxious to find it for 30 minutes. At that time, I met a young man who was passing the place, listening to music on his Iphone. When I asked him for directions, he simply clicked his Iphone and taught me the place.
As I visited my home country in 2010, I took my daughter’s Iphone. I did not tell my close friends about my traveling for two weeks because I wanted to spend time with my sick mother, but my friends found out I was in Korea. This modern communication reveals all of our private life.
I have a visitor whose mother is my close friend. While she is staying in our house, I have often had chances to talk with my friend on the phone that is made for oversea people. So my friend does not have to worry about her daughter living in Canada.
My daughters hear and know many friends’ private things such as their parent’s incidents that should not tell to others. I advise my daughters not to provide all of their information to the pace book for privacy.
There was a classmate of mine that I used to be close to and it was a long time since I had last seen her or even talked to her, but I had managed to find her number in my phone and gave her a text, and luckily she responded.
A friend of mine was going through the effects of a bad break up. She and I gotten closer through Facebook when she was in a good time but when the break up started to make her lose sight of things, even though she was miles away, I helped her.
Facebook was the way that I learned something unfortunate and sad. I was notified that it was my old workmate’s birthday, so I went to his page and found a lot of posts that were strange to me at first, only to have learned that he had passed away recently.
Lyzz received a text from Owen (name of my dad) saying that he got a new phone. She texted him for two weeks saying when she was coming home, he responded once saying he didn’t care, which offended Lyzz at first but she figured out it was her old workmate.
(200 works 50 words for each part)
On Friday, I walked on the path to the school. A high school female student behind me had captured my attention. I made way for her after I heard her footsteps were getting closer. The young lady was texting on her phone without looking the traffic lights, and then I pulled her arm to remind her.
Last year, my classmate had thrown a date for gathering all friends. People took their phones to take the picture of the restaurant and every single dishes until the foods were cold. The silences continued during whole lunch time, people were head down busy on their phone. Even they sat side by side, they still texting.
Six months ago, my parents and I went to visit my brother at Indiana, United States. My father borrowed his car, so that we could go to Chicago by ourselves. Sadly, GPS won’t tell which restaurant was better, but I brought my HTC, and texted to my brother for help.
As I moved to Canada two years ago, I was afraid the relationships between my friends and I would crack. But then, the smart phone was in vogue. One of the most popular free apps, WhatsApp, saved the connections. Now, we texted every day, and I felt I had never left them.
214 words
One of my bother lives in Toronto for study. Before he got his cell phone, there was no way to contact him while he was at work, but since he bought one, our family is able to call him in case of emergency or whenever they need him.
Since I got my new cell phone, I do not have to carry my laptop with me, and instead, I can use my cell phone. I can chat with friends, send email, and write notes; records lectures, and even download files from the Internet.
Few years back, my friend was leaving for her first day at her new job, driving her brand new car. Her cell phone rang and it was her brother. While she was trying to cross an intersection with no signal light on it. She thought that it was safe so she started crossing the intersection. Suddenly, the driver of the other vehicle struck her car.
Last week, I attended my friend’s birthday; I counted most of the young people were looking down. They were not socializing with the other person next to them, but texting people that were not there in the party. I believe, i am the last of my generation who likes social interaction more than new technology.
Words_213
On the eve of Mother's Day, I sent a message to my good friend who lives in Taiwan to convey a compliment. I was very cheerful to receive her email yesterday. She expressed that she felt quite warm to receive the texting which came from remote country.
My husband and I joined an exhibition in Shanghai. I put my cell phone, PDA, in the drawer. A man came into and asked me how much the book was. I went to the next stand to ask Jackson. When the man went away, my friend, Cindy, asked me where your cell phone was. She told me that the man took it away.
Last week, I chatted through the facebook with a new friend who lives in Langley. I was surprised to know he is my previous colleague's classmate. His daughter's boy friend is my student and my son's classmate of the elementary. We were like old friend to chat happily when he and his wife visited my home yesterday.
When I went to ELSA to study English on the first day, my cell phone was ringing. I rapidly turned it off. Simultaneously, I saw my teacher stared at me and said some words unhappily. I was intolerable to sit there.
- 208 words
Last February, in my job training class, a classmate, who set behind me, was constantly texting during the class. I felt that she not only wasted one spot of the class because the seats are limited, but she also did not respect herself at all. In fact, she was annoying many of the classmates.
At work, I have to send correspondence with the accountant and the board members by emails sometimes. One day, I had to email a report to my direct boss, but I was carelessly sent the report to the accountant. It gave me a big lesson that emails are sent instantly and once sent, they cannot be retreated. Fortunately, I did not create any problems.
During Chinese New Year, I sent and replied many greetings through emails to my friends and relatives over the world. It saved me a lot of energy and time if I had to write a thanks care to each of them.
At home, I usually tuned off my cell-phone. One morning when I turn on the phone, there was a message. A friend of mine, who did not have my home number, texted me that : turn on the phone. Funny!
As my small family immigrated to Canada one year ago naturally my mother was a worried grandmother. When she saw my son through video and chatted, it was a great relief for my mother to know my son was safe and having fun. So my mother enjoyed chatting on internet with my small family in evening.
A few years ago, I often need i-phone to chatting with my friends and workmates. One day I have chatted forty minutes through a cell phone. Then I have a bad headache. Thought it is known to all that cell phone may bring side effect to our brain, I was surprised. Now I seldom use cell phone to chatting long time.
My brother told me that his son was falling into the web games. My nephew likes to spending his spare time in the web game and said that in that virtual world, he could become a hero, a prince and he can fly and kill. But this is what makes him mad and blind in the real-life.
In my English class, my teacher asked every student go to our class blog and read teacher and other students’s paragraph. It is a good way to study English for me. From this blog, we can find many inspiration.
-212words
Just the other day when I was driving home from the gym, there was a person driving in front me, the driver was moving side to side and almost hitting cars that were passing by. I decided to pass and see what was going on and noticed the person talking on the phone.
These days you see people talking, texting, and listening to music on the phone. Because of the new smart phones people tend to get easily distracted wherever. People do not talk to each other but rather play with their phones. You even see young kids with smart phones.
Just last year I replaced my old flip phone with the new iPhone 4S. I liked my old flip phone, but I like the new iPhone. There are so many things you can do like play games, listen to music, surf the internet, and take pictures.
Having a phone that can do so many things has is really convenient. There are things you can do that you weren’t able to do before. If you get lost somewhere you can find out where. Use the phone anywhere in the world. You can talk with friends for free.
202 words
I don't think the new forms of communication are a big issue, but the problem seems to be us. We think of it as an entertainment not as an useful object. Most of my friends are become addicted to Facebooking and texting. They barely meet people in person and hardly hold a conversation.
Danger! Danger! Danger! Sometimes it becomes dangerous as I see people talking, texting and driving. Don’t they realize how risky it is for them and the people around them? They never pay attention to the signs and school zones. How can they text while driving 100km/h and not care what would happen if they cause an accident?
As my brother lives on the other side of the world, the only way to keep in touch with him is through my Skype and MSN accounts. If I didn't have access to this, it would be very difficult for me and family to contact him.
Last summer I was at work when I fell from a ladder and broke my leg. I was working inside and others were outside when that happened. No one heard me when I fell, and I couldn't move, but I was lucky because I had my cellphone with me, so I could call my boss to come inside and help me. If I didn't have a phone, I would have had to suffer until someone came in and assisted me.
[236 Words]
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