Technology and You

Technology is always advancing. Whether we like it or not, technology is constantly progressing. To some it is scary and misunderstood, but to others it is greatly accepted and loved. People of an older generation tend to by skeptical of our newest technologies. They disapprove of the obsession with technology that has is consuming our generation. However, people in today’s society may argue that it is not an obsession, but an adaptation. The new technologies around us are just a new way of living, and to keep up with the world we must keep up with the technology. Technology has become more and more interactive throughout the years. It is not just talking on the phone or watching television anymore. It has evolved to video chatting, people finders, and games that allow you to choose your own path. We have come to a crossroads with technology where we are always left wanting more. As Janet Murray stated in her introduction to Hamlet on the Holodeck, “[we] take the powerful sensory presence and participatory formats of digital media for granted. [We] are impatient to see what is next.” As a person who has grown up around technology I have to agree with her. Technology has become such a prominent aspect of my life, as well as others, that we do not even realize that we take it for granted. We do not realize the impact that technology has had on our lives. If it were to be taken away from us we would be lost. We would be stuck; we would be forced to slow down. With the lack of technology we would have to take the time to read full-length stories rather than reading online summaries. We would have to read books that have a designated beginning, middle, and end rather than reading online stories such as The Museum, which allows the reader to click on hyper links and choose the path of the story they are reading. The speed that is correlated with technology and how we are learning is not necessarily bad, however. Although technology catalyzes our rate of working and desire for continuation or answers, it does not make us less intellectual. Technology is an endless database of information. Technology, specifically the Internet, provides us with information from all over the world. The world is literally at our fingertips when we are on the World Wide Web. In Nicholas Carr’s “Is Google Making Us Stupid” he discusses how the Internet has been a huge help with research and writing. With the simple click of a finger one can have access to a plethora of articles, blogs, journals, and research. The Internet is essentially an extension of different peoples minds. People post their knowledge on the Internet, making it available for everyone. This extends facts, ideas, and opinions to others sparking new thoughts in those who read those texts. All in all, technology has had a heavy impact on our society. Where would we be without it? Would we be more intellectual without it?