Reflection Question

Reflection Question Blog, 1.15.09

My personal experience with technology:

When I graduated from high school, my parents did not own a computer, as computers were not quite ready to be mass marketed. I can recall my first papers in college, writing them on an electric typewriter. It was not long, though, that my parents bought an Apple home computer, maybe a IIe, with a tiny screen! In 30 years, computers have become commonplace, like ordinary home furnishings, they have also grown exponentially in their storage capacity and processing speed. In one generation, our society, our world, has changed profoundly. I can recall talking to my math students some years back about the Technological Revolution in which they were living; they had no concept of the changes going on around them as they were a part of that change, and they had no previous experience to compare. We are still living this Revolution.

Today, technology is ingrained in our lives, in our work, in our play. I spend a significant part of my day on the computer, entering and analyzing data, communicating with families and coworkers, and gathering information. I have no idea how my job compares to the job 10, 20 years ago. But I do know that we have a heavy reliance on technology, and I wonder if it is too great a reliance, at times. I have not found using technology such a great source of pleasure, however. I don't enjoy sitting at the computer searching for information, for example. I also don't enjoy the many computer generated games (Wii, xbox, etc.) as my children do. Maybe I have not embraced technology; I certainly have not tapped into its potential. I prefer, on any day, to pick up the newspaper and sit on the couch to catch up on the news; I also prefer to spend my free time outside, enjoying nature. There is no replacement for real life!