1. What do you think a family is?

We Are Addicted – We Need Balance

Technology has brought so many great things and it is beneficial for all of us. That’s something we can’t deny. We can shop online, order food when we don’t feel like cooking, and we can finish the tasks we have a lot easier. Technology created many new jobs, and we have the opportunity to work from home or have a side job to earn some extra money. But we can’t deny that technology is addictive. And yes, we are addicted. In the past when so-called brick-phones dominated the market, they were used only for calls and text messages, which was not too distracting. Nowadays it is a lot different. Smartphones come with tons of options, there are millions of apps, and of course, the Internet.

When we are spending time with family and friends and when we see a notification on a smartphone it is hard to ignore it. Instead of paying attention to the conversation we are having, we just take the phone. We are distracted by smartphones and technology in general. But we can’t blame technology. We should not blame ourselves. What we need to do is find some balance, that’s all. Yes, technology is addictive, but our focus shouldn’t be on phones or computers, but on people, and face-to-face conversations. It is that simple.

15. What languages were offered as an alternative international language?
To some, the widespread use of English is seen as advancing the political agenda of the English-speaking world. Esperanto, is offered up as an alternative, as a politically neutral international language. Esperanto also has the advantage of being quite rationally constructed and easy to learn, apparently.

But Esperanto has not really challenged the position of English as a practical means of international communication. There are supposedly 2 million Esperanto speakers in the world, but I have only ever met these people at polyglot conferences. On the other hand, there are apparently 1.5 billion speakers of English, mostly non-native speakers. That is 20% of the world’s population. If you are traveling in a country where you don’t speak the language, and you want to communicate with someone, it is unlikely that you would try Esperanto. Your best bet would be English. I don’t see that changing.

All languages are equally valuable cultural creations. Not all are equally useful in today’s globalized world. Often, when I read or hear someone skillfully use French, Japanese, Ukrainian, Korean, Mandarin, Russian or any of the languages I have learned, I am in awe of the natural elegance and power of that language. Every language is a masterpiece of human creativity, able to express the same thoughts but in its own unique way. These languages have evolved and changed over thousands of years, the accumulation of the inventions and innovations of thousands or millions of users throughout time.