People have different views about the impact of technology on the process of acquiring education. While some feel that technology aids students in their learning, others argue that it has a negative impact on the studying process. In my view, technology can be both a useful educational tool and an impediment to studying at the same time.
On the one hand, there are some reasons why it could be argued that modern technology is beneficial for studying. One benefit is that technology allows individuals to learn remotely in the form of online courses. This is especially beneficial for those living in remote areas, who do not have access to high quality education in their locality. Online education is also flexible as it means a person can study whenever, wherever and however he or she wants. Another benefit is free educational resources available on the Internet. Take Youtube for example. On this video-sharing platform, there are now thousands of video lectures shared by world-famous universities such as Harvard, MIT and Stanford.
Having said this, however, there are also strong arguments in favour of the view that contemporary technology impedes efforts to study. First of all, technological devices can often become a constant source of distraction, taking away precious time people could otherwise spend studying. Instead of making use of free educational resources, some people end up spending hours on end playing video games, browsing the net or using social media. Furthermore, the use of technology in education usually leads to other undesirable outcomes including plagiarism and cheating. For instance, equipped with online resources, students can easily copy someone else’s work and pass it off as their own when submitting course assignments.
In conclusion, I believe that the advent of technology has both positive and negative effects on the process of studying. Whether it is used as an effective means of learning or cheating depends entirely on the person
