Technology Autobiography

One cannot deny the importance as well as influence of technology on our daily lives. Through our daily travels, communications and activities, it is impossible not to encounter a form of technology, whether it be driving a car or flipping a light switch. As a person strongly influenced by the Arts, my relationship with technology, specifically in the world of the Arts, is one of strong polarities. I understand the value of technology and appreciate its advancements in the medical world, sciences, as well as modern daily conveniences. The windows of opportunity are endless from the vantage point we have positioned ourselves at in when considering both creativity and discovery. And yet, when I sit among a circle of friends, and rather than sharing ideas, beliefs, experiences, or any kind of organic human interaction, I often find myself staring at a group of individuals unaware of their surroundings because they are too busy twiddling away at their i(phone, pad, pod, fill in the blank). Without responsible technology use, being constantly connected turns to over stimulation and isolationism. And yet, the unlimited access to an infinitesimal amount of free information is a great equalizer and can be used for wonderful purposes. Its implementation in the classroom is both successful as well as crucial when used correctly, and can be a great tool to connect students to the subject.

Throughout the course of my life, books have been the most essential and influential technology. As a young child, my mother would read to my brother and I daily, which fostered a long-term love of reading. I always connected most to authors and poets were able to manipulate characters, language and themes and make them both simple yet unbelievably concise. It takes an incredible amount of awareness and fine tuning to capture an idea, emotion or circumstance which many have shared and stitch an image with language to make it concrete and specific. This is the art of writing which infatuates me. A book is a technology which constantly informs us of what it means to be a single component within a larger macrocosm, the common  connection being the human condition. From it, we learn to empathize with the experiences we all share, as well as introducing us to those which we have not had the chance to encounter.

In second place, I chose the pen, because it is the technology which enables expression. Without it, I could never materialize my thoughts and perceptions. While a book provides a window to insight and creativity, it is a technology which one observes; the pen allows me the physical and visual process I need to actually create and elaborate-doing rather than absorbing. While some are able to immediately translate their ideas from their mind to the computer, I do not work most efficiently doing so. In order for my thoughts to be produced in the most concise and fluid manner, I must first free write, then create an outline to collect my thoughts- the physical act of writing helps me to produce, while visually seeing my idea on paper helps me to organize, add and eliminate. By becoming aware of these tendencies, I have learned that in order to learn new information and retain it, it is imperative for me to write it down- thus making the pen an essential tool for my learning.

I choose the computer as my third most essential technology with great caution. My love for this technology far exceeds my hate for it, though I am overly conscious of not abusing the computer for its alluring yet unproductive abilities. The impermanence and constant evolution of the computer and its abilities amazes me, in that its uses and bounds are more or less limitless. What frightens me is the growing dependence on this alluring tool- having no sense of direction due to a dependence on GPS, not having the ability to communicate coherent thoughts to one another due to constant impersonal communication via a lifeless technology, the impending death of the art and personology of the handwritten word, ect. And yet, like most dysfunctional relationships, I must admit to the beauty of a technology which allows any person the access to limitless information regarding just about any topic. I use the internet to inform myself of topics which are important to me, such as politics, current events, educational discussions, as well as a means of answering questions and exploring topics I have very little familiarity with. Unlike the book and pen, the computer is an extrinsic means of learning new information, which creates an important balance.

Like the majority of the young people who shared their most influential technology, these technologies are ingrained in who I am. Without them, it would be difficult to internalize information and express what I have deduced. Life as I know it, as well as the lives of the young people in the video, would not be the same without these essential technologies- for they are a part of how we identify ourselves, and the means of which we do so.