Lauren Leasure
ENC 1102
Core One
2.11.10
Word Count: 1,065
Day by day, new technologies are being created and updated. As our economy grows, Americans are willing to spend more and more money on growing technology. Weather we like it or not, our culture is turning to technology for most day-to-day activities. Taking advantage of these outbreaks of new and improved technologies can really benefit you life.
As for me, I feel I am very dependent on technology. I cannot remember a time a computer wasn’t in my household. From when I was just a little girl and all I could do was play a visual learning games on one, to growing up and slowly learning more and more about them. I remember in elementary school my teacher would take our class to the library and every week we would learn how to do something new. I instantly become obsessed with computers and begged my parents to let me have my own. Sure enough, as I entered high school I was presented with my very own laptop. I felt so lucky and taught myself everything there was to know about my new technology. I would use blogs, Microsoft word, photo editors, iTunes, and whatever else I could find. Back then it was a privilege to be able to use such an advanced digital literacy source such as a computer, but today, I feel we see it as a right and take advantage of it.
It seems my daily life somehow is always revolving around technology. Before I go anywhere outside my home, I double check and make sure I have my cell phone with me, and most mornings right when I wake up I get on my laptop. I depend of my alarm clock to wake me up in the morning and make it to places on time and my iPod to listen to music. Bringing my cell phone with me allows me to check emails, send texts, make calls and play games anywhere, anytime. It also is a security benefit. If an emergency was to happen I know I can call for help. Also now that I’m in college, my laptop is an essential tool for me to use. For me to stay in contact with my teachers I must use my Knights email, to check grades and online assignments I must get on Webcourse and most teachers require papers to be typed. Online databases are also a huge help when it comes to researching and writing papers. When I am unable to get an answer from a book, I can look it up online. I have been able to teach myself almost all of the resources I use without any help, and feel my technological intelligence is quite high. With technology I am also able to stay in touch with many of my family and friends who live in other cities or states. As Bolter stated, “Electronic technology provides a range of new possibilities.” With technology such as Skype, online stores, Macs, ITunes and many others, the possibilities seem endless. In this way, I feel that the technology has affected me for the best.
Although technology has allowed me to do so many things I would have never imaged, I do feel I depend on it more than I would like. If I forget my cell phone or my laptop dies I feel like I’m lost and my world has ended. I feel as if I’m disconnected from the world when most of the time I see my friends throughout the day. I depend on it for stuff that is unnecessary and for that I feel it is useless. It has also become an addiction for some people. I know I can control how much I allow myself to use the computer but some of our population take the advances of technology too far. As German Literature Max Frisch once said, “Technology… the knack of so arranging the world that we don’t have to experience it.” Some people just waste away their lives and live vicariously through the Internet, and truly miss out on life experiences.
Although it causes several problems throughout or economy, I feel most aspects of technology are positive ones. I depend on it for things such as staying in contact with family, spell checking my papers, making power points, and making spread sheets which I feel is very important and worth my time and dependency. That part of technology has had a positive affect on my life.
Technologies such as facebook and Skype I feel are the new generation trends within my friends. These are the most popular uses of laptops now days that allow all my friends and me stay in touch while we all go to different colleges. Technologies such as these really excite me and I can only image what they will come out with next.
As for the future, my career path that I am heading for would include me using technology almost every single day. I want to become a fashion buyer and merchandiser for a well-known clothing company. That involves finding the latest fashion and figuring out what to buy and how to setup clothes for each individual store. Most clothing companies show their new lines through online catalogs and all buying is done through their websites. I also will have to stay in contact with younger generations with surveys, blogs and websites to keep up with the latest fashions.
In order for me go into this business and get a job, I must complete my degree at college. Which as I said before, requires much use of technology, many of my upcoming classes are actually only available online. It unbelievable to think you can complete an entire class just from sitting on your bed on a laptop. But advances have allowed this to be possible and made it possible for students with kids and jobs to work around their own schedules. This technology has allowed so many more students to have an opportunity to get a degree, and will help me complete mine.
Weather you are a computer genius or unable to even turn one on, technology has made life easier for so many people around the world. I truly believe being technological savvy can improve your life and have positive affects. It has for me. And with endless possibilities for the future, I can only imagine what will come out next.
Work Cited:
Bolter, Jay David. Introduction from Writing Space. Page 7-8.
