TOEFL iBT Independent Writing Technology helps us understand ourselves. - revised -

Lesson 22  Writing Topic

Consider the following statement. Technology helps us understand ourselves. Do you agree or disagree with this idea? Support your response by including specific reasons and examples.

 

☆Let’s Think

1.       What does “to understand ourselves” mean?

Note: To understand ourselves may mean to understand what is a human as well as what kind of person you are. It could also mean what is life and what is important in life.

2.       What helps us to understand ourselves?

3.       Does technology help us understand ourselves?

 

☆Hints for Points

Agree

1.       Information about us is collected by technology. Thanks to the advancement of technology, we now have very accurate information about the history of the earth and life, including homo sapiens. Also, AI has shown us not only that we humans are not as smart as we used to think we were but also that we have heart originating from life, not from matter.

2.       Watching the world and people leads to understanding of ourselves. Media provide us with abundant information about the world and people. Through the information, you see the difference between you and others. You can also have insights about humans. For example, videos show us we humans can be both brave and cowardly, angelic and evil.

3.       Interaction with other people helps us understand ourselves, and technology increases the opportunity to interact with others. For example, by interacting with others through social media, you can learn what kind of person you are. You can also learn that you are not an anomaly by finding many people who share some tastes or ideas with you.

4.       Technology helps find individual characteristics. For example, DNA analysis shows you what kind of people you are related to, what kind of property your body has, and whether the risk of your having a particular disease is high or not.

 

Disagree

1.       Technology deals with matter, the physical side of the world, so it can tell us only about our physical aspect. For example, it does not tell why we feel lonely all the time.

2.       The smartphone does not tell you what kind of person you really are. There might be some apps that tell you what type of personality you have, but this categorization does not lead to real understanding of yourself. You have to interact with other people and see what you will do with them and how others will treat you to see who you are. Also, to understand what is human, you have to place yourself in nature.

3.       Information gained through technology might be distracting us from self-reflection. We think we have understood ourselves and do not think more deeply. For example, technology tells us that we have conquered nature, when we actually should know that we have just disrupted nature by technology and are now getting the backlash.

4.       Social media can distort our image of ourselves. It is easy to wear a persona online and we can believe it our real character. Also, when they should be satisfied with life just by being alive, many people suffer from the gap between that which they think they should be and that which they actually are by comparing themselves with “others,” even though those “others” might be making themselves look better than they really are.

 

☆Sample Essay Structure

【Main Idea】Technology helps us understand ourselves to some extent, but not to the full.

【Humanity Studies】Technology helps humanities studies.

【Media】Interaction with others through media leads to insights in ourselves.

【Reservation】However, it is important to remember that technology has limits in helping us know who we are because it is made by humans.

【Conclusion】Technology has helped us learn about ourselves a lot, but we cannot think that we can know ourselves completely through technology.

 

Your Sample Essay Structure

【Main Idea】

【Point 1】

【Point 2】

【Point 3】

【Conclusion】