LIS 724: My Relationship with Technology

                                            An Introduction  

Hello readers! In our modern day and age, it can easily feel as though technology has significant influence in every area of our daily lives. Modern technology has evolved rapidly over the past few decades, playing integral roles in our education, workplaces, recreation, public spaces, and even as a key component in our socialization with others. Electronic devices, in their current forms, are ever-present in the society of today, it can be difficult to imagine life without them, or what life was like before their existence, despite the reality of how short of a time it was ago. How does one unbiasedly reevaluate their relationship to technology when it dominates so many different aspects of one’s daily needs and social interactions?

My phone model. Image Source

Image Source

    My Relationship with my Android Cell Phone

    Reflecting upon on my relationship to modern technology, specifically my relationship my Android cell phone, I find myself struggling a bit with balancing when to use it and when to put it down. Similar to many people my age, I assume, I use my phone for nearly every area of my life, whether it’s for work, to socialize with family and friends, or to simply relax, play and scroll down an endless rabbit hole of apps and websites after a long day. I grew up during the early aughts, a time in which cell phones and the internet where still in their early stages, and thus, did not have a significant impact in my childhood outside of my enjoyment of playing computer games like Barbie or The Sims on my family’s Dell computer in the living room. It wasn’t until high school, when my parents saw that every kid and their cousin did indeed have cell phones, that I was given my first Android phone. Ever since then, I have owned an Android phone, now using it in adulthood for a variety of recreational, work-based and socialization reasons.

    Being given a cell phone as a teenager felt like a key to the rest of the world had opened up for me as an individual. I was sickly when I was a small child, which meant I couldn’t go out as often as I would have liked as a young girl to play with other kids my age, and due to living in a rather isolated, rural community with an eye disability which made traveling on my own to the nearest towns and cities a difficult challenge all onto itself even now as an adult, having a cell phone on hand was a genuine game changer for me and what I could accomplish on my own as an independent young woman. I feel that my relationship to my android phone is ultimately a positive one, as it allows me to complete work assignments, make arrangements when I need it, to stay connected with my friends and family, or to simply play games, read and unwind at the end of the day. Besides reading e-books, or scrolling through apps such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Webtoons for fun, I really enjoy using the camera app on my phone to create memories with my loved ones or to make creative photography projects as a hobby. Below, is a collage I made of my family and myself using my android phone’s camera app as a positive example of my phone’s modern capabilities.

Image Source: Personal Photos of Lizzy Prain

                                                   Conclusion 

"Ennui. I am what you call 'The Boredom'." Image Source

      I feel that I struggle with knowing when to put my phone down and just be in the moment without a screen, an issue which is likely shared with many people around the world similar to myself. It can be tricky at times, as many situations require the usage of a phone in one way or another. I think I often at times grab and use my phone almost unconsciously, simply because it is in reach, almost as though it were a muscle memory. Recently, I have been trying to manage how much I use my cell phone by setting personal boundaries, such as limiting my recreational screen time to just half-an-hour intervals in the afternoon and evening, or by putting my phone away an hour before I go to bed.  In essence, I plan to continue using my phone for the foreseeable future, as I feel that the positives of having it are beneficial to me and the needs of my personal circumstances, outweighing the negatives which come with owning a cellular device in modern society. I feel its important that I find the right balance in using my cell phone, to recognize its positive features and beneficial impact on my life, without letting screen-usage be all-consuming in the process.