Reflect upon how these technologies have shaped your own life for better and for worse:
The first communication technology I chose was the cell phone. In the video, one girl claims that her cell phone has become her third hand because she is always using it. This is how I am as well. My cell phone is always around me, especially since I have an Iphone, which is capable of helping me navigate somewhere, has access to the internet, music, and I can communicate with friends and family. These aspects of the Iphone have positively affected my life since everything has become more convenient. I am always able to stay in touch with family and friends through phone calls and texting. Even though my cell phone is very important to me it has affected me negatively in some ways. Some times I am on my cell phone too much, making me procrastinate with school work. Constantly texting has also affected me negatively since talking to people in person or on the phone has been limited and communicating has become more difficult due to texting. The positive aspects of the cell phone definitely outweigh the negatives since it is such a major part of my life and how I communicate.
The second most influential communication technology I chose was the computer. The computer is capable of so many things that help me with daily tasks, especially school work. I have access to so much information for school that I would not have without the computer and the internet. Not only does it allow you to find so much information, but it is easy and convenient to get this information. Also, the computer and its access to the internet has made social media a very important aspect of people's lives today, including myself. I have a Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and without the computer I would not have as much access to them as I do. The computer has affected me negatively because I get distracted very easily by the social media that my computer gives me access to, which has made me into a procrastinator, affecting my school work.
The last influential communication technology I chose was email. Email has made communicating with professors and people I associate with at school so much easier. When I need help with an assignment, have questions about things, or need to address something, I can email my professors easily and usually get a response back quickly and efficiently. Without email, it would be very difficult to get in touch with certain people if I do not have access to their telephone number. Another benefit I get from email is the emails i receive. These emails notify me of bills I have to pay or important announcements that I need to see. Email has affected me negatively in terms of communicating with people in person. Like texting, email has become a way for people to communicate but without conversing in person, altering people's abilities to communicate face to face. I find myself having this sort of problems in some occasions since I am so used to emailing or texting to communicate.
- How, if at all, have any of the three technologies impacted the ways in which you learn new information?
The computer has definitely impacted the way I learn new information. The amount of information the computer is capable of processing has enhanced my learning experiences because I am able to find almost any kind of information possible. Rather than going to a dictionary to learn the definition of a word or going to an encyclopedia to find out certain information, I can easily type in key words into a search engine and tons of options are provided. Also, when I have to type up information for a paper, spell check on Microsoft word has made it very easy to make a spelling or grammar mistake and not even know you have done it. This helps me because the editing process does not take much effort anymore since spell check usually catches mistakes right away. This does affect the way I am learning negatively because now I am not aware of when I am making these mistakes so I do not learn how to fix it. I have noticed that when I am writing a paper, I really rely on spell check to fix spelling and grammar mistakes. I will still use the computer as a way to learn new information despite some of the negative aspects it comes with.
- What are the similarities and differences between your uses of those 3 most influential technologies as compared to the uses of technologies among the young people in this video?
The similarities between my uses of technology and the people in the video revolve mostly around the cell phone and computer. One girl in the video explains that her cell phone has become like a third hand. I can definitely relate to this since I am always using my cell phone and if I am not it is still near me at all times. I do think of the cell phone as a necessity like the young people in the video because this is how I stay in contact with everyone I need to, but also how I use social media, and email. A lot of what the computer does, my Iphone can now do, so I always rely on it for access to information and communicating. Another similarity with the young people of the video is how they kept explaining the convenience of technology like the computer and cell phone. I think this is why I rely on these things so much because it so convenient to find information or to communicate with someone quickly through texting or email. Another similarity is when some of the young people describe technology as a form of entertainment whether it be gaming or music. I can not relate on the gaming level, but I can relate to the music. The only way I have access to the music I prefer is on the internet since the radio does not play what I enjoy. The gaming, music production and music making are the differences I found between my experiences with technology and theirs. I do not use gaming systems or play games on the computer. I also have never produced music or made music by using technology. Between my experiences with technology and the experiences of the young people in the video, it is very apparent that technology has become the number one resource we use to communicate.
