Since the advent of Internet, emails, mobile phones I prefer to call up my loved ones rather than have a get together and share my experiences over the weekends. So while the technology tools are available in all types and shapes and sizes, the usage of the same makes my lives easier and more comfortable on one side, and on the other hand can also make me distant from my close ones.

Families increasingly view themselves as management problems to be solved, just as they would be at work, with technology. So, I see more technology tools being used to solve the household problems. There will be organizers, pagers etc used to keep track of the groceries or used as reminders to pick up the kids from school etc.

With the help of technology, communication has also become cheaper, quicker, and more efficient. I can now communicate with anyone around the globe by simply text messaging them or sending them an email for an almost instantaneous response. The Internet has also opened up face-to-face direct communication from different parts of the world thanks to the helps of video conferencing.

Pagers, cell phones and answering machines, PDAs etc are being used increasingly to coordinate complex household schedules. There is a feeling of togetherness built in when families watch television, go for movies, travel together etc. The devices that facilitate these like phones, computers, and answering machines help my family to efficiently plan our outings or get together in a well planned manner.

My family tends to use these tools on a regular basis once we get used to the advantages of the tools and also tend to pass on the same to other families or even our co-workers. But the level of technology usage depends from family to family.

With the use of advanced technologies, there is a shift in the work-home relationship. With the ability to work at home, I find myself leaving my job for the opportunity that allows me to, spend quality time with my family and still am prepared for class in the morning.

With the information overload by the usage of technology, the work load has also been increasing. So in effect I have lesser time to spend with my loved ones. But also since we know that my loved ones or colleagues are just a call away, I tend to get immersed in my work and tend to be very short and static in our conversations. So while technology should be making my lifestyle more comfortable and bringing us closer to my loved ones and family and friends, it is in fact bring in formalized and cool behavior patterns into the picture.

Have you ever read an email, blogs or an SMS sent on the mobile phone? If we read out any of the above, I can guarantee that 90 % of the above will not have the correct spelling or grammatical sense. I however, before I send anything from my blackberry, I always use spell check; force of habit.

Now most of these communication tools are being used by the next generation children who are being educated. But if we don’t monitor their level of education and the “shorthand language” being used by them, then it will affect their further interactions while growing up. The responsibility is on us as to how to guide the users towards better usage of the English language, or any other local Language. It is more important that the language should not lose its purity and accuracy, in such means of communication.

The increased use of technology sources has affected my lifestyle. Be it television, Internet, mobile phones, pagers etc, it has affected my social life. The increased usage of technology not only affected the interaction levels between my family members, it also affected the time needed to monitor my children and disciplining them. As a result of this the new generation of children are more independent and in need of discipline and guidance from their parents. As a teacher I see this everyday, sometimes I really wonder where their parents or guardians are.