<p>grade the third SAT essay I've ever written!</p>
<p>Prompt: Do changes that make our lives easier not necessarily make them better? </p>
<pre><code>Change is a fact of life, and is constantly occurring. It is inevitable that as mankind progresses, peoples live will be drastically altered. It is often stated that change is a necessity, and is therefore something that should not be complained about. However, certain changes, although they may make difficult tasks easier, do not contribute the overall improvement of our quality of life.
One change that has had both positive and detrimental effects is the invention of the airplane. It has certainly allowed the world to be more connected, by enabling inter-continental travel, for work or vacation. The airplane lets people work in other countries, see other nations, and understand other cultures. It makes it easier to conduct international business, increase diplomacy, and economic profits. Instead of spending weeks on a ship, people can now travel from the United States to Europe in 8 hours, and to Asia in 13 to 15, a vast improvement. Still, it is not without its negative effects. Airplane technology has fueled the fires of many wars. The atomic bomb that obliterated Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of the Second World War was brought over on a plane from the United States. Spy planes exacerbated tensions in both the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, bring both information that solidified the antagonism between the two countries and embarrassment, such as when an American plane was caught in Soviet territory. Airplanes also allow us to share much more than just culture. During the recent swine flu epidemic, the diseases was passed through passengers flying between various countries, and by the planes that carried them. People in Europe, North America, and South America were infected by the same diseases that started out in Asia. In contrast, the bubonic plague of the middle ages, which was transported by ships, only traveled through Europe. Although the airplane has allowed the people of the world to easily meet and interact with each other, it has also allowed us to share the elements of war and diseases, a decidedly negative effect.
Another such invention is the television. At the time of its birth, the television allowed information, news, and entertainment to be shared cheaply and effectively. News about the Vietnam War, or popular shows such as I Love Lucy were available to the masses and at a fast pace. The television made communication to large groups, whether it be a musical band to all its fans or the president to the nation, much easier. However, the television has now been shown to have many negative effects. It has been accused of degrading eyesight if watched for too long or from too close, and of promoting obesity. Recently, the World Health Organization announced that more people had died of obesity-related diseases than of starvation, a worrying trend. Television has contributed to this epidemic by encouraging people to sit on the sofa for hours of mindless entertainment, rather than being forced to do something else to stave of boredom. Advertisements for sugary or fatty foods or restaurants are often shown on these same shows, foods which lead to obesity and other illnesses, such as hearth diseases. Although the television has made it easier for us to access information and entertainment in real time, it has also made us lazier and less healthy.
Inventors are always looking for ways to improve our lives. One path which is often followed is making objects that address certain needs or make the human existence easier. Unfortunately, certain technologies, such as the airplane or the television, while they increase global connectedness, also have negative effects, whether they be increasing tensions between antagonistic nations or making people ill.
</code></pre>
<p>Thanks!</p>