Growing
up in technology: My Reaction
Just like practically everyone else in the world, my life
evolves technology everyday. I didn’t get to pick this time even though I really
wish I could’ve chosen the time I grew up in. I wish that I grew up in the 70’s
because that was the time my parents grew up. They always had the best stories
about their childhood. There was a lot less to worry about in the 70s, parents seemed more lenient with pretty much everything. My parents got away with
so much just because everyone believed in each other’s morals and standards.
Life seemed easy going and less congested by technology and its never ending
involvement in our lives today.
One of the things that bothers me the most about having a
constant connection to technology is my addiction to it. I know that might
sound crazy but I’m for sure addicted to technology. I honestly
couldn’t live without my phone and Ipod because they feel like they’re a part of
me. Without my phone I wouldn’t be able to keep constant contact with everyone,
and that would really bother me. Unlike me, my parents never had to worry about
that. If someone wanted to talk to you they could call you up or ride their
bike to your house and knock on your front door. Today anyone anywhere can get
a hold of you at anytime. It almost feels like I have a stalker sometimes
because I just can’t get away from the buzz of technology. Even though I say
this about technology I can’t let it go because I’ve grown up with it and I’m
accustomed to having it at all times. This is one thing that I really wish I
could change.
Though technology makes a lot of things easier it also
hinders the success of many. It’s mainly a huge distraction when I have work to do. There’s countless times when I can recall having a paper due, but I was
on Facebook instead of typing my paper. Without these distractions I’m sure I
would’ve saved myself a lot stress from procrastination. Also there’s been many
times where my mom has asked me to do something for her, but instead of doing
them for her I was too busy texting people. In a lot of ways technology
actually hurts me more than it helps me. Technology has also complicated a lot
of relationships I’ve had with my friends and boys. It’s hard to express your
true feelings through texting or instant messaging because you don’t have your
emotions to back you up. Many times I have run into problems with other’s not
understanding what I was trying to tell them through text and things have gone
wrong because of it. Even though this is a problem I mainly think that my
social skills have suffered from hiding behind technology when I communicate
people. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still very social, but I do believe I’m shy
because of my lack of social experiences due to technology. Although technology
can become a distraction in my life I still do think it brings many positive
effects to the table.
Without technology a lot of things wouldn’t be possible
in my life. When I have my phone with me its gives me a sense of safeness
because I know I can always get a hold of someone if I need help. Last year I
learned the importance of cell phones when I got into a car accident with my
friend. It was at the end of August about two summers ago. We were going to
band practice after stopping at Chipotle for dinner. We were about to get onto
an exit in Robinson when someone crashed into the back passenger side corner of
my friend’s car. The side air bag went off on my side and all I can remember is
the sound of the air bag. It sounded like a gun had gone off. Unfortunately
when it went off it hit my arm and caused some scratches. Nothing too terrible
though. After the wreck, I was seriously hysterical and had no idea
what to do. The first thing we did was call our mom’s. My mom was able to calm
me down and assure me that everything was alright. Without my phone that day I
don’t know what might’ve happened and I’m glad I had that resource.
In the end I’m not able to change the fact that I grew up
in an age of technology, but ultimately I can control the way I use it. My
senior project has taught me a lot about technology and how it helps us and
hurts us. Hopefully in the future the world will be able to make more progress
using technology and it’s many applications.
