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| Photo credit of CNET |
This a quote I pulled from a technology analyst in an article on CNET. He was commenting on the increased reliance on our phones and social media in the midst of COVID 19. While some of these major tech companies have faced financial losses, at the end of the day, we are all heavily relying on their products.
An event like COVID 19 is like an excuse to ignore the attachment I have to my phone. I remember the first time that an adult pointed out that I never let my phone out of my sight. I was in 7th grade, clutching my recently-gifted AT&T slide phone, and this old man at church made a passive aggressive comment about teenagers and their phones. I was annoyed, but it also made me immediately aware of how I always had my phone in my hand. Not my pocket or purse, but my hand.
Of course, I grew up a lot. And that brought maturity and self-control, but it also brought my first iPhone, my instagram account, my snapchat. I got an apple computer. I had multiple email accounts that I actually paid attention to.
My junior year, my English teacher offered a significant amount of extra credit if we went without technology for a week. Essential texts and phone calls only, and even that communication was limited to a certain amount of minutes each day. He thought that the experiment would make every kid realize that they're too addicted to their phones. My reflection essay was an argument on why going without technology had caused me to miss multiple events that I could've spent with my friends. We communicate over technology, and when I went without it, I missed parts of my life. His logic, I argued, was flawed. Because the world had changed, and I believed there could be technology in used moderation. I don't think he was happy with me, but I still got the extra credit.
I came to college and became the busiest I've ever been in my life. Being an involved student felt like a full-time job. There were professors and organizations and bosses and friends that I needed to answer to. And my email, my calendar, my phone, my texts were the only connection to them. I was (and sometimes still am) completely overwhelmed by my inbox and wiped out with dealing with people over technology. And I numbed that stress with social media, which only increased the time spent on my phone.
COVID-19 has upped my screen time, no doubt. It has for everyone, I would imagine. But now, my phone is the link to my friends. My laptop is my classroom. I can't un-rely on my technology.
Truly, I'm thankful for it. And my relationship with technology has come a long way in the last few years. Social media is something that brings me joy; staying in touch with my friends isn't an obligation or an addiction, it's a blessing. And while I can still admit that I give technology too much of my time, it doesn't change how I view it's vital role in my life and society. I don't think that technology is the enemy. I think that we are our own enemies. I think that we're sometimes obsessive or greedy or prideful or cruel or numb or careless. I think that we abuse this tool because we sometimes don't know or understand the right way to use it.
I think that at the end of the day, I'm better because of technology. And while twitter or instagram has misled me, or news sites have fed me unreliable information, I only come out of those situations with a stronger sense of truth; I'm quicker to spot a lie, and quicker to demand evidence to a claim.
To make a claim on the good of technology is too ambiguous. I can't truly say what my life would look like without it. I was born in '99 and I've literally watched the age of technology play out in front of me. I do think I've accepted it as part of my life, but I don't think it's a bad thing. Especially now, when my technology is what keeps me plugged in and engaged with the world.
And that's that on that.
