My Relationship With Technology

I believe that I have a healthy relationship with technology, and I try to avoid any and all negative interactions with technology as I find possible. I like to see technology as a useful tool, one that I can use to improve my life in as many areas as I can. The reason I consider this relationship healthy is that I am able to moderate my use of it throughout my day. Of course, there have been many times that I found myself slipping in this area, and I became too reliant on technology for my own happiness. Now that I am more mature and am able to control myself better, I mostly see technology as a helpful resource, rather than a harmful one. 

In regards to information, technology and media is a double edged sword. On one hand, it has never been easier to stay up to date with current events and news. On the other, so many outlets reporting this news are corrupt and only seek to further their own agendas, regardless of what it means for the public. I like to think that I am good at weeding out fraudulent or biased information on the internet, so that I am only left with those who report mostly facts. In this regard, I do believe that technology has made me smarter, as I am able to identify what information is worth my time looking into, giving me more time to become educated on whatever it is I am researching.

This is not to say, however, that I do not worry about the impact this widespread misinformation has on others. Far too often do I see my friends or colleagues perpetuating news articles that are just blatantly biased or completely false, and those that they spread it too continue to spread it. Information travels around the internet so quickly in this age that it is almost impossible to stop this from occurring. I don’t think I'll ever get to a point in my life where I am comfortable or even slightly ok with this reality, but I have come to accept that it is something I will have to deal with for the foreseeable future. For example, my mom is an avid watcher of Fox News, a news outlet that isn’t exactly reliable for reporting just the facts on a given situation, and I often have to explain that they have other motives outside good journalism.

All of this information ties into my own digital footprint as well, including what information can be found about me online. Fortunately, I have been great at keeping my digital footprint minimal, unless it is related to my profession. Outside of this, I do not have much of an online presence, aside from my Instagram, which only holds a handful of pictures of me. When I Google myself, the first result is my LinkedIn profile, which holds all of my academic and career information, perfect for an employer trying to find out what qualifications I have. As far as I know, there is nothing concerning that I would need to edit out of my digital footprint.

Overall, the use of social media and technology has had a positive impact on my life, and I have learned to use it in moderation to minimize risk when using these tools. This class has contributed to this, and I have gained skills that will help me continue to make the most out of the internet and technology in the future. I can also use these skills to help my family, friends, and peers use the internet’s resources in an effective manner, and inform them of the signs of misinformation so that they do not contribute to this ever expanding issue.