I used to see Technology as something
I wanted to use as little as possible. But recently, technology has developed
into a bigger piece of my life. A few months ago, I exchanged my simple, key
board phone, appropriate for texting and calling, for a Smartphone. Constant questioning
and pressure from my friends also influenced me to make a Facebook account. These
two additions of technology in my life seemed miniscule at first, however
overtime they began to influence my everyday routine tremendously. Checking Facebook
and texting my friends has now become a daily routine. Even when I go to school
and talk to my friends, I sometimes go home and text them the same day for
hours at a time. Before I got a phone, if someone told me he or she texted their
friends all the time after school, I would have wondered, is there really that
much to talk about? However, anyone with a phone would probably agree, there really is that much to talk about.
Similar to most people who own a Smartphone,
I have also experienced the extreme time commitment that accompanies technology.
In the video called Bendito Machine,
the addictive qualities of technology develop quickly within the seemingly tribal
and culturally centered community. As the people realize the different uses of
the Bendito Machine for exercise, entertainment, and knowledge, more and more
people begin to utilize the new technology. Both large and small aspects of
their lifestyle begin to change, including the way they dress and spend their
time. Similar to the Bendito machine, my Smartphone has become a main source of
entertainment, and communication.
I did not realize how much time I
spend using my phone until it broke a few days ago. During those three,
unfortunate and endless days when I lived without a Smartphone, I realized how
many hours were actually in a day, when I wasn’t looking at my phone ten times
every hour. It seemed to be a revelation to me: when I don’t have my phone next
to me, homework takes less time.
Although technology consumes a lot of
my time, I don’t know if phones should be considered a bad thing. Technology
seems to serve as a distraction and time
waster, or at least that’s what a lot of grownups tell me, however I believe it
has not added anything extra to people’s lives. Technology simply gives people different
ways to do what they naturally want to do. Humans have a desire to communicate,
listen and tell stories to each other, and Face book, Smartphones and other
technology have created an easily accessible way to talk to friends and family.
Communicating is a natural, human characteristic. Although technology has
altered the way people talk to each other, it has not necessarily added new
concepts to the human lifestyle. Technology makes natural human activities more
accessible and it enhances the human desire to play games, and look at other people’s
lives.
Smartphones have an addictive quality to humans
because they make human activities easy to access. People do not have to travel
somewhere to see friends, meet new people, or do fun activities. Simply sitting
on a couch and clicking a few buttons provides communication and feeds the human
desire to be constantly entertained.
Although when I broke my phone, I suddenly
had more time to do school work and other fun things like that, I still had the
desire to communicate with people. Without my phone, I felt sort of lonely as I
did not have an instant source of entertainment or a constant way to talk with
people. However, during those three days I simply learned to ignore the empty
feeling. I think phones have made people realize and develop their natural lust
for communication and fun activities. Although some may argue technology gives
people a way to waste their time, I believe technology gives people a way to
simply be human.
Mary- First of all, technology enabled me to read your blog as I used the magnifier function of Windows7. Could you use a larger font or size in the future? You closely observe your own shift in phone usage and decide that it both distracts and facilitates. Your SomEcard dismisses the media fast idea quite simply. Your thoughts go beyond that, however. I am struck by the image of you on the couch, however, opposed to the description of you going somewhere and doing something with friends. It seems there's a sort of loss there, although it doesn't feel like one somehow. Does a phone replace one kind of contact for more of another kind of contact? Any outside articles/links that might support this post?
ReplyDeleteHey Mary, your blog post reminds me about how I've been told by people from older generations that we've become more antisocial. But I like how you wrote that it gives us a way to become human because it's become easier to communicate with other people. Your image gave me a good laugh but I like that it also ties into the conclusion that technology isn't always a bad thing. It's a lot harder for the day to go on without a smartphone, that I know from experience, but what did you do during the time that you didn't have your phone? Did you do anything that didn't use technology or did you use computers and such to check your mail and Facebook?
ReplyDelete