My Relationship with Technology

I believe that my relationship with social media is both healthy and unhealthy. The relationship is positive in a sense because technology has evolved into our modern pen and paper. All assignments are online based and teachers no longer require hard copy assignments. This is especially prominent today as the majority of teachers have stopped asking for hard copy submissions as an attempt to decrease the transmission of COVID-19. Even textbooks are becoming more online-based. Every time I am buying a textbook, I always get the e-book as well. Using online textbooks has allowed me to use features such as highlighting, adding comments, and even bookmarking the page I am on. Software like this is extremely convenient when studying and I no longer have to lug around a heavy textbook, or run the risk of losing it. I have even spent a lot of the semester chatting with the online librarian. Even though the library is probably only twenty steps from my dorm, I prefer the option of using online resources. The chatting system makes it so that I can ask the librarian about formatting issues for my papers, and the librarian will even help me find sources for my paper when I need help. In this aspect, I can get my work done efficiently. Nonetheless, I spend several hours of the day staring at my computer screen to complete assignments, find sources on the web, and read course materials. I think that because I am using technology for educational purposes, I have somewhat of a positive relationship with it. However, sometimes I tend to take advantage of resources like google and the online librarian. If I am feeling lazy or if I am just in a rush to complete an assignment, I may use these tools as shortcuts. For example, if I do not feel like finding a source, I could easily ask the librarian and he or she would find it for me. Another example would be that if I had a lengthy reading assignment that I did not feel like doing, I could easily use google to find out what the book or article is about. Therefore, technology makes it really simple to cut corners and I may not always be learning to the full extent that I could. 

In contrast, my relationship with technology is also negative; specifically my connection with my phone. Similarly to most teens, I spend entirely too much time on the social media apps on my iphone. When I go to lunch with my friends, a lot of the time we are on our phones instead of actually engaging in conversation with one another. Additionally, there have been multiple instances where my parents have conducted sit down talks with me about how I am constantly on social media throughout the day. They have pointed out that because I am on my phone so frequently, I am not as conscious of my surroundings as I should be. They have also told me that I need to be more present and focused on maintaining relationships in person. Of course, I realize that they are probably right but I am not willing to limit my usage of social media at this time. Social media also can serve as a distraction. When I am doing my homework, I will take a "mental break" by going on my phone for "only" five minutes; before I know it, I have been on Tik Tok for an additional thirty minutes than I originally intended. This just goes to show how consuming technology can be of a persons time and attention. Below I have incorporated a visual of my how many hours I spent on my phone throughout the month of April. My weekly average levels out to about six and half hours. If you take a closer look, you can see how I allocated my time. The apps that I am on most often are all social media apps including Snapchat, Instagram, and Tik Tok. When I compared my screen time with my roommates, I found that their averages exceeded mine by an hour or two. Moreover, my generation wastes a tremendous amount of time on their phones which can negatively impact relationships and distract people from important school assignments.

What is your digital footprint like? Unfortunately, my digital footprint is so easy to find as my name is so unique. Not only is my name uncommon, my mother also changed the spelling from 'Thais" to "Taiz." Therefore, it is even easier to distinguish my name from others with the same name. I recently googled myself and found a few concerns in the results (taiz barata). I discovered that my voting records indicate my address and party affiliation. It is extremely discomforting to know that anyone could easily find my address and could simply show up at my house or send unwanted mail. Also, I witnessed many relationships come to an end due to conflicting political views; my stance is my own opinion and I do not want my private thoughts to be public knowledge. Luckily, I am shown as unaffiliated so this decreases the chance that I will be judged for my viewpoints. I think that this kind of information should not be on the web as it could be a danger to me and my family. On the other hand, all of the accomplishments that are listed below my name show me in a good light and could be an advantage if employers were to search me on google.

Social media has become a huge time suck for me and many others my age, and one's digital footprint can reveal personal information that they may not have wanted known otherwise. It is important to recognize that although technological advances have made everyday tasks easier, there are still negative effect associated with every new creation.