Some people consider computers to be more of a hindrance than a help. Others believe that they have greatly increased human potentials. What is your opinion?

It is easy to understand why some people believe that

computers

are more of a hindrance than a help. Operations

such

as obtaining a refund or changing a ticket tend to be fairly straightforward without the aid of a computer, yet once is involved, the process can become time-consuming, complex and prone to errors. In an office environment, it can sometimes seem that for every hour saved by

computers

, at least another is wasted in sending frivolous emails and in trying to resolve the latest set of problems caused by a system malfunction. Another consideration is that over-enthusiastic use of

computers

in the home has the potential to divert large amounts of free time away from activities

such

as socializing, taking exercise, or interacting with family members. Spending a lot of leisure time looking at a computer screen could perhaps hinder achieving other goals in life,

such

as being healthy and socially integrated.

However

, it would be simplistic to assert that

computers

have a generally negative impact. They have enabled enormous advances in communications, medicine, design, education and numerous other fields of human endeavour. Nowadays, virtually the entire sum of human knowledge is as far away as the nearest internet point.

Computers

have brought about a profound change in the way most people in the developed world live.

Although

it should not be forgotten that the majority of the inhabitants of

this

planet have never so much as touched a computer keyboard. The benefits of

computers

undoubtedly outweigh the disadvantages. The question is not whether

computers

help or hinder, but whether people always use their huge potential in a wise and responsible way.