My earliest memory of using a computer was when I was around four or five years old. Growing up I remember that the only computer we had in the house was a laptop that my dad used for his job. But I mostly used it for playing games. My favorite game was an old version of Wheel of Fortune. Even though my sister and I were too young to understand the strategy of the game, we still so thrilled to just to be playing with a new and innovated technology.
Looking back now I realize that the graphics were primitive, there were not many pictures but mostly text, and the program was extremely slow and on an old fashioned floppy disk. But that was all my family and I knew at the time. Computer technology at home was still in its early stages and improvements were constantly being made to home computers. As a child, I did not understand the changes being made and I am sure I would not have cared either. For me and my family, we were using it for entertainment.
As I dive further into my self-reflection, I realize that computers play a much bigger role in my life now than when I was young. From around the time I started high school, I was using computers on a regular basis. Because I was involved in a distant learning school that was located in Ann Arbor Michigan, I had to be comfortable with sending and receiving important information over the Internet. Many of the operations I had to perform were sending and receiving emails from my educational advisor, obtaining my high school transcript information, and logging in my hours I spent working. In addition to that, I was writing my reports, organizing projects and researching on the Internet. Since I was exposed to computers at such a young age and had grown up with the technology, I was able to adapt rather quickly to using the computer and the Internet in my everyday life. Before, I had only used it occasionally for entertainment but eventually I had learned to use both the computer and Internet daily.
Today, I feel that I use computer even more frequently. Now that the Internet is used constantly and for multiple reasons, I find myself opening my laptop more and more to check email, see if any of my friends are on Facebook, or read about what’s new in the world. Even though these new technologies are suppose to be more convenient and make our lives easier, I feel as though computers take up too much of my time. Even when I am watching TV, I sometimes become distracted and cannot help going online.
But I am not the only person that spends too much time on computers or devices. Every day, I watch people walk around with their cell phone attached to their ear or their thumbs constantly typing texts to friends. Despite the benefits of these new technologies, I believe that computers have also pushed humans further apart. No longer do you have to sit next to someone and have a conversation. Now you both can text one another on your phone or send instant messages online. People have accumulated thousands of friends on Facebook but how many of those so called “friends” could they really rely on?
As I take notice of these effects of technology, I realize that I do not want to be someone consumed by these electronic devices and computers. It is still important to have real human interaction and communicate with others face to face. I see the benefits and fully appreciate the advanced technology and all the conveniences it brings. But on the other hand, I want to be more aware of the time I spend on the computer and to not let it absorb all of my time. When I was first introduced to computers, it did not take over my life. Why would I want it to do so now?
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