Technology and the internet is one of the greatest advancements the world has yet to have. I do not believe that the intention behind creating it was with malice. There are a lot of bad things that have come from the internet, without warning and definitely without it knowingly being a risk. The internet especially is a bit chaotic. There is unlimited access to anything you want. For example, I can go back and watch my favorite SNL skit from years ago just by searching the name. I can find information on how to cook certain things or find recipes. There is so much information at our fingertips that is able to be accessed. For me personally, I do not think that my relationship with technology is healthy. After the quarantine due to COVID19 a few years ago, I have developed a deeper reliance on technology than ever before. I also nowadays use it for everything, I cannot imagine my life without or without the internet. I would not say that I am necessarily addicted to my iPhone and Macbook, because I can put them down and not pay attention to them for a few hours. However, I cannot imagine not having them or the internet in my life.
Personally, I have a lot of friends and family that are overseas or live in different places of the country. One of my good friends lives in Hong Kong, without technology I wouldn’t be able to talk to her on a daily basis and keep in touch. Due to the distance, our friendship is based most on communicating through the phone, and it’s the only way to speak consistently. I definitely rely on technology when it comes to communication, and I think that that is somewhat normal for most posts. It is easier than writing a letter back and forth and waiting days to weeks for a reply. Furthermore, when it comes to accessing information on the internet I feel as if I definitely rely on it as well. Years ago people could only get information through books and learning, but now you can get any information within seconds on the internet. While I appreciate the efficiency, and how accessible information on certain subjects are, there are some downfalls. For starters, when we are overfed all this information it can kind of create attachments to it and it can become an information overload. For me personally, sometimes when I search things about health or topics that are on the more serious side that I can relate to, too much information can make my head spin and make me more anxious about a situation than I was before. Secondly, finding accurate information can be harder. The internet is a place with a lot of information and a lot of opinions that can sometimes be displayed as a fact. To find factual information nowadays, you really have to dive into the sources behind it and know where the information is coming from to determine whether it's true or not. Commonly, I don’t think a lot of people do this though- it requires more effort and that's how a lot gets lost in translation nowadays. It is even difficult with mainstream media. Although they are supposed to give factual information, they don’t always, and it gets confusing to the common person watching. This can be very misleading to people and can cause a lot of confusion, taking away from the facts and truths of the story. Unfortunately, I think it is just an accepted part of society. I don’t agree with it and I think that more people should look into where their information is coming from. It is very worrisome to me because this can cause a lot of problems. If the facts of the situation are no longer what the common person knows about, how can anyone form opinions that make sense?
There are a lot of instances nowadays where technology and the internet can really hurt people. Cyberbullying, revenge porn, doxxing, ghosting, etc are all harmful things that can have a lasting effect on people. These definitely were not thought of prior to the creation of technology, it’s just that when people misused the internet and had bad intentions, bad things happened. Youth suicide rates are at an all time high and it’s because of the internet, and how people misuse it to the point where it’s become malicious. People on the internet believe that they can hide, they can hide behind their screen and say nasty, harmful things that they definitely would not say to someone’s face. It is so easy for them to do, much easier to type than to actually face someone and say these horrible things. Little do they know that everything they say and do creates a digital footprint. When it comes to my personal digital footprint, when I google search myself the only things that come up are my Linkedin profile, as well as news articles about my mother who spoke about me in them, and old scores from when I did competitive dance. If someone really deep dived, they would be able to find my Instagram and Tik Tok account most likely. I would say that there is not really an image of anything about me when I am searched up.
