Reflections on Technology, Society, and Personal Choices

Social Media: A Contemporary Double-Edged Sword

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using social media.

Social media is perhaps the best example of a contemporary double-edged sword. Like many other powerful tools powered by the Internet, it can bring either tremendous wealth or unsuspected challenges to both its users and the institutions engaged in it.

To start with, as its name suggests, social media allows regular social interaction across distances—both literal and figurative—which would have often been considered unlikely, when not outright impossible, before. In other words, it may help us reconnect and stay in touch with family and friends thousands of kilometres removed and decades estranged. What’s more, it can also be a means to meet new people. Internet love stories used to be rare, but families exist now because of them.

However, fake profiles have been far more common than true love, and they can be a gateway for scams. Furthermore, social media keeps itself free of charge through a business model based on advertising, which has hard detriments, most of which have become manifest over the past years due to its awkward run-ins with democratic rule. Ultimately, we will have to keep debating whether or not its pros outweigh its cons in the coming decades as we keep using it.

The Value of a Gap Year

What would you like to do if you had the opportunity to take a gap year?

If I could take a gap year, I would like to do an internship because I want to get an early start in my professional career, which I think I would not be able to do if I went straight into higher education. Internships can be a great opportunity for young people to establish connections in industries they want to be a proper part of one day, to learn their trade of choice from seasoned professionals, or—at worst—to rethink their preferences in order to choose a degree more wisely.

In my case, I believe it is essential to the professional development of young people that we are proactive in our search for employment, given that today’s job market is not precisely the most open to applicants with little to no experience. This strikes most university graduates as a contradiction, but if you are aware of it, it can be a call to action: if a full university degree will not assure your immediate entry into the workforce on its own, then you have to look for other paths. A gap year might just be the best chance to do so.

The Power of Words

Our words have impact. Why is it determining or relevant to think before speaking our minds?

Whether our words are more or less impactful depends on the meaning and implications they have when delivered in a specific context and tone. This is why we must always remain mindful of where we are speaking and with whom: so that our approach matches the situation and does not cause any misunderstandings.

In other words, you do not speak with different kinds of people the same way. Each relationship demands a particular attitude when having a conversation. For example, you should probably address a boss on a more down-to-earth note, whereas you can treat family and friends more lightly. After all, the meaning of your words will regularly be more accessible to the latter than to the former, which is why you ought to be more straightforward with them. Whatever the case, carefully matching your wording and tone to the conversation you are in is vital in order to communicate properly and successfully.

An Enduring Historical Legacy

Who is your favourite male or female historical character?

My favourite historical character is Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, and the main reason why is his still notable presence in Spanish culture today. He was a knight who lived in the eleventh century and took part in the Spanish Reconquista under many rulers of different creeds. Born in Burgos, he served the Castilian crown commanding its military forces under kings Sancho II and Alfonso VI—the former’s brother, who had increasing animosity for Díaz to the point of banishing him.

At that point, the knight became a sword for hire and proved his mettle and wit in service of Muslims and Christians alike. These feats earned him the love of many and his nickname: “El Cid”. Eventually, Alfonso VI recalled him from exile and reinstated him, but he remained largely independent. This led him to Valencia, then under Muslim dominion, which he recaptured and held briefly until his death.

His deeds are told in the Spanish epic poem Cantar de mio Cid, the first of many cultural productions centred on him across a variety of media ranging from literature to film and TV. It is fair to say he symbolises a period that came to define Spanish history.

Passion vs. Money in Career Choices

“Passion vs. Money.” Which reasons will determine your university degree choice?

My choice of higher education is driven by my passion for languages and their literatures. I have been a reader since childhood, reading illustrated books first (including a children’s adaptation of Don Quijote), then fantasy sagas such as The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, and, of course, Harry Potter. This habit has been a constant in my life and I want to make it the centre of my professional career.

However, I have kept money in mind in my decision-making. My aim is to study literature, teaching, and communication, and then apply my knowledge and experience in the publishing and education industries. These are adapting to the current times by shifting towards online tools, and I want to enter this medium and make a place for myself. To this end, I plan to make an early start by pursuing a work placement for my second year. Passion can go a long way, but nowadays, one needs to put their money where their heart is.

Evolution of Gender Roles

Do you think the roles of men and women in society have changed over the last fifty years?

