My Relationship with Technology

 Technology is and always will be a majorly important piece of my life in all aspects; personal, work, and otherwise. Until recently, I’ve always used social media and the Internet overall for enjoyment. Whichever form that takes, whether it’s media consumption, photo sharing, or something else entirely, it has always been for entertainment. However, over the past couple years at High Point I’ve gained a new perspective on the Internet, especially through my studies as a media production student. My online presence has an impact on my future, and I needed to reevaluate whether or not I was using the Internet to its full potential. I don’t think my use of the Internet for entertainment is a bad thing at all, but I also think it’s important to think about how I could be using it professionally in order to advance my career goals. For example, while I wouldn’t mind if a potential employer found my personal Instagram account, it’s definitely not the best display of my skill set within my field. That led me to create a professional media focused Instagram account recently as a sort of portfolio of my work. That way, I can attach it to my resume so potential employers can get a sample of what I’m capable of.

I use most other social media platforms simply for entertainment, like Tik Tok, or to stay in touch with friends, like Snapchat. I’ve posted a lot online because a lot of what I like to do revolves around content creation, like photography, video editing, and music production, and I like sharing the things I make for other people to appreciate. When taking into consideration the information I share, I do occasionally wonder if I’m too careless. I frequently share my email and phone number when logging into new sites or buying things online, and that has led to tons of junk emails and spam phone calls. On the other hand, I wonder if these things are truly avoidable, or if there’s really no point in trying to protect certain information since it seems like it’s all out there anyway.

An analogy that I’ve heard used to describe social media and how people use it that I think works very well in a lot of cases is that social media is a sort of highlight reel of a person’s life. I know that for me personally and my own social media accounts, that is definitely the case. When looking at my Instagram specifically, every photo I post is a picture of my friends and I, me having fun, me with my girlfriend, etc. In reality, these moments are just one small aspect of my life in the grand scheme of things. Often I’m working, in class, or doing something not “Instagram worthy”, but that's not what other people see; they see the highlights of my life. This concept can absolutely lead to mental health issues and feelings of loneliness in that when someone scrolls through Instagram and sees nothing but other people having a blast and then compares these highlights and special moments to their own life as a whole, it can seem depressing.

One aspect of having the Internet at our fingertips constantly that I think about in regards to my own life is how frequently I use it. If I’m driving, I’m using Spotify. If I’m doing homework, I’m on Blackboard. If I have free time, I’m scrolling through Tik Tok or one of the several streaming services I’m subscribed to. It seems like it never ends, and I’m constantly just hopping from one stream of electronic media and information to the next. Obviously I take time off when I can, whether that’s taking a hike, unplugging and hanging out with friends, or something else, but for the most part, I spend a lot of time on my computer, phone, or TV. I’m not sure if it’s healthy, but I’m not sure that there’s any way to avoid it. Our society and culture revolves around the Internet and instant gratification, and any attempt to move away from these things on an individual level means getting left behind. I think the pandemic was a major contributing factor that propelled this change, in that with everyone working remotely, something as arbitrary as neglecting your email, for example, can result in missing something important, impacting your financial wellbeing and livelihood. In work, school, pop culture, and any other aspect of our lives, not being constantly tuned in leaves you out of the loop. This is an unfortunate fact, but that’s how it is.