“Information technology will change our lives”. Chances are you`ve probably heard this one before. The society is changing and IT is a major part of the changes. Dropping by your friend`s house? Nah, you`d rather be dropping by his IRC-channel.

When you`re told to tell (or in this case, write) about your personal thoughts, you don`t always see things in different perspectives. You`ve usually formed an opinion which you`re determined to stand by. But to be honest, I haven`t yet made up my mind. That`s why I won`t just defend or attack IT, but rather try to look at it from different angles. It`s up to the reader to form his/her own opinion.

Parents are complaining about the effect computers have on their kids, and that they don`t get to spend enough time with their friends (and if they do spend some time together, it`s just in front of their friend`s computer). At the same time, many adults know very little about computers, and feel left out. Experts say that it`s good for children to learn using computers, because it prepares them for the future (and anyway, it`s to late for adults to learn).

So what should parents do? Let their children learn by computer and, as a result of that, isolating them from “the real world?” Or denying them computers, knowing it will reduce their possibilities later in life? And remember, there really isn`t something between.

If we for a moment start focusing more on what IT really is, and in exactly which way it will affect us, we`ve got to listen to the experts. They agree that it`s already influenced our lives, and that surely anyone has heard about the Internet. It`s really a great way of communicating with people from all over the world, sharing information and knowledge. And it`s all being done in the privacy of your own home. And there`s more: Soon, people will be working at home, and this will naturally enable more spare time. And in industry, IT has taken care of jobs that would normally be to hard for ordinary people (alhough it has led to more unemployment). As the information technology expands, we`ll get to see new types of products that will make life for most people even easier.

IT has it`s good sides as well as bad ones. As for a future where people will isolate each other and live life through their computers (source: Newsweek); it won`t happen. We all need someone and something real in our lives. And maybe that`s the most important thing of being human; the people around you. Communication. Because this is so important, we`ve got to be careful not to lose out to other people. Cause that would mean game over. Not in any game. In reality.