Do you think your relationship with technology is healthy? Why or why not? Do you think that you are giving technology the appropriate amount of time in your life, or do you think that technology is taking up too much time in your life? Do you think technology is informing you and making you smarter, or do you think that technology might be misleading you and giving you unreliable information? Do you ever worry about these things, or do you think it's just an accepted part of the society we live in?
In a sense, I'm almost obligated to have a good relationship with technology. Since my major revolves around it, I basically have to accept that screens and electricity are going to be my life most of the time. Does that mean I like technology though? It's complicated. Yes, it has brought us so far from where we were. Yes, it has advanced the human civilization beyond comprehension. But I feel as though the more we achieve, the more it consumes our everyday life. I fear that we are lost without it, due to how much we have come to rely on it. In terms of acceptance, it's crazy to think that we welcomed it with open arms. Now, with AI Art and Online Currency, people are finally starting to question the logistics of what technology means.
I don't believe that technology itself is lying to me, however. What I've learned is irreplaceable, and has helped me secure the position that I am in today. I think with that with time, these worries will definitely fade, and society will keep going about their lives without a care in the world, but these fears are piling on. What we need is safer spaces online to talk, and easier ways to exchange info that don't come at the cost of leaking secrets to the dark web. If we had that, then I'm sure that people would feel 100 times safer using any form of technology. If only social media sites and advertisers didn't steal our info to personalize our web feed and incoming emails.
— What about your friends and family? Do you think that technology is a positive part of their lives? How does technology play a role in your relationships? Good and bad.
Technology plays devil's advocate when it comes to friends and family. On the good side, it helps us stay connected when we are far away from one another or need to get work done. However, with all of the misleading information and access to everyone's contacts, drama and conflict are only a step away from happening. People are prone to lies, and those are very easy to spread thanks to the fast world of tech that we created. Having this power is both a blessing and a curse, and it's almost that we have been blinded by the good so much that the bad seems unimportant.
— What is your online footprint? If you were applying for a job today, the first thing your prospective employer would do is go online and find out as much as she or he could. What would they find? How much of an online presence do you have? Google yourself — that's the first thing they will do! What comes up? What kind of image does it paint? Is there anything you should edit out of your online presence?
For me, my online footprint is basically just my LinkedIn. Aside from some stuff I made around 5 years ago, I don't have that much of an online presence. Honestly, there's not much of a picture to paint for my employers, but maybe it's better that way. Having someone with a blank slate may just be what they need. However, it could be seen as the other way around. It's not so much that I need to erase anything from online, but rather that it may be better if there was more about me out there. Everyone I have seen online doesn't have a care in the world about what they post, but I am a lot more reserved when it comes to sharing. I fear what is acceptable to give information wise, and what I should keep a secret.
