Digital Essay

The Computer Age

            When I think about the world in which we live, I can’t help but wonder when technology took over. We now live in a world in which we have access to just about anything with the tap of a keyboard and the click of a mouse. We live in a time where you no longer need to make a phone call to communicate; all you have to do is tap a few keys on the phone and viola, text message sent. We live in a time in which many of us put our whole life online within these social media sites thinking our online world is protected via privacy settings; which aren’t as private as you may think. The world in which we live is ultimately consumed, maybe even addicted to the technology age. While I am guilty of indulging, there is a delicate balance needed so that it doesn’t consume you. 

            Having come from a time when owning a beeper was the coolest thing in the world, and owning a computer was a luxury, I now take guilty pleasure in living within the online world. I’ve had the pleasure of watching the world evolve into this technology beast. I remember very clearly sitting in my seventh grade computer class, many, many years ago, listening to my teacher lecture us on “computers are the way of the world and we had better pay attention if were to advance in an ever changing world.” Looking back at that statement, I now see it was clearly a very true statement.    

            I have two teenagers and of course they are very much involved with the available technology. They have cell phones, computers, tablets, iPods; all the things you would expect a teenager to have. When these items are in use, it’s as if they are in their own little cyber world. When family dinner went from eating together to eating at different times because they were too busy to come eat, that was when I realized things had to change. It is one thing to skip family dinner if you are working on a project and need to research the web or chat with a partner, but it is a completely different story when you’re skipping to “Facebook” or “twitter tweet.” 

            I feel as though the technology age has taken us away from quality time with friends and family. I realize that it is so much easier to send a text message when you’re busy and can’t make that call, or send an email because it’s easier to type than to write out a long letter, but isn’t texting and emailing a little impersonal? Wouldn’t it mean so much more to hear someone’s voice or receive a letter knowing that person took the time to write? I guess I’m old school that way.

            In the beginning of the technology age, then President Bill Clinton wanted to make computers and the internet easily accessible (Wilhelm). He understood the importance of the time. However, I don’t believe his intentions would focus on accessibility to social media sites! I believe he felt it was important for everyone, young and old, to be able to operate a computer. Given where technology has taken us, if you don’t know how to work a computer, you my friend are in trouble since almost everything is done online.

            Once one ventures online, they are easily sucked in to social media sites such as Facebook. I have to admit that when I first became involved with social media, I was absolutely addicted to it. I would be on the site all day, with the window minimized so the boss wouldn’t know. Scandalous, I know. But I just couldn’t help myself; it was as if I needed to know what was going on in everyone’s world. I would wake up in the morning and immediately check my Facebook, and it would be the last thing I did before bed. Looking back at it now, I think I may have been temporarily insane. I absolutely let it consume me. And there lies the problem, people get so wrapped up in the cyber world, they end up losing in the real world.

            I think computers make great learning devices and it truly is important for everyone to know how to operate one. But I also believe that there is a balance to be had. When one starts to become consumed by cyber world, it’s time to make changes. This is especially true in today’s youth.

            As the world changes, technology will continue to advance. It is very important to become knowledgeable where computers are concerned, but most importantly, don’t let computers consume your life. Take time to enjoy quality time with friends and family. 

Works Cited

Wilhem, Anthony. Digital Nation: Toward an Inclusive Information Society. Massachusetts: MIT Press, 2004.

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