【明報專訊】◆Source A

Family relationship index and the number of messaging app groups (see table)

◆Source B

Professor Lam Tai-hing(林大慶), chair professor of community medicine in the HKU School of Public Health, says that it is necessary to pay attention to the different needs of family members of different ages by, for example, teaching elderly members how to use messaging app groups so that they know what their children and grandchildren are up to.

Professor Lam adds that using a messaging group can bring family members closer and help shore up family relations. It can also help family members living abroad share their lives.

Source: More frequent use of family messaging groups means greater happiness, published in Ming Pao on 2018.11.12

■Questions and answering guidelines

1. Give two reasons why more and more people use messaging groups.

Suggested points

Freedom from geographical barriers:

Messaging groups allow busy city working people to keep in touch with family members living abroad.

Convenience:

Thanks to technological advancements, many messaging apps have functions that bring great convenience to users, examples being audio-recording and real-time video-recording. These apps also allow users to respond to others at a time convenient to them. Furthermore, messaging groups allow multiple users to talk at the same time, which is more efficient and interactive.

2. “Messaging apps on smartphones are conducive to human relationship development.” Do you agree?

Suggested points (see table)

Text: 徐溯 , liberal studies teacher at Lok Sin Tong Leung Kau Kui College

Translation: Terence Yip

[通通識 第568期]