Technology Autobiography

Our generation is unique in the way we have been expose to new technologies. We are at the age where we still remember bulky cell phones. We remember dial-up Internet. We weren’t born into a world with all this technology at our disposable. It evolved in our lifetime. We saw the advent of camera phones and colored screens and texting, as well as phones that carried the Internet and MySpace. We experienced the thrill of being able to access Facebook from our LG enV phone. Every aspect of our lives has now changed to cater to this new age of technology.

The third most important piece of technology in my life is my computer. We had a Mac when I was growing up that I used to play games on. It wasn’t until fifth grade when we started using the computer for projects and assignments. It was so novel, so exciting to be able to take a break from pencil and paper. Now, typing up assignments is required for almost every assignment in school, even small ones. My computer is essential to my academic success. It has everything I need for class and enables me to complete my work.  One of the most important negative aspects of the computer is your health. It’s bad for your eyes to be looking at the screen too long. Also, most people do not practice proper posture and wrist positioning, which can cause pain.

The second most important piece of technology in my life is the Internet. It became most important to me when AIM and MySpace became popular, but it is now important to me in regards to my academic career. Online journals and newspapers archives have become very important to my major and me. Online library catalogues are also very helpful because I can browse the catalogue from home and then go to the library with a list of call numbers for the books I need. This has made writing papers and doing research much easier than it used to be. The downside to this is how easy it is to put information out on the Internet. This means that not everything you read on the Internet is true or verified. This is why Wikipedia causes so many problems in schools. As we grow up and use the Internet more and more, it becomes easier to tell what information is reliable. However, younger students may not and it can cause a problem for them in the future.

The most important piece of technology in my life is my smartphone. I truly use it for everything. I check my Facebook, twitter, and email exclusively on my phone. I rarely use the computer for doing that. I also use my phone as a camera, music player, nutrition tracker, alarm clock, weather checker, bank record, GPS, and much more.  I literally have the world at my fingertips. The downside to this is the anxiety of always needing my phone right there. I rarely ever actually use my phone in class, but I always want to have it right on my desk. In other cases it is a distraction and keeps me from schoolwork (usually readings).  

These three technologies have definitely changed the way in which I learn new information. My smartphone has changed the speed in which I am now accustomed to getting my information. Four years ago I would have had to wait to check my email until I got home, but now I can check it every ten minutes. I can also get news updates from my twitter. The Internet has changed the mode in which I receive new information. Instead of getting information from textbooks, I can get it online. I have a larger database to browse through while doing research. And the computer had made new information accessible and all in one place.

Much of what was said in the video holds true for me and my three technologies. The first student in the film says that technology is convenient, no matter what you are using it for. This is very true for me, and it is represented in my smartphone. It is no doubt convenient, and I use it for academia and leisure.. A few people in the clip mention using technology for gaming and programing and creating websites. This is definitely something that I cannot relate to. For some people it is a part of their life, but I would never include those as essential technologies for me.