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Topic - Some parents forbid young children from owning smartphones (cell phones with Internet access), while others disagree and believe that they are important tools for keeping in touch. Which point of view do you think is better, and why? Reponse - In my opinion, smartphones in today’s world are among important tools to provide to our younger ones. Their importance clearly outweigh the cons our younger ones get more vulnerable to, by giving access to these devices which have enormous potential in the ways they can be used. Firstly, providing children with the smartphones will help in ensuring safety and giving them a tool to contact as immediately as possible in case of any need. And it proves more essential when our children are living away from us which is usually the case as we complete our basic education and move out for further studies or work. For instance, I left home after my secondary education for doing my under graduation in Allahabad city of India. That city was new to me, and that was first time I came out of my town without my family. On the third day of my stay in that city, I decided to take a walk to explore the new area and suddenly I realized I had come to some area from where I wasn’t sure how to head back. I was much tensed and it was late night with not much people around. I felt very scared and immediately called my father. He listened to me and calmed me down first. Then he suggested me to approach some gentle and describe my address where I was living. I did what he said, and was guided back safely. That was the time I realized the usefulness of these gadgets for us. Secondly, these gadgets will help daily communication. For instance, when I was in my undergrad college, there were friends of mine who were not given their personal cell phones for the risks involved with them. He usually used my cell phone to talk to his family or anyone he want. And he used to felt embarrassed whenever he wanted to talk to his family and ask my cell phone. And many times, he couldn’t do it because I wasn’t around and he was not comfortable to other people around having smartphones. Finally, apart from safety and facilitating ease in communication, smartphones with their latest technological features enhances this communication and adds some quality to it. For example, in my college whenever we planned out for some trips I used to send pictures and videos of places I visit which they really liked and I felt that long distance was not that long when I was able to share things in this manner. Similarly, I had frequent video calls where my mother taught how to cook my favorite recipes.

:question: Question : Does travel help to promote understanding and communication between countries? :idea: Answer : History has shown us that travel helps to promote understanding and communication between countries. Historically, modern international relationships build on numerous international travels since the far past. Centuries ago, when interregional travel was almost impossible due to the level of technology at that time which hardly enabled it, almost every society lived only within their own territory. As a result, they hardly knew or even didn’t know at all the existence of other societies and other cultures beyond their territory. If one day, people from other society with different culture happened to come to their territory, such people would probably be misunderstood or treated improperly since those two societies had never met before and thus, couldn’t be expected to understand each other. The gradual advancement of technology eventually made interregional and even intercontinental travels possible. As a result, out of curiosity and in need to find new resources, many people initiated explorations to areas they had never visited. In such explorations, intercultural interactions took place and, in many places, built mutual understanding and good communication between the cultures involved. History has recorded many explorations which served as bridges between different societies and different cultures. A large number of such explorations were even so instrumental in shaping other cultures that their influences remain up to now or potentially forever. For example, explorations by Chinese, Indians, and Arabs to Indonesian archipelago since the far past result in numerous Indonesian words derived from Chinese, Indian, and Arabic languages. Many grammatical structures of Indonesian languages are also based on their Chinese, Indian, and Arabic counterparts. Numerous similar examples can still be found in Indonesian cuisine, art, lifestyle, and other aspects of life. Similarly, many other countries have also benefited from international travel. It has contributed significantly to cultural enrichment of many nations since the far past. Such enrichment would never take place, should travel not promote mutual understanding and communication between countries. :)