Positives and Negatives of Technology

My Digital Life

Technology has quickly become a major part of our lives. Without realizing, I use my phone way more than I want to admit. Everything is at our fingertips, and I think that we slowly are taking everything for granted. One of the positives of technology is that it allows us to stay connected to each other more easily than in the past, and for me this is very important as I have international students from different countries living with me and when they go back to their home countries it is ideal to keep in touch with them through social media such as Snapchat or Instagram, and even Facebook.

            Another positive of technology is that it allows us to keep up with current events and the news anywhere and everywhere we go. We are able to look up articles on the New York Times and learn about all the things that are happening all around the world. This is extremely important as it can help us learn about problems the world is having and ways to help, such as the climate march and climate change. For me I also tend to read the news online as it is a more eco-friendly option than newspapers, as I am constantly trying to reduce my impact on the environment.

            The best part about having technology is all the recipes I can look up and try myself. I love to cook and bake and I find that having social media such as Instagram or Pinterest are good ways to find amazing recipes and try new things. I also like to keep organized, and these apps keep all your recipes in one place.

            Another good part of having a phone is being able to listen to music anywhere I want. It can be super relaxing and can keep me concentrated. It is perfect for traveling or even walking downtown.

            Although there are a lot of positives to technology there are also some negatives. I find that sometimes it can be quite tough to stay focused when my phone is close to me. It can be a huge distraction as I am one fingertip away from texting my friends or watching Netflix, when I am trying to finish assignments or study for tests. Whenever I am studying, I now always have to put my phone far away from me to keep myself focused and on task.

            Another con to technology is living in the moment. The past few years that I have had my phone I have realized that I have been slowly living less in the moment and have been looking at the world through my phone more and more, therefore I am trying to look away and distance myself from technology when I can.

            I have always been very shy, and I find that having a phone can act like a crutch in some social situations when I am talking to people I would not usually talk to. This is not a good thing because I am trying to become more outspoken and instead of using my phone as a crutch in a conversation I should be making conversation instead.

            For every good thing, there is always a bad thing that comes along with it, technology not excluded. I think we need to weigh the positives and the pitfalls, and need to use technology in moderation. We are so lucky to be have access to technology and the internet, but let’s not abuse its power. I hope you learnt something about me, and something about technology. Thank you for reading.

picture:

What Will Our Digital Life Be In The Future? 6 December 2016. 26 September 2019. https://blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/digitalcombishop/?p=569