Final Blog Post

     Whether we like it or not, technology has permeated into everyday use. Technology has become a substitute for so many things. More people stream television than read books, use quizlet than make hand-written flashcards, or online shop rather than in-store. Its development has certainly made aspects of society easier. It is much easier for us to contact relatives across the globe by sending them a facebook message from our smartphones than mailing a letter through international postage. The medical field particularly has amazing advances that allows health care professionals to better care for their patients and save thousands of lives per year. However, like every great new thing, users should have an awareness of both the pros and cons. 

    I know that I use technology constantly in my every day life. Not a day passes that I don't send a text or listen to music on Spotify. However, I think that my relationship with technology is healthy. I don't struggle when I am without my technology. I am a musician and will make my own music or sing when I don't have streaming devices. I have no problem reading or writing rather than watching and typing. I actually love sending hand-written letters to my loved ones and I get no anxiety leaving my phone in another room. I often go for months where I delete my social media applications so to cleanse my mind from relying on them. I think that social media platforms are very useful tool for communication and for advertising/public relations strategies. I have family and friends members across the ocean and technology allows me to keep in-touch with these people, maintaining my relationships with them. Especially over the last 2 years of varying degrees of physical isolation, loneliness impacted so many people and even harmed their mental health levels. The ability to maintain contact with friends via video chat helped so many people feel a connection to those they hadn't seen in a long time. For me, my cousin passed away during the isolation period and just the fact that I could call her on the phone and sing to her, making her smile made her feel a little less alone during the hard time. Technology makes those kind of situations a bit more bearable. That is just one way, technology has improved quality of life. 

    However, I also know that some people rely on social media to a detrimental degree. I have seen many friends develop an addiction to the validation they receive from others online. I believe that it is unhealthy to become dependent on the opinions of other people. I have also witnessed first hand the use of social media for cyberbullying and reputation slander. Just yesterday I saw a post on someone's private instagram that was bashing another person's post. The free usage of these platforms adds a layer of invisibility for individuals to hide behind when they post cruel things. Having a very private instagram without using your name and a fake email leaves certain things untraceable to the normal person. Social media has become a place where people publicly shame others and it is disgraceful and unnecessary. In that sense, many people's relationships with social media are very unhealthy. Because of this ability to remain somewhat anonymous, social media can also pose a danger with the concept of catfishing. Catfishing is defined as being when someone takes information and images from someone else to create a fake identity online to deceive people on the receptive end of it. 

    My personal use of the internet has been a positive experience and I like to think my online appearance sheds a good light on my reputation. When you type my name into google, the first thing that comes up is my LinkdIn profile and then my facebook. Both profiles I keep very professional and optimistic. Although my online presence is positive, I know that I have sacrificed my privacy in a number of ways. Tons of websites have my personal information including my birthday, address, phone number, email, and more. Websites and social media platforms offer free services or bonuses in exchange for personal data as we agree to contracts of adhesion. I do a great amount of online shopping where I sign off on the use of my email and phone number in order to qualify for an extra 10% discount. My computer itself and therefore Apple knows SO MUCH about me. It has my answers to security questions, it reads my texts, sees my phone calls, reads my notes, sees my browser history, and more. It holds my school account information and knows my fingerprint to unlock websites.

    In the documentary we watched, In the Age of A.I., it was discussed that tech companies have vast data files about each of their users. Each time we use technology like a search engine, we leave digital traces referred to as "digital exhaust". These traces allow companies to predict our behavior and target us with advertisements. These digital traces from all over our technology use creates a massive database that exists. This is a scary thought knowing that so much information garnered about us, our likes, dislikes, behaviors, personal information, and more, are present in a database owned by someone else. There is a caution that must exist in each user of technology. Although it can open some miraculous doors for humanity, it is important to stay alert and aware of everything that technology is doing in relation with your life. You use it everyday, but it uses you too.