Observation and Reflection

To say I'm addicted to technology, and more specifically the internet would not be an overstatement.  I Like to justify that the reason I use it so much is because there is nothing better to do, however deep down I know that is not the case.  I wake up in the morning, shower then immediately log on to the computer, and on a normal non school day that is where I spend a majority of my time.  However on days where I am out of the house, it differs.  There are three things I never leave behind when I leave the house, for any reason: My wallet, My phone, and my PS Vita.  My wallet and Phone are pretty self explanatory, but when it comes to the third item, my PSV it requires a little more elaboration.  It is a handheld gaming device that acts as a gaming console, a music and video player, and a small computer that is capable of taking pictures and using Skype and Google   Throughout a normal day at AWC, I really only use the PSV in between classes, however occasionally when I do find myself unusually tired and unable to pay attention I do find myself using it in places where I shouldn't.  My phone however I mainly use as a watch and only rarely as a means of communication.  I use to keep track of time in between classes and to contact my ride if they're running late.   At the end of the day, or during a day without school 9 times out of 10 I will be on the computer either browsing the internet or playing games with my friends via skype. I definitely spend way more time on the computer than I should, however without it their are not many alternatives in a town like this.  All my friends are out of state and every book I own has already been read at least 10 times. On Thursday the 29th of November I kept track of all the time I spent on the phone or computer, and the results were not all that surprising.  I kept my phone with me at all times, and used it 12 times that day, 9 of those to check the time(patience is not one of my strong points) and 3 of those to make or receive calls.  I spent about 10 hours on the computer(Got home at around 5 PM and goofed off til midnight when my WoW raid started. Raided for 3.5~hours then went to bed).  The results were sad, but not all that unexpected. Hopefully when I move in with some friends come January I will have better alternative things to do with my time.

                                                                       Taken from the web

                                             Guide showing a fight on WoW(Youtube)

Observation 1

As mentioned in my last post, technology can easily be a distraction, not just to yourself but to others as well. In my last class of the day, art history there is a girl who sits next to me, and 3 guys who sit directly in front of me.  They all constantly get text's throughout the entire period of the class.  It's not loud enough so that the instructor at the front of the room could hear, but definitely distracting nonetheless.  There isn't more than 3 minutes between each message; constantly there is a phone vibrating and constantly they stop paying attention to the lecture(assuming they were paying attention before) to check and reply to their newly received message.  I counted over 24 times JUST from the girl next to me during class, was probably closer to 30 except I was actually paying attention to the lecture and may have missed a few.  The teacher probably noticed a few of them, but realized the futility of asking them to stop.

                                                  Image taken from the internet, not by me
                                               .

  While that class wasn't the only one that had students not paying attention, it definitely was the worst.  In Logic there is an occasional vibrate and the rare song that is accompanied by the quiet swear under the breath as they realize that they forgot to turn their phone to vibrate.  Fortunately it's a rare exception as the the teacher scares most of us, myself included. Sometimes I just wish people would grow up and learn some respect, unfortunately it would seem as though my request falls on mainly deaf ears.

              Taken from Youtube, thankfully it seems to be fake and the student volunteered to set an example.

Interview # 1

     Many people have strong feelings about technology, but some have it stronger than others. I interviewed my friend Ryan who shares a class with me, he feels as though technology, mainly the internet is the greatest thing ever.  Ryan, like me grew up surrounded by technology, he uses it on an hourly basis to check his emails and texts, often during class. I asked him where he thought he would be without the internet, and he surprised me with his answer.  He answered with "probably in a way better place than I am now." This answer at first confused me, because I thought I could predict what he was going to say. I asked him to elaborate and he said "the internet make's things easier, but it also complicates things." Not one to particularly enjoy the old man habit of answering vaguely or in riddles, I asked again, this time he laid it out in layman's terms. "It makes it simple to gather information, but that in itself is a problem, now no secrets can be kept from anyone. Someone can post something supposedly secretive on a site like Facebook and completely ruin someone else's life." I asked him if he was willing to share specifics but he politely refused, but he did continue to another point. "It also makes entertainment too easy to get. My parents and grandparents were able to make it through school and college without it, and they claimed I would have it easier.  I actually think they had it much easier. With video's and games a mere whim away, it is extremely hard to resist that temptation and actually read the assigned reading." He then went on to say that he barely managed to pass his english class in high school due to goofing around when he should have been reading Shakespeare. He said he likes the internet, but he feels like its making him lose more than he is gaining.

                        Sparknotes, the hero to procrastinators everywhere. Taken from the web

                                  How to avoid distractions on the internet. Taken from Youtube.

Technology, Good or Bad?

     Technology, like any other great thing has its downsides.  We are becoming dependent on it for every little thing.  Past generations could solve complicated math problems and read amazing novels by themselves, without the aid of any piece of technology. Compare that to us, who use calculators every chance we can for problems that they could have done by hand. Teachers back then used to be able to assign any long novel for a report or assignment, now many student's simply read summaries and spark notes online.  Dependency isn't the only problem technology presents, it also provides cheap and easy distractions to steal our attention away.  Look in any major university's classroom, guaranteed you will find student's fiddling with their phones, playing games, or watching video's on YouTube. Most young adults can't seem to go for more than an hour without checking their texts or email, imagine having to send a letter and waiting days or even weeks for a reply. Technology is also causing us to be separated from those around us, look in a school cafeteria and you will see people "eating" with each other, when in actuality they are all on their phones or computer holding conversations with people not even remotely close.  Of course these are all real concerns that go along with technology, but does this mean that we should stop using it?  Are we losing more than we are gaining?  The answer is clear, no we are not.  Compared to the good that comes with it, like being able to Skype with people halfway across the planet instantly, or new medical advances curing people who just 20 years ago may not have quality of life.  So while the good does outweigh the bad, we should definitely be mindful that the side effects are always there.

Introductions are Needed.

Hello! Thank you for visiting my blog.  My name is Devlin, I am an 18 year old living in Yuma, Arizona.  I am currently attending Arizona Western College and I am aiming for a teaching degree. Technology is something that has constantly surrounded me and captivated my interest since I was born. I grew up watching television, making sure to rush straight home after school to catch my favorite programs. Slowly the object of my interest shifted from TV to video games, I simply had to have all the newest ones as soon as they came out. Now, like most teenagers my focus has turned to computers and cell phones. I am never far from my phone or computer, and I begin to feel cut off if I go for more than a few hours without checking them. In my time on the internet, I honestly feel like I learned more via Google and Wikipedia  then I have throughout all four years of high school. I have met people from all over the world, and have learned many things about several different cultures, such as foods and bits and pieces of several languages. My closest friends are actually people I met over the internet, and although they live more than 20 hours away, I still spend more time with them on Skype, than I do with my friends down here. The connections I have forged, and the information I have gained has had a huge effect on my growth and development, and without technology I would be a profoundly different person than I am now, for better or for worse I do not know, but I do know it would have been a lot less fun.