Final Blog Post: Our Relationship With Technology.

    It is no secret that people in our modern society have a strong relationship with technology. Anybody who is reading this has a relationship with technology. Technology is one of the greatest things available to us today. More specifically, the internet is easily one of the most impactful inventions the world has ever seen. According to statista.com, an estimated 5.19 billion people have access to the internet. That is roughly 64.6% of the entire global population. All of these people have access to essentially every piece of information they could ever need about any topic, in their pocket. If you had to tell that fact to a person living one hundred years ago, they would've looked at you like you have three heads. 

The benefits of the internet are almost innumerable. It allows people to communicate to people anywhere on the planet. People rely on it for work and their income. Most importantly, it allows to rapid advances in medicinal technology to help save lives all across the world. Overall, it can be used for nearly every task imaginable. Personally, I use the internet mainly for social media communication. I always have my phone open to communicate plans for the day with my friends, family, and even professors. I also use it to make money, as many people do. The internet allows me to connect with my clients from anywhere, helping me run my small business as efficiently as I can. I also really like the internet for entertainment. Like many people nowadays, I'm guilty of mindlessly swiping on TikTok and Instagram for large portions of the day. 

This brings me into the negatives of the internet. Cyberbullying did not exist before the implementation of cell phones and computers. Many people experience some sort of hate or bullying while online, and it results in depression, suicides, or anxiety. People tend to bully more online rather than in-person because they can hide behind a computer screen. They receive minimal to no consequences for their actions. When online, people can also choose to be anonymous, which aids to the frequency of cyberbullying. One topic usually forgotten when discussing the internet is your digital footprint. Everything you have ever posted or commented on is being kept as data somewhere. When you are online, it is important to remember that nothing on the internet actually disappears forever. My personal biggest fear is my future employer denying me a job position because of a picture that was taken of me years ago. This is why I have been super careful to not post anything that I wouldn't want my close family seeing. It is crucial that your appearance online is the absolute best version of yourself. Another negative of technology is that it isn't super cheap for how necessary it is. It costs thousands of dollars for new technology nowadays, which it ridiculous when you're live would be extremely difficult without it. For example, if I couldn't afford a phone, I would not be able to email my professors, check my grades, or turn in assignments. I personally don't like the fact that having a smartphone in this world in now a necessity. I have been trying to use my phone less and less so that I can enjoy my life more, but society keeps dragging me back in. This leads us into the question, "When does it ever stop?" Truthfully, I don't think it will. Technology will continue to evolve and build on top of itself. For the sake of future generations, I hope it can be managed in such a way that the positives continue to significantly outweigh the negatives.