Thanks to modern technology, we can now check out the latest status and photos of our lovely old classmates who we haven’t met for a long time ever since the primary graduation ceremony, by clicking and dragging the mouse, browsing their homepages on Facebook or their blogs. Thanks to modern technology, we can now chat with cyber friends who are living in countries 10000000 miles away from Hong Kong, knowing more about different cultures and lifestyles all over the world. Thanks to modern technology, we can now use skype to talk face-to-face at any time and in any place freely, without worrying about the expensive costs of long-distance phone calls, no matter if you are studying overseas, or on a business trip in a foreign city.
However, can modern technology really shorten the distance between two souls, other than just breaking the limits of time and space?
Many may think in either of the following two extreme ways. Some believe that with the invention of mobile phones and lap tops, people can communicate and keep in contact with each other without any obstacles or walls, thus modern technology, undoubtedly, has brought people closer. Some others may argue back that when everyone is using electronic devices to stay in touch with their friends all the time, they may be distracted and hence ignore the ones they should care about in the reality, creating a kind of weird coldness and distance between people though they are sitting next to each other ─ In fact, it is not an uncommon sight in tea restaurants that all relatives are busily texting or surfing the Net using their cell phones, forgetting to enjoy the family gathering they are having on Sunday morning.
Nevertheless, instead of being totally oriented by hi-tech gadgets, humans, who have invented all those communication tools, always hold the power of deciding how they are going to make use of the modern technology. Isn’t this idea ridiculous that we are all controlled by the modern technology in the other way round? In this case, both the two thoughts mentioned are irrational.
Actually, modern technology is only a tool which we can make good use of, helping us to overcome the geographical distance between each other. Meanwhile, the gap between two hearts, which cannot be determined according to the physical and measurable distance, still remains. The presence of modern technology only changes the lifestyle of people nowadays, leaving us, as in the old days, the same problem to face ─ how to become closer with the ones around us.
All in all, WE are the one who can shorten the distance between people, not the modern technology. A friendly smile, a sincere caring heart plus a helping hand… These are what we really need.