Question:
You are an editor of Ching Kok Post. You have noticed that many students have been following the craze of using electronic products such as smart phones, iPads, tablets, e-readers etc. Write an article to talk about this issue, and then discuss the impacts of using the electronic gadgets in learning and social life.

Electronic Gadgets, Good or Bad？

It is noticed that many students have been following the craze of using electronic products such as smart phones, iPads and tablets. Many of them own more than one gadgets. What are the pros and cons of using the electronic gadgets in learning and social life? In this article, I would like discuss this issue in detail.

Obviously, the use of electronic products can benefit our learning. There are many applications which are useful for us to learn. In the Google Store, there are many free learning apps for students to download to their electronic devices. For example, students can use e-dictionary for translation, in which they do not need to carry a bulky printed dictionary to school.  Also they can utilize the quiz apps to challenge their understanding of different subjects. Electronic products make our learning portable and convenient.

Regarding the benefit for the social life, electronic products can enable friends to know our conditions well. There are many instant message apps for students to chat with others, such as Whatsapp and Line. They can send messages to their friends and parents easily. Moreover, with the invention of Facebook, they can update their status and photos to Facebook to inform friends of their current situation. There is a close contact among friends with the help of the electronic products.

Although using electronic gadgets has its advantages, there are also some disadvantages for these useful devices.

From the learning perspective, electronic gadgets may create a distraction during the lesson if students do not carefully manage them. It is because they would like to play games on these gadgets. This will disturb the learning atmosphere of the lessons. From the perspective of social life, the over-indulgence in using the electronic products may affect students’ social behaviour. They would tend to live in the cyber world, which blocks communication from their real life. This would harm their social development with peers.

All coins have two sides; we should have self-control concerning the use of electronic gadgets in order to utilize their benefits. Be a wise man to use all the electronic products to improve our learning and social life. Otherwise, we will be slaves to these devices.

6B Wong Ming Wa
HHCKLA Buddhist Ching Kok Secondary School