It
can be difficult to determine all of the positive effects of technology as it
penetrates the lives of first world cultures. Daily, we all interact with some
form of technology in one way or another. Though many might see this reliance
on technology a source of disconnect, the advancement of technology has given
us the ability to accomplish every day tasks with ease and know more about the
world around us.
Personally,
I do not consider myself the most technologically sound person. However, I am
able to make my way and appreciate the technology that I use often. For
starters, I, like so many others, am completely reliant on my cell phone. Not
only to stay connected to my friends, family, and co-workers, but I also use it
as a planner, an alarm clock, and watch. I have all of these applications
without even owning a smart phone, of which I’m sure I would be even more dependent.
Secondly, my laptop is a quintessential part of my daily life as a student and
an artist. Through my Mac book, I am able to stay more organized and reference
word spellings through applications such as stickies and dictionary.
Most
importantly, my laptop gives me the option to access the Internet, perhaps one
of the greatest advancements of technological era. Being able to have the
possibility to research any given topic and have it be made available to you in
minutes gives us unlimited opportunities. So much knowledge can be gained from
simply “surfing the web”, it truly makes this era the “information age”.
Through the Internet, we can always find ways to be entertained through social
networking, and watching videos. Social networking specifically gives me the
opportunity to make groups for the communities I work in and gives me the
ability to organize these communities. These groups allow me to spread
important information as well as simply contacting people in a quick and
efficient manner. As a Resident Advisor and Community Advisor, these tools are
extremely important and useful to interact with my residents or tenants.
Overall,
technology has given me the opportunity to be entertained, to hone my interests
and taste in all artistic realms, to stay organized and to keep connected with
other individuals. Even outside of the Internet, there are many modes of
technology that makes our lives easier such as plumbing, refrigeration, and
electricity. Often we take these things for granted as common fixtures in life,
but I try to remember how lucky I am to have all of these possibilities be part
of my everyday life.