Final Blog

        Technology, it seems, is just a way of life these days. Through the investigations that we have done in this class and the reflection I have done on my technology use for this final blog, I have begun to examine my own relationship with technology and the role that it plays in my life. In doing so, I have come to the realization that I have what is considered by many to be an unhealthy relationship with this modern-day “beast” as I will call it.  I find myself completely dependent on various types of electronics just to get through my day.  It is the alarm clock on my cell phone that wakes me up every day, and an app called “Calm” on my cell phone that helps me go to sleep every night. In between those times, I am completely reliant on my cell phone. If the battery dies, I am restricted to the area in which my charger will reach until the battery is replenished. If I am using my GPS for directions and I lose signal, I find myself stranded.  Growing accustomed to having directions spoken to you is a real problem when this happens because a map cannot speak. 

        With the inundation of technology comes a lack of privacy in our world. Unbeknownst to many, everyone has a presence on social media. To explore what one’s personal digital footprint looks like, all that is necessary is to type a

name into Google and see what comes up. Luckily, when I Googled my own name, it was my LinkedIn Profile that came up first. The only other thing that came up that actually belonged to me is my Instagram.  I did discover, however, that there are many other people that share my name.  While I was happy to see that there was no negative presence associated with my name, I wish there were a way to have who I am be represented more accurately instead of being confused with others by the same name.

 The world we live in today is so different than it was even 100 years ago. Today just about everything is available if searched for, and while there are downsides to this, I believe that overall this availability of information is increasing our intelligence as human beings. As a part of Gen Z, born in 2001, I have never known a world that did not have such readily available technology, and I have observed that the younger the members of my family, the more technologically inclined they seem to be. The biggest advantage I see of this is that distance is insignificant when it comes to our ability to be in communication, and communication is instantaneous. 

        Of course, there is also a dark side to all of this technological ease. Many people choose to utilize technology to take actions that they don’t necessarily want to have to deal with.  A great example of this is when people use texting or emails to end a relationship - which is something I myself have experienced before. In addition, people

will sometimes also act as if things they say and do on “social media” aren’t real and may find themselves in “virtual” relationship situations that they may have not even intended to create - oftentimes when they are actually in a relationship, so “cheating” takes on a whole new light.  Unfortunately, this is also one of the dark sides that I have personal experience with. However, probably the most significant dark side for myself and other young women my age is the never-ending exposure to unrealistic beauty standards that distort our own relationships with our bodies and create what is now referred to as body dysmorphia, something I have struggled with growing up as a young woman in our modern world.

        Overall, I would say that the benefits of technology and social media outweigh the negatives. It is crucial that guidance be provided for young people as they discover this world so that they are able to stay grounded in reality instead of floating around a world of make-believe.