In the past few decades, technological advances have leaped above and beyond what any person could have dreamed in the previous century. As a result, you can feel the impact of this advancement in all spheres of life.
For example, the concept of mobile phones would have been something unheard of in the early 1900s. However, according to recent statistics, almost 62% of the world’s population own a mobile phone in 2021. Approximately 4.88 billion people, including adults and children, have active access to this gadget and many others.
How Does Technology Impact Essay Writing Skills?
Seeing how technology has made its way into the hands of the vast majority of students, it is not surprising to see them make the most use of it to ease their academic stress. As a result, you’ll notice a significant rise in the number of online tools like plagiarism checkers that promise plagiarism free essays, proofreading tools, online calculators and other helpful resources.
Such tools have become a part of academia, providing students with the opportunity to improve their assignments significantly.
The Positive Effects of Technology on Essay Writing Skills
Due to the cutthroat competition to ensure job security for the future, students have to cope with extreme academic stress. However, technological advances have effectively changed the face of education in recent years, making it easier for students to increase their standards.
- Improved research skills
When there was no such thing as the internet, generations of students had to spend hours in the libraries, poring over a book, searching for proper research materials. Meanwhile, some would have to depend on tattered study notes from seniors.
Research is highly crucial for any essay writing activity, and unless you find suitable sources, your paper would lack the quality to stimulate the reader’s intellect. Therefore, technology makes it easier to access resources that you can use for your research.
For example, there are online libraries, free e-books and many academic articles that you can access without even stepping out of your room.
- Fewer errors in final drafts
Before the age of online proofreading tools, students would have to check dissertations and thesis papers manually for any grammatical or spelling errors. These were approximately 100-200 pages long, and the very thought of going through the entire assignment multiple times would make you skip the proofreading step. As a result, earlier essays would have an overall lower quality due to minor errors throughout the paper.
However, you have the advantage of using an online proofreading tool in the 21st century. All you have to do is upload your document, and the software automatically detects all spelling and grammatical errors while suggesting the corrections.
As a result, it is much easier to correct the mistakes and deliver an error-free assignment without wasting an entire week checking it from top to bottom manually.
- Using the correct citation formats
Every academic paper needs to adhere to specific citation formats. However, it’s pretty easy to confuse them when there are too many to keep track of. For example, some of the most common referencing formats you’ll come across are:
- The APA referencing format
- The Chicago referencing style
- The MLA system of referencing
- The Harvard referencing system
- The Vancouver style of reference
- The MHRA referencing style
Every referencing format is unique, making it challenging for students to recall them when working on their assignments. However, with helpful tools like the citation generator, you can bypass these challenges in a breeze.
The Negative Effects of Technology on Essay Writing Skills
There are always two sides to a coin. Similarly, every technological boon that you enjoy comes with certain disadvantages. Therefore, even though technology has made it easier for students to improve their essay writing skills, certain drawbacks might make you question its necessity.
- Over-dependency on technology
The biggest drawback of using technology to write essays frequently is that you become too dependent on it. As a result, you end up using an online resource for every step of the writing process without having any confidence in your own abilities. This can become highly troublesome during examinations where you cannot use any resources online to improve your essays.
- Decreased critical thinking abilities
There are multiple sources from where you can gather information regarding any essay topic. However, it is crucial to remember that all of these sources are not legitimate. Furthermore, many of them do not contain the correct facts. Therefore, if you switch off your critical thinking abilities and blindly believe anything you see on the internet, it would inevitably decrease your essay quality.
- Provides more opportunities for distraction
The internet is the leading cause of distraction among students worldwide. If you have to choose between working on their essay or watching a Netflix show, it won’t take a Sherlock Holmes to figure out which one is the more enticing option.
Therefore, it’s almost impossible for students to avoid distraction using technology when working on essays. In fact, most students who have to hire professional help services complain that surfing reels on Instagram or watching videos on YouTube is the main reason behind the deterioration of their essay quality.
Considering both the advantages and disadvantages, it might seem impossible to decide whether the role of technology in essay writing is an overall positive one. However, regardless of the negative aspects, there’s no doubt that it has made essay writing much easier for students.
Summing it up,
Technology has made a significant contribution to the advancement of the education sector, making it easier for students to cope with academic stress. In terms of essays, the various resources readily available online helps improve your writing skills, ensuring you won’t have to hire professional writers. However, technology is never without its disadvantages. Yet, despite everything, it can have a positive impact on your overall skills.
