FINAL BLOG POST

My Relationship With Technology

Technology is nearly found on every corner of the world. From the self check out station at your local grocery store to the LED lights in your college dorm, technology has become an integral part of our everyday lives. It is so much apart of our lives that we basically can't live without it, and why would we. It makes our lives easier, more effective, more convenient, and solves many of our problems we see today. 

Examples of common technology that we use everyday:

• Computers 💻
• Gaming Consoles 🎮
• Amazon Alexa 👩
• Wifi 📶
• Smart Phones 📱
• Apple Watches ⌚
• Cars 🚙
• TV's 📺
• Radios 📻
• GPS 🗺
• Mobile Ordering 📞

Predictably, with any advantage that comes with a piece of technology, there is an unforeseen disadvantage that goes in hand with it. In other words, every upside that comes with technological advancement has its own downsides or unintended consequences. I mean it makes sense when you think about it... 

Social Media

Social Media is a very relevant topic today. We are exposed to it and use it all the time whether it's to keep up with our friends, share moments of our personal lives, or to just watch and be entertained by others. However, it isn't all sunshine and rainbows. Social media has made way for a new form of bullying, one that takes place online now, cyberbullying. Before social media no one had even thought of this term. With this has brought increasing rates of depression and suicide in teens and young adults. It's not hard to see why, teens and young adults are constantly subjected to peer pressure, fear of missing out, unrealistic body standards, keeping track of followers, and much more that is detrimental to their health and well being. These are just some of the unintended consequences of social media.

Internet

The main unintended consequence of the internet is the decrease of personal privacy and security. Part of the problem is how companies use the personal information you give them like your name, your birthday, where you live, etc.. They end up taking all this information and selling it to 3rd parties for their own benefit. The internet also brought forth "tracking cookies" which are configured to collect personal information by profiling user's online behavior to market ads back to you based on what you search and look up. This is obviously a privacy issue because everything you do online is watched by others even if you aren't aware of it.

These two videos show the "dark side" of technological advancement that we may not always think about or notice...

Technology and I

Overall I would say my personal relationship with technology falters back and forth between healthy and unhealthy. Healthy because I use technology in a positive way which benefits me. For example, I use my computer to type up papers for my classes or to watch Youtube videos on course material to better learn subjects. If used right and appropriately, the technology around us can make our lives more efficient and easier. However, I will admit that my relationship with technology isn't always perfect. There are some instances where technology actually hinders my focus and takes up too much time in my life. A big example of this would be my phone. If you know me then you know wherever I am my phone isn't too far away. I always keep my phone on me wherever I go no matter what I am doing which doesn't help when it comes to homework. There will literally be days that I don't get all my work done because I am too busy just browsing Instagram or TikTok and I just can't stop, it is too addicting. It's in instances like this that I find technology and I have an unhealthy bond. 

Technology that positively impacts my life...

Mental Health Apps

Meditation and wellness apps have become a staple in my life. They help me handle the stress of every day life. It makes me feel like I am able to take a step back and breathe for a second before I hop back into the groove of things. With these apps, I receive the proper tools, activities, encouragement, and support I need to boost productivity and my overall emotional well being. My personal favorite app to use is Calm. Calm is a meditation, sleep, and relaxation app that uses audio content to help individuals strengthen mental fitness as well as tackle stress, anxiety, insomnia, and depression. 

FaceTime/Text Message

This form of communication has been especially useful during the pandemic because it allows me to stay in touch and close with my friends and family. When I was stuck at home during lockdown, FaceTime and text messaging made it feel like I was still connected to the world around me. I talked to my friends daily and it made it feel like we weren't states away. FaceTime has also made it very easy to stay in touch with my distant family like my grandparents because they live in Indiana while I live in North Carolina. Just recently I was FaceTiming with them during Thanksgivivng staying hi to all my cousins and aunts and uncles because we couldn't make the trip up to see them. Using these tools of communication has definitely made socializing and staying connected easier in my life.

Cars

Let me just start by saying I don't know what I would do without my car. My car provides me with a means of transportation. I am able to go wherever I want whenever I want. It makes my life easier because I don't have to rely on others to get somewhere. Like in high school for example, if I ever wanted to go hang out with friends or get food my mom would always have to drop me off, pick me up, or take me. Now with my own car I can do it all on my own. It is definitely more convenient. 

Technology that negatively impacts my life...

Phones and Laptops

Now don't get me wrong these things are great, they are but they do hinder my ability to be more social and take part in face-to-face encounters. Maybe some of you can agree but I feel like now a days the main majority of my communication is done online and not in person. For example, whenever I'm at the car wash waiting for my car to be done I just sit there next to people and get on my phone until I'm done. I would rather do this than spark up a conversation to the person sitting right next to me. I just find it in easier in situations to occupy myself with technology rather than communicate in person with others. This obviously hurts my ability to read body language and develop key social skills like dealing and communicating with others.

Internet

Again this is another useful tool when used correctly but for me it seems to be more and more of a source of quick googling for an answer without actually comprehending the actual material. The internet can be a great tool for learning but it becomes unhealthy like for me when you overuse it or rely too heavily on it to get through your assignments. I will admit I am guilty to sometimes looking up homework answers for a worksheet just because I didn't want to put the time into doing it. However, this later comes back to bite me when it comes to test time and I failed to learn the material so it is more of a struggle for me.