1 . Sometimes the people least likely to engage with Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Zoom are the people who can benefit from it the most.
The “silent generation”, or those born between 1928 and 1945, aren’t usually mentioned alongside the likes of Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. A study this year said that 45 percent of people over 65 use social media sites. Yet, for the majority of seniors, it is more about gathering information than sharing things about themselves.
For example, AARP has pointed out that Facebook’s largest function for older folks has been helping them keep in touch with their families, especially their grandchildren. But this doesn’t really reflect the digital connectivity (连接) many elders are experiencing.
BJ, a friend who just turned 80, does not own a computer, yet he’s one of the 4 out of 10 seniors with a smartphone, which never leaves his side. For him social media is purely social — no grandkids, just people from every stage of his eight decades. It has kept him youthful and connected. He has figured out how to make Facebook and Instagram work for him by asking his younger friends for help when he gets stuck.
Jesse Epstein, who has been teaching in a college for 44 years.He moved to Costa Rica with his wife and young child four years ago when he was 70. “I wouldn’t be able to live the life I now lead without the assistance of Zoom, Google Classroom, WhatsApp, and Microsoft Teams,” Epstein tells me on the phone, speaking from his home in Tamarindo. “My current students are all masters-level schoolteachers. I use Zoom to observe and evaluate how well they incorporate (融入) these technologies into their lessons live in the classroom. I was surprised by how much more attentive students seemed to be online than they typically were in the classroom receiving the same material.”
He keeps in touch in a very real way with friends he’s known for decades. “Networking technologies have supported all my life choices and helped me and my family achieve a level of freedom and independence which I didn’t think was possible for someone in their mid-seventies,” he adds.
1. Why are the elderly called the “silent generation”?| A．They hardly share personal experiences online. |
| B．They are too shy to deliver a speech in public. |
| C．They never keep in touch with others online. |
| D．They are unfortunately speech-impaired. |
| A．To express good attitudes towards life. |
| B．To explore possible ways to stay young. |
| C．To reflect the popularity of Facebook. |
| D．To show the real social connection. |
| A．Students are more likely to concentrate on the class. |
| B．All his life choices are backed by online technologies. |
| C．He can improve his teaching skills and methods. |
| D．His family members have freedom and independence. |
| A．Social Media Gives the Silent Generation a Voice |
| B．Social Apps Are Welcomed by People of All Ages |
| C．Networking Technologies Are a Double-edged Sword |
| D．The Silent Generation Are Eager for Connectivity |
2 . While the benefits of Zoom and other videoconferencing tools made them absolutely essential in the pandemic (疫情), the research suggests that heavy reliance on the technology comes at a cost to creative thinking.
Brucks at Columbia University and her team started their investigation when managers reported having trouble innovating with remote workers. Brucks doubted whether videoconferencing was a factor, suspecting that difficulties coordinating (协调) large, global teams online might be to blame instead.
To find out, the researchers analysed ideas for new products generated by 1,490 engineers for a multinational company. The engineers, who were in Finland, Hungary, India, Israel and Portugal, were randomly paired up and given an hour or so to brainstorm products either in person or over videoconferencing. They then selected their best idea.
Writing in Nature, the researchers report that the engineers produced more ideas, and more innovative ideas, when working face to face. “They are not only generating a larger number of creative ideas, but their best idea is better,” Brucks said. Virtual teams were just as good at selecting the best ideas from a bunch as those that met in person.
“Visual focus is a huge component of cognitive (认知) focus. When you’re focused on the screen and ignoring the rest of the environment, that affects how you approach the task,” said Brucks. “It’s uniquely bad for creativity because it’s inhibiting broader exploration.”
Brucks said the impact on the real world “could be huge”, leading to a division of labour between face-to-face and virtual meetings that could “permanently reshape the office and work schedules”. But she urged businesses to be cautious, because if virtual meetings are cheaper than in-person ones, they may still be more cost-effective.
Asked for tips, Brucks said people could save more creative tasks for in-person meetings, or turn off their camera when coming up with ideas. “I think it unlocks more creative thinking,” she said.
1. Why did Brucks conduct the research?| A．To prove her assumption. | B．To clarify a new concept. | C．To make a comparison. | D．To explain a rule. |
| A．Face-to-face gatherings promote cross-culture ties. | B．Workers think less creatively in virtual meetings. |
| C．Individual work generates more innovative ideas. | D．Videoconferencing has an irreplaceable role. |
| A．Encouraging. | B．Requiring. | C．Beginning. | D．Preventing. |
| A．They should be used accordingly. | B．They’ll make office workers divided. |
| C．They’ll give way to in-person meetings. | D．They help businesses run more efficiently. |
