Final Blog Post

 Technology has always been a part of my life. When I was growing up we had an office in my house that my siblings and I called, “The computer room” All we noticed on the desk was a big desktop mac book that we would play with constantly growing up. I got my technology at a very young age. I specifically remember getting an iPad for my 11th birthday. My school also required every student to have their own laptop starting in the summer before the start of 6th grade, the first year of middle school for me. Sure, I had parental controls and whatnot but by the time I was in Middle school I had my own iPhone and my own computer, which is rare for most people and I am very thankful to be fortunate enough to experience that. I think that technology has caused many more positives than negatives in my life. I learned how to use all of the important platforms when I was very young as well as learning how to effectively type and learn how a computer works, which has been very helpful for me along the way in my education. However, I think that technology leaves a negative impression on a lot of people growing up, kids keep getting more and more advanced technology at a younger and younger age every year. I think growing up technology can be very useful but one of the things I am against for children is social media.

    I am lucky enough to have never experienced this but I think that social media gives a negative representation of what you should look like and what your body should look like. Social media is one of the main causes of depression and anxiety in teenagers and below. They see models all over Instagram and TikTok and expect that's what they are supposed to look like which I completely disagree with. I will say however, social media is a very helpful tool for people when they get to the age of how to do it. I myself, and a social media and digital communication major so that is all I study and all that I use. Marketing is headed in that direction and it wouldn't have gotten to that point without technology in the first place and where it has taken us.  

    Technology has always been useful for me and a good way to get quick and easy news and updates on all things current events, However, sometimes what you see is not always true. I have had to learn this a few times by believing fake news stories I see on social media Mitch is dangerous for young people to have access to. If fake news gets in front of the wrong audience then it can have a negative spiral effect on generations that will not be good for our community. There are many ways to get around these problems. You just have to be careful with what you believe when you read it online. 

I believe that all my peers spend roughly the same amount of time on their phones and computers looking at social media, some more than others. I am guilty of spending a ridiculous amount of time on social media on my time off. While I know I can use my time in a much better manner I have a bad habit of aimlessly scrolling through my phone for hours on end in between classes. I know this is something that I have to fix and it really is an addiction that I need to work hard to break. 

I looked myself up on Google and the only things that come up are some of my high school athletic achievements and my LinkedIn. I consider this to be a good thing for me. While I do not have that good of an online presence I know that people can find me for what I want them to rather than see some stuff that I wouldn't want out in public. I have a very good look I think to future employers in an online sense and I consider that a real strength of mine. While I use social media a lot I do not tend to post much on any platform,  I rarely even post on Instagram. I am more focused on the outdoors. 

I believe there are lots of positives of technology that have advanced our society in a very positive way even with the downsides that it shows. It has increased our ability for us to communicate at a faster rate than ever human thought possible. It is advanced enough that I can send one post out and reach the whole world if needed. Texting and calling is no longer a thing of the past but now it is viewed as how this will change in the future. Technology has advanced so quickly that it is almost scary. Who knows what will be invented in the future. With the upsides and downsides of technology, I believe it is our friend and we should use it to its fullest.