Tech usage and reaction

Tech usage and reaction

In order to understand my use of internet technologies, I believe that I should disclose some background information about my life so you can see my use in context.

First of all, I am not a "digital native" -- there was a portion of my life that was tech-free. I was born in Jakarta, but moved to the States in the early '90s. I did not have any formal computer training in the school system; however, there was a computer at home that was available for use. In those days, the ways in which one connects to the Internet was limited, slow, and charged by the hour. I remember connecting with a 4800 bit/s dial-up modem, participating in Newsgroups, and thinking how amazing this "Internet" is. I wanted to learn more so I taught myself how to make websites. Needless to say I was a fan of gadgets and technologies; however, reading a book, riding my bicycle and spending time with friends and family seemed more appealing to me so I have always tried to limit the amount of time I spend with these inanimate objects.

Currently, I am majoring in Information Technology and Informatics. I'm not a huge fan of what the Internet has become. The quality and type of information available has deteriorated. In fact, I have no aspirations to have a career in the field of Information Technology. I have become more interested in preserving information. And so, I aim for a good score on my GRE so I can pursue a MLIS and study archiving and preservation.

Below are summaries of my use of technology from Thursday through Saturday:

Thursday (9/9): Mostly used cellular phone to dial/receive calls, communicate via text messaging, check e-mail, check to-do list/GTD app. Later that day I watched a movie on Netflix on the home computer/HTPC that's connected to the television (I don't subscribe to cable television). Approximate total of 2.5 hours use.

Friday (9/10): Only used cellular phone to dial/receive calls, communicate via text messaging and check e-mail. Approximate total of 1.5 hours use.

Saturday (9/11): Used cellular phone to dial/receive calls, communicate via text messaging, and check e-mail. Used laptop to check Sakai and eCollege for class work, read through my RSS feeds, and check e-mail. Approximate total of 2 hours use.

Reaction: After analyzing the technology usage log created for the assignment, I can say that I am not surprised by my sparing (compared to the average college students') use of technology; however, I am amazed with which medium I used to access the Internet. I recently purchased my first smartphone, and it has decreased the use of my laptop (almost making it obsolete). I realize that the only time I use my laptop is when I am doing a considerable amount of reading (or typing) which makes sense since it has a bigger screen and puts less strain on my eyes.

One contributing factor to my low usage of internet technologies is my lack of participation in social networking sites. I find them to be distracting and depersonalizing. I deleted my accounts when I realized friends were responding to phone calls with wall posts. I don't want personal business between two people posted on a page that is viewable to others. In any case, I would rather hear someone's voice or see them in person.