ARE new technologies always better? Thasarathakumar, who is a participant of the BRATs Young Journalist Programme run by The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) team, got his peers to share their views.
“New technologies make our lives much easier than before but some experiences can never be replicated using modern gadgets. The ‘old’ technology that I still actively use are books. Reading from a screen can never top the feeling you get from reading from a book.” – Hamzah Faisal, 19, Selangor
“I miss those days when my family and I used to cuddle together while my mum flipped through physical photo albums. My parents would tell the story behind each picture and my heart would feel a sense of warmth as I was reminded of how much I had grown. Every page brought joy and a sense of nostalgia. That is the kind of feeling that one would not get to experience simply by scrolling through the photos in one’s smartphone.” – Loh Yi Hang, 19, Penang
“I love using paper dictionaries rather than their electronic counterparts. Whenever I open a paper dictionary, I would scan the words on the page, allowing me to pick up new vocabulary in the process. In fact, my brain tends to retain the meanings longer through this medium than if I had searched for them online.” – Adlin Sofea, 20, Selangor
“Everything has its pros and cons. Nowadays, new technologies are continuously being introduced. However, novel things do not necessarily bring good fortune. During the Covid-19 pandemic, online classes became a staple of students’ everyday life. Online platforms were used to conduct classes. Although this was an advanced way of learning, I missed the face-to-face classes. I prefer physical interaction with my classmates with whom I could dive into every detail of a topic and have informative and productive discussions. In doing so, I could also bond with my classmates.” – Michelle Lim, 19, Johor
“I used to have to buy DVDs in order to watch movies. It cost about RM10 for a movie, which was very expensive for me. If I wanted to watch a lot of movies, I had to spend more or watch them on websites. Nowadays, with new technologies and platforms, I watch movies with just a monthly subscription which is as low as a movie’s DVD price. So, in that sense, new technologies can save a lot of money where even those who are less privileged can afford some entertainment after their working hours.” – Liishvaar Jagathes Kumar, 19, Johor
