A Modern Life with Modern Technology
Research Writing/COM220
July 4, 2010
Rowland Cadena
While modern technology has made life more accommodating with cell phones, computers
and iPods, technology has also made it more convenient for hackers and other Internet
predators. For people with family and friends that live far away, a web cam and the
Internet makes it simple to keep in touch. E-mailing and other social networks available on
the Internet also make it effortless to talk to someone halfway around the world. Banking,
paying bills, shopping and even reading the newspaper can all be done online. Distance
learning or attending school online offers someone an education, high school diploma, an
associates or bachelors degree in the comfort of their own home. With all of these modern
day conveniences there are downsides. Computer hackers can get your banking
information, personal information such as social security number, date of birth or credit
card information with a little effort and make anyone a victim of identity fraud. By getting
personal information, they can make purchases online or at a store, maxing a credit card
out. Also, the culprit can apply for more credit cards with your name, social security
number and date of birth leaving you ultimately responsible for anything they have
purchased. By the time you have figured out what happened it would be too late to try and
catch the guilty party. Now that people are more informed about these crimes they are
taking precautionary steps to keep this from happening.
(www.apple.com, 2010.)
Twenty years ago, attending college online seems like something out of a futuristic movie,
but it is possible today. More and more students enroll in online classes each year. Almost
3.5 million, or 20 percent, of all college students took one or more online courses during
the 2006-2007 academic years — an increase of almost 10 percent over the previous year,
according to Sloan Consortium, a foundation-supported organization working to improve
online education. (Cincotta, 2008). An increasing number of colleges provided
distance-learning opportunities. A pioneer in the field was the University of Phoenix,
which by 2008 had more than 300,000 students. Capella University (owned by Capella
Education Co. and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn.) offered many graduate programs
at a distance; Nova Southeastern Universitys Fischler School of Education and Human
Services (its campus was located in North Miami Beach, Fla.) enrolled more than 14,000
masters and doctoral students; and Western Governors University (a nonprofit online
