Part 3 Practice: Technology & Change

1. How has technology changed the way people communicate?
2. Do you think children spend too much time with technology?
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of remote work?
4. Will AI eventually replace human workers in many industries?
5. How has social media changed the way people form opinions?
6. Do you think technology makes life easier or more complicated?

Technology has transformed communication in three fairly obvious ways and at least one subtle way that I think matters more than people realise. The obvious changes are speed — messages are instant; reach — we can easily contact people anywhere in the world; and breadth — we can communicate with hundreds of people at once. But the subtle change is that technology has shifted communication from synchronous to asynchronous. We used to have to be available at the same time as the other person, so conversations had a natural flow and resolution. Now, most communication is asynchronous — texts, emails, voice notes — and while that's convenient, it also means conversations can drift for weeks or resolve only half-finished. I think we've gained enormous range but lost some of the intensity and finality of real-time exchange. Whether that's a net gain depends on what you value.

Examiners expect balanced analysis. Here are go-to argument pairs:

For any Part 3 technology question, pick one from each column and weave both in.

Weak: "Technology is very good because it makes life easier."

Band-7: "Technology makes many things easier, but it also creates problems we wouldn't have had otherwise. On balance, I'd say the trade-off is usually worth it, but it's not a free lunch."

Answer: "Do the benefits of AI outweigh the risks?" in 60 seconds. Constraint: use at least one phrase from each row of the vocabulary table above. Record it and check.