Technology Autobiography

I believe that in the time that we are living technology is becoming essential.

The three most influential technologies as of this year are my cellphone, computer and television. (All Internet connected)

Smartphone

 Before I got a smartphone I use to think that a phone should only be used for its purpose, which was to make and receive phone calls, not to get online.

It wasn’t until one day I went to an afternoon class immediately after work. I got to class as usual and the professor didn’t show up, nearly 2/3rds of the class were absent as well so some of us decided to go to the computer lab to get access to an email.  It happened that the professor wrote to us last minute stating that we were to meet at the museum as opposed to class.

We were 1/3 of the class who were in disadvantage because we didn’t have access to the computer that day before class.

That’s when I realized I needed to get a smart phone.

When I finally got a smart phone everything became practical.

My cellphone wakes me up with its alarm clock, the weather forecast is accurate to the area code I am at.I can check emails, blackboard for school. I also browse through the Internet, and scan bar codes to identify convenient prices. I make local and international (Skype) phone calls, text, take pictures, record video, write notes and reminders, keep an agenda and even measure the length of a wall for a mural!

The cons of a smartphone are that it keeps me constantly multitasking between applications.  I seem to engage with more than one task throughout intervals of time and that gets carried over to real life as a sort of attention deficit.

For example when I am doing homework, I interrupt it because of a push notification I get from my email and before I am even done reading I receive a phone call and a text.

Bouncing from one activity to another disrupts my organizational skills.

Also when I send a text message and I have it on English but I am typing on Spanish the auto dictionary corrections will entirely change the wording of my texts so I need to constantly reassure to change the language settings.

In addition to wrong auto corrections, texts by themselves could be misinterpreted because each person has a different tone.

Computer:

I use my computer essentially to write papers, access my emails and browse information. I use social networks that make it easier for me to stay in touch with friends and family around the world. I also have the option to interact with them through Skype and lately FB.

I pay bills online and check statements which is to me much more convenient than getting and sending postal mail.

Negative influences:

It is distracting; I have more than one tab open at a time. I may be doing research on one topic and get driven to investigate something irrelevant until I realize I am wasting my time.

It is now very difficult for me to write a paper by hand, because on the computer I have the ability to edit my words, change the order of my phrases, etc.

There is a big chance of identity theft when exposing our life’s online and making purchases.

TV

I watch few shows on TV that I record on the Digital Video Recorder and watch them before I go to sleep.

It is entertaining. Provides information.

Problems

I use the TV for leisure only, and when I don’t record the shows I cant skip the commercials. Meaning I need to be brainwashed for almost 1/3 of the time that I watch TV.

Additionally some of the information provided on the news is not important as information that you could read on the computer, newspaper or radio (NPR news)

I agree with many of the aspects of technology that the young people talk about on the video of 
"Learning to Change, Change to Learn"

I agree that technology is a necessity for civilized people, unless you choose to have a sustainable lifestyle in a very remote place in the world.

Technology does help us become better learners; we could watch a documentary on TV/Computer/or smartphone and probably absorb more information in less time than reading a book.

When the teenager says, “I would say that experimenting with technology is what really makes it technology.” 

It wasn’t until more people started using smart phones that the cellphone companies started making it feasible to have packages of Internet, text and talk at affordable prices.

 I didn’t use to text 5 years ago as much as I do now because 5 years ago people did not text as much as they do now. It takes several people to make it work.

 One difference I can make is that I don't agree with getting a device attached to us as prosthetic or a microchip, we get closer and closer to that reality with new technologies like Google Glasses and I'm Watch.
I am neutral when people use slang or abbreviations when texting because language will eventually change.  Although,  No one is laughing out loud when they type LOL,  It is such a disassociation of meaning.

To conclude technology shapes us everyday, it is up to us to discern what do we want from it and what should we avoid.  We need to be selective and be aware that we are the ones that should control it and not be controlled by it. 
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I placed an image I found because I thought it was suitable to this topic.  For the ones that do not understand Spanish, it says is:

 Expectatives: Send my e-mails!-Take me to my friend's house!-Show me the news!-Send this picture!- and the cell says: Yes sir. 

Reality: Charge me!- Get me wifi, now!-New e-mail, read it!-Pick up the phone call!-465 updates,update! 
Person says: Yes sir.