Effect of Technology Development
As someone raised in a society with the Internet and Web 2.0, I have found it interesting how technology and media have changed in general and affected my daily life. The introduction of Web 2.0 has brought about an increase in connectivity and understanding around the world. I can instantly communicate with someone around the world or search the Internet in seconds for any question.
I can see both points to the potential helpfulness and hurtfulness of technological advancements. The connectivity and understanding it promotes are only the tip of the iceberg. Digital technology and media have revolutionized the things we can learn and work we can do. With the click of a button, we can access information from around the world. This gives us the opportunity to learn and appreciate cultures and the events that take place. Creativity has also increased since we can share our own thoughts and works more easily both on social platforms like Tumblr and Facebook and writing platforms like Medium and Wattpad.
Technology and Personal Hobbies
The platform Pinterest has helped me cultivate my own hobbies, especially art. Although I have not personally taken advantage of this opportunity, there are opportunities to be compensated for your work on these sites. I enjoy painting, so Pinterest offers inspiration for much of my work with others’ pre-made boards and the opportunity to organize my own. Another hobby I enjoy is reading. Prior to my increased exposure to technology in middle school, I had exclusively read paper copies of books. I have since started to use online platforms to read now both for accessibility and ease. Recently, I purchased a subscription to Kindle Unlimited through Amazon, and I can now have access to thousands of books that I can read anywhere as long as I have a device with me. I still prefer to read on paper but it is just more efficient to read online.
For myself, I appreciate that digital technology provides the connectivity for relationships near and far to grow. I am able to text, call, or video call my family that lives states away rather than resorting to writing letters. As someone who grew up hours away from extended family, the ability to call our family members helped us to remain present in the lives of our family despite being separated.
Challenges From Digital Technology
Digital technology has also challenged me to adapt to the times and express myself in new ways. How I do schoolwork is one of the most present ways I have seen a change in my daily life. As a student, I have always learned better by using pen and paper. Yet I feel this expectation to use technology to take notes, keep track of assignments, look things up, and more. There is no doubt in my mind that technology is more efficient and has a larger variety of work that can be done with it, so I have grown to use technology more in my schoolwork. For most classes, I use my laptop to take notes and stay organized. It is an odd dichotomy to know what is best for you and the way you learn yet choosing to do what is easier and more efficient.
Digital media also challenges me to express myself in new ways. One of my classmates had brought up an interesting point earlier this week that emojis offer us a new way to express emotions through technology. In an increasingly digital world, I had found it difficult to express my emotions in words through technology, so when my iPhone released an update with emojis added to my keyboard, I was able to express emotion online. While some emojis are not universally clear on what they represent, they allow the user to communicate their emotions for the most part. They give us an outlet to express or explain emotions when we may struggle with putting them into words. This is helpful for digital users as well as people who struggle in general with expressing or explaining their emotions.