What society expects of men and women has necessarily changed for the better over the last fifty years. For instance, today a number of countries observe the right of both parents in any marriage to take time off work leading up to and following their child’s birth. In addition, many more men and women work in careers traditionally monopolised by the other, both in sciences and humanities. Most importantly, nowadays, a number of women hold positions of power that used to be universally reserved for men.

Older generations have also accepted these shifts either because they wish for the happiness of their children and grandchildren or by force of their success. Some things remain the same, though. The gender wage gap is as persistent as ever, and there are still events like gender reveal parties and outdated traditions that set kids up to fulfil gender-based roles. Hopefully, in another fifty years, life will have changed some more.

A Cinematic Masterpiece on Television

What is your favourite TV series?

My favourite TV series is Breaking Bad. In the course of its five seasons, it portrays the fall from grace of a chemistry teacher called Walter White, who is diagnosed with lung cancer and told he only has a few months left to live. He then struggles to think how to care for his wife, son, and daughter after he has passed.

A bit later, he witnesses an old student of his, Jesse Pinkman, escaping from a neighbouring house during a drug raid. He figures out Jesse is somehow involved, finds him, and proposes the weirdest deal in all of modern television: a partnership between teacher and student in order to make money by cooking and selling methamphetamine. I like this show because, even though it used narrative and character tropes previously explored by others, it took all of it to its limits, at times even pushing the boundaries of what the viewer was comfortable with.

Childhood Memories and Recovered Treasures

Have you ever lost something that was important to you?

When I was a kid, I lost some of my favourite books, including The Chronicles of Narnia, the entire series of seven fantasy novels by C.S. Lewis. However, I did not realise I had lost them at the time because I was busy adapting to a new environment. As a result, I did not read as much then as I had in previous years. One day I just found myself wondering where those books had gone.

I looked for them for an entire weekend, and upon realising the loss, I became very sad, even angry at myself for having let go of something I had valued so much. Nevertheless, I was happily able to retrieve the sense of wonder I had got from these books years later, when I gave the first one of the series to a friend’s daughter as a birthday present. She was already an avid reader like I had been, the gesture just made sense to me, and my friend later told me she had loved it. As it turned out, I had not lost everything that had come with that enchanted wardrobe.

Films Versus TV Series

What do you prefer, films or TV series?

I prefer films to TV series. Recently, the rise of Netflix as the number one option for entertainment has resulted in an incredible increase in variety and a decrease in quality. Although this may not always be the case, I believe it is a current trend. The earlier streaming originals, like Orange Is the New Black and House of Cards, were pretty decent and famous, but if you browse today, you will find one too many shows with very little to offer.

This is certainly true for films too, but despite all this, I believe good movies are rarer than good series nowadays. There is only one Once Upon a Time in Hollywood a year, while we can look forward to a new season of Vikings or Peaky Blinders from time to time. In other words, I prefer films to TV series because I think no show can stand up to a great film.

Template: Advantages and Disadvantages

MODELO ventajas y desventajas

To begin with, I would like to say that this is a controversial matter and it is very difficult to give just one point of view. In fact, if we asked people what they thought about it, we would find a lot of different ideas since it has both positive and negative aspects.

• On the one hand, we can say that [TOPIC] has many advantages, such as: [ADVANTAGE 1]. In addition, [ADVANTAGE 2]. Moreover, [ADVANTAGE 3]. For this reason, many people say/think that [CONCLUSION].
• On the other hand, we can also find some disadvantages, for instance: [DISADVANTAGE 1]. What is more, [DISADVANTAGE 2]. Lastly, [DISADVANTAGE 3].

From my point of view, [PERSONAL OPINION].

Technology and Carbon Emissions

Would you agree to have limited Internet access to help reduce carbon emissions?

I would not agree to have my Internet access limited, even if the goal was to help reduce carbon emissions. This is because the recent COVID-19 outbreak has made us even more dependent on technology than we have ever been. During quarantine, we could not have continued to work, study, or even entertain ourselves without the Internet and the tools that support it and give us access to it.

However, precisely due to the pandemic, I would argue that this is not a black-and-white issue. Our homes have a carbon footprint, but so do all forms of transport, and we all have more chances to regulate what we do at home and how we do it than to change our car for the subway. In this way, I think there are many things at home we can give up in order to be more responsible with the environment, but giving up Internet access is not one of them.