Taking control of technology

Facebook, YouTube, Pandora. Cell phones, laptops, MP3 players. PS3, Xbox, Wii. We are undoubtedly the ‘plugged in' generation. We spend nearly all of our time (we have to sleep, right?) exposing ourselves to some medium of technology. Many individuals in our demographic find it absurd that someone doesn't have a Facebook account, or a cell phone. It is unfathomable for someone to be so out of touch with the times.

  I, myself, am a product of this media-centric world. In a two-day span, I received a total of 302 text messages. Pair that with sent messages, that's more than 604 messages in the course of the 30 hours I was awake. Good thing mom spent the extra money on the unlimited package, huh?

  In the same two days, I logged onto Facebook 12 times, logging anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes each time.

  I find myself constantly checking to see if anything new is going on, always checking my phone to see if I've received another text message, bouncing through mediums because—quite honestly—I feel that I have to.

  I'm not one of those people who need to know the latest gossip or trend. I'm fairly laid back when it comes to most things. Yet I find that I have to fulfill this need to send a quick text or read status updates on Facebook.

  Now that I've successfully portrayed myself as a technological-addict, I can explain what happened last year when I decided to go without my many sources of technology. A week without television, Internet, or cell phone. I was allowed e-mail and Internet access for purposes of doing my class work.

  To say this experience was difficult…well that'd be a vast understatement. I recall a movie being shown in one of my classes. I didn't watch, though I did listen. I was determined to stay as true to my challenge as possible.

  I found that I had a lot of extra time. I also found that a lot of the things that stressed me out didn't really matter all that much. I got away from the drama of the Facebook world, and the general drama of friends and family alike. My overall attitude towards the experience is a positive one.

  There were some problems I had to face, as well. I realized just how much I depend on technology for the purpose of collaborating social events, even something as simple as deciding what time I was going to eat supper with my friends.  Not only did I depend on it, but so did everyone else. So I soon found that I faced a type of isolation without technology to aid me through many of my daily events.

  Ultimately, the issue we face is whether or not our technological age is helpful or harmful in our daily lives. This question is something I find myself facing frequently. Last year I took matters into my own hands to see what effects going without media may have. This year, I'm enrolled in Media History & Effects, which is yet again causing me to doubt the media and technology in our daily lives.

  My conclusion? There is no right answer. There's really no way to know if the world would be better with a little less technology. We only have control over the amount of media influence in our own lives. Should we choose to withdraw entirely, we're bound to be at some disadvantage.

  The important thing, I believe, is to regulate ourselves. If it gets to the point that the sheer multitude of technological and media influence is having a negative effect, take a step back. ‘Unplug' for a little bit. Of course, this is easier said than done. We're conditioned to need that constant interaction with technology. We first have to break our habits and realize that we don't need it as much as we think we do.

  If we are able—collectively—to accomplish such a feat, then perhaps the ‘plugged in' generation won't hold such a negative connotation. Maybe we'll be the ones who have all the opportunities in the world, and know how to utilize them.