Craver 1 Sera Craver Adam Padgett ENGL 1102 26 January 2013 Where Does Technology Live in Our Lives?

I can honestly say I use technology more times everyday than I can count on one hand and some days more times than I can count on all my fingers and toes. Technology has become a part of my life that makes me feel in the loop. Without technology I would probably begin to feel incomplete and possibly even vulnerable. However, I do not want to get to a point where my phone is my best friend. My usage of technology varies from social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and others, to websites that are necessities for schoolwork or information. If I did not have access to technology, it would most certainly be uncomfortable until I became used to it because I am so accustomed to having it at my fingertips. Technology feels somewhat like a drug because of the symptoms that come with not having it and slight feelings of withdraw that can arise. However, aside from technology allowing me to feel in the loop, it also has dulled my appreciation of being completely alone. Since I have become habitually involved in technology for about the past 5-6 years, I have slowly lost my love of reading because I constantly have a text message to reply to or the urge to check Instagram distracting me from the free time I used to dedicate to reading a book. My family is constantly criticizing and pointing out the fact that I cant possibly be involved in their conversation with my phone in my hand. I can admit that I have missed out on a lot of real life experiences with friends and family because of being distracted by technology.
Comment [AP3]: So you seem very aware of what youre missing out on. Have you done anything to about it, or have you accepted this new way of living? Comment [AP2]: Again, can you be more specific as to what you mean? Is this really a good analog to drug withdrawl? Comment [AP1]: And what would that look like?

Craver 2 I also have a terrible fear of speaking in front of a group of people and if I did not have any technology or social media, I would probably have more developed speaking skills rather than skills at speaking through a keyboard. My view of technology, as a benefit, is that though it causes issues in the development of the upcoming generation of youths, it can also be a great asset to develop skills using it. There are many well-paying jobs for people with these specific skill sets, and can be acquired by anyone with the passion to learn about them. As we all know, technology is the way of the future. And what better way to ensure job security than to start a career in technology? Aside from the long-term advantages that technology can give us, you cannot over look the fact that its most prominent disadvantages are short-term and long lasting. A real event that emphasized my recognition of my oncoming technology addiction was on my drive to school one day this semester. Upon rushing out of the house and driving to school, I reached for my phone to call someone and couldnt find it. I could almost convince myself that I left it on the counter on my way out yet could not figure out how it was possible to do so when my phone is always a priority to pack in the mornings. I could not focus on driving; I was completely distracted all the way to school by looking through my backpack, searching my pockets and even checking under my seat. In fact, my driving might have even bordered on reckless. I even contemplated being late for class so I could go home and get my phone. Then I realized I had my laptop and I could just text off of it and check social media on it and I began to relax a little. When I finally got to school and got out, my phone fell right out of my lap onto the ground beside my car. I had completely worried about nothing. This story might seem a little dramatic but it does show that addictions to social media devices can cause us to not only be distracted but also to make reckless decisions.
Comment [AP5]: yikes Comment [AP4]: Im not really sure how you mean. Do mean like giving a presentation or do you mean just at parties or what? And what does that look like? Are you talking to people while staring at your phone?

Craver 3 1. How does someone know when he or she has crossed that line into being a social media addict? What is the definition of an addict? 2. What would happen if everyone were involved in an experiment to see what would happen without social media for 2 weeks? 3. Why does it seem easier to chat online rather than in person? 4. Do the positive effects of social media outweigh the negatives in our everyday lives? For my first question, my research will most likely go towards taking polls to find out how much people use their social media devices each day. Also there are many online quizzes that are supposed to help you find out if you are or are becoming a social media/technology addict. I expect to find that everyone defines an addict differently. For my second question, I could actually do the experiment myself to see how my life would be different without social media/technology/cell phones for a period of time. This could give me insight into what I may be missing out on by constantly having my phone in my hands. It could also show me what I would be missing out on if I did NOT have social media access. I expect to find answers that may not be surprising such as I might have a lot of extra free time or I am able to complete my homework on time without stress. For my third question, I can see my research going towards comparing the two choices and I expect much of this data will be based on opinion. And for the fourth question, I expect that there will be a negative for every positive and a positive for every negative. A possible thesis or way to being this paper could be: Social media is becoming a threat for addiction targeting much of the younger population. There must be a way to stop them before they reach the point of addiction, but how do we know what that point is?
Comment [AP7]: I think this is actually a really good idea. You would need to keep a daily journal of some kind. Maybe the only exception to your experiment could be the actual phone part of your phone, but I think I might be more interesting if you abandon all technology and communicate in person and with physical notes. I think there is potential here. Comment [AP6]: this is very interesting. I like the idea of defining the various way addiction could be defined. But I wonder if this could occupy an entire research paper.

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Sera, I think this is a really interesting essay, and I especially like how you incorporate your personal experience. It seems that you are most interesting in investigating individuals over reliance on technology (or even addition, as you say, but you need to clearly define what you mean by addiction). I think using yourself as an experiment would be interesting. Unfortunately it might not be the most scientific experiment, but you could spend a few paragraphs on the research paper describing your experience and what you found in order to support whatever thesis you hope to argue. But if you were to do this experiment, I would want you to try to be as pure as possible. So no phone (except for emergencies of course). Anyway, I think this is a really interesting idea, and I look forward to seeing how your idea develops.