The Technology Takeover

Being a teenager in the nineties was very exciting. A cool new thing called the Internet emerged. I was so excited when we were able to get Internet access at my house. The idea of "chatting" or playing games with someone in another state or country was intriguing. The web allowed me to do a research paper without ever stepping foot in a library. Back then before someone shared their e-mail address with you, they had to ask if you had an e-mail account. This was also around the time when pagers to began to fade away, and cellular phones were becoming popular. The nineties were when video games began to get really cool. Although that was not that long ago, nineties technology is prehistoric compared to what we have today.

Technology has turned us into a very "convenient" society. We want everything at our fingertips. The internet gave us access to the world from the comfort of our homes; but we wanted more. A smaller laptop computer allowed us to take our office wherever we go, and what would we do without wi-fi, webcams, or Google Maps? Smart phones saved us from having to use a laptop to get online when we are away from home. These phones have made it possible for us to communicate with whomever we want, whenever we want, no matter where we are in the world. Besides, who needs to talk anymore, when you can text? Yes, texting has become the preferred way to communicate. It is fast, convenient, and quiet. Now, while all of these things are great, is it possible that we rely a little too much on technology?

Socializing has really evolved in the last decade. There are a few key rule that will allow you to properly communicate in today's society. First of all, no one wants to physically talk to you anymore. As I said before, texting is the preferred way to communicate. Be sure to catch up on your text lingo, because texting teens is like speaking another language. Secondly, everyone who is anyone is on at least one social network. MySpace was the first to give anyone their very own website for free. You can upload pictures, music, and videos to make your page unique. You can even let your friends know where they stand with you, by deciding which friends are worthy enough to make your top eight. MySpace was soon followed by Facebook, which is very similar, and now Twitter. Twitter allows you to share your innermost thoughts, in 140 character or less, with the world. We were so misunderstood before Twitter. Luckily, smart phones now have applications for every social network.

My T-Mobile Google G1 recently died; and I am not sure if my life will ever be the same. I never realized how much of my life was stored in my phone. I can barely remember my phone number, what am I going to do without a contact list? Some say that these phones may be hurting our intelligence. They say if you do not use use your brain you can lose it. No need to worry, there are several applications that give will give your brain its proper workout. Mobile phones these days allow you to go through life without remembering anything.

I fear that technology has changed what we value. Savings accounts are dwindling because we have become a society of consumers. Keeping up with new trends is expensive. Parents are under more pressure than ever to provide their children with high-tech devices that the average family can not really afford. This also teaches our children the same bad spending habits that are draining our bank accounts. Technology is here to stay, and I am pretty sure that there is much more to come. Still, we must teach our children to evolve with technology in a more responsible way than we have.