A robotic voice says "Tu mangi il pane." I press the button to hear the same voice repeat the same sentence, in a much slower pace this time. I hear it right and key in 'You eat the bread', and hit the submit button. The 'ting' sound is heard and a green tick pops up on my screen. I click next and it proceeds to the next question.
Duolingo, is the only voice I hear apart from that of my parents and best friend (all of them over WhatsApp) on daily basis. Duolingo isn't my exotic friend or housemate, it is the language app that teaches me Italian and Hindi. For the last year, Duo (that's the actual nickname) has been one of my best friends. When I don't show up on the app for a day, Duo will buzz me, and even emails me to remind me that he misses me (how lovely!).
Duolingo, is the only voice I hear apart from that of my parents and best friend (all of them over WhatsApp) on daily basis. Duolingo isn't my exotic friend or housemate, it is the language app that teaches me Italian and Hindi. For the last year, Duo (that's the actual nickname) has been one of my best friends. When I don't show up on the app for a day, Duo will buzz me, and even emails me to remind me that he misses me (how lovely!).
A few years ago, I considered myself anti-technology. I believed that technology puts people in a virtual world and makes them connected to an artificial space that doesn't exist. However, my opinion on technology today has taken a diametrically opposite turn. I truly believe technology can keep you sane. In an environment where the drop of a pin can be heard, where the nearest mall or train station is many miles away, it is this technology, the voice of my loved ones on WhatsApp, Duo's voice and Cortana's voice (the Android assistant on my phone) that makes me feel connected to the world around me.
Technology has occupied every sphere of our urban lives. From the alarm, to the voice that reminds you to get off at your designated station, everything in today's world is controlled by technology. My best friend can view my manuscripts ten thousand miles away and suggest changes. I can see the picture of my cousin's baby from three thousand miles away.
People say that we have become slaves of technology, yet I strongly believe that we have not become slaves but have started to consider technology as an indispensable part of life. A hundred years ago, electricity was not an integral part of life, now most people can not imagine a life without it. The same applies to Wifi, smartphones and other devices.
This bond between man and machine cannot be undone so easily. Unless poor connectivity does us part, we will be tied in this relationship. A relationship that brings us close ones closer, when we are apart.
