Category Archives: Student Blogs

24 Hours: Quitting Cold-Turkey

@RachaelS_DTC

I wouldn’t consider myself to be someone who is dependent on technology, but this last week I discovered I was. It was very difficult to go 24 hours without using technology. I use to read in my spare time (when I had some) and having a break from technology allowed me to actually read a book that wasn’t required! I had a great sense of freedom and I was able to relax. I definitely was tempted to pull up Netflix, nonetheless I did enjoy having time to separate myself from the internet. I realized that this temporary separation was beneficial. First, I was more calm and relaxed. There wasn’t a notification on Facebook to distract me or a email I needed to reply to immediately. Second, I was able to spend my time with ‘real’ things, like my family and pets. This pause from my x-reality allowed me to improve my relationship with my family. I agree that digital technology makes us cyborgs by improving our lives, such as communication, but it also creates a barrier to the people around us. We are so plugged into social media with our avatars it is difficult to experience real life. Sometimes our x-realities become mostly digital realities and we become separated from the people closest to us. A break from technology has allowed me to experience my physical reality. I did miss technology and I would not be able to separate myself forever, but a break is sometimes needed to relax.

4 hours without internet

@JacobCWalton
I spent 4 hours without using the Internet. It was alright, mostly because I have several books on hand that I occupied myself with reading. If I had to give up certain websites completely, I could go without Facebook and Netflix. However, I would not like to lose MSN, as I need it for E-mails. Also, I like to entertain myself by looking up random words on Youtube and finding what videos come up.

Blog 12: No internet!

@kylemcgee77

Although I found going one day without using the internet quite easy, I don’t think I could go without it too much longer. There are definitely some things I could go longer without using the internet for than others. Facebook is something I could go longer than a day without using. Although Facebook keeps me connected to my friends quickly and efficiently, there is nothing on Facebook that requires attention 24/7. Youtube is another site that I could give up for awhile. It is one of my favorite sites, but it’s only for entertainment. One problem I would eventually have if I gave up internet access is accessing homework for my college classes. In today’s world, I internet access has become a necessity for most people. It’s how we apply for jobs. It’s how we find housing. It’s how we book vacations! Communication is also a critical part of the internet. Without internet, most of these tasks would have to be completed through the use of a telephone or by mail. While these solutions aren’t difficult or inefficient, they are becoming more obsolete as time goes by. Having no access to internet would be labeled as a “first world problem.” We as a Americans that thrive in an industrialized nation would probably fall off the deep end if the internet was cut off for good, but developing nations that don’t have internet access wouldn’t be affected at all. I think it would be interesting how America would react if there was no internet access for one day.

#dtcv

no technology can get weird.

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@reneejo714

I would like to give myself a round of applause; I went a full 24 hours without technology (that has internet access). Phew! Glad it’s over!  For starters I haven’t worn a watch in years! I found that having to study was a real bummer.  I went through my history book like a thousand times, rather than just opening up my Google search engine to figure out a few definitions.  I usually spend my morning driving to the store to get a NEWSPAPER…. A NEWSPAPER! I paid .75 cents to read about the worldly events…when I could get it free off my Ipad/phone. Since I only have Hulu & Netflix I dragged my boyfriend to Portland and went shopping…in my eyes having no technology can get spendy! I guess people that don’t have access to internet and devices I assume they would have much more connections personally with friends and family, more of a word of mouth to get things across and done.  Example: if one was looking for an apartment they would tell their parents, who then would tell others and someone may have a couple ideas, and it would eventually get back to that one person. They would also have to drive around and look in local papers to find what they are looking for. Those who had homework would have to take better notes, and have group study sessions to help one another out instead of going online to get tips and hints.

Blog Post 12

@brandonluc01

I didn’t find this assignment all that difficult. I was fortunate enough to have this assignment assigned on a day when I did not have work or school work. If I were to do this assignment on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday then I would be in trouble because my work contacts do not have my home phone number to tell me details about when I work. I thought it was easy to find alternative forms of entertainment. I am very active in sports and the community so I did not need to rely on technology to waste the time of the day. But none the less I do think I am reliant on technology for work, school, and activities. I’d imagine that people without the same advantage I have would have a much more difficult time doing homework and searching for jobs. I’d imagine they would have to use sources like books, magazines, and newspapers from around town to research jobs or school assignments. Since online applications wouldn’t be accessible without a computer or smart phone a person would have to travel to the job place in order to apply. For job searches and housing the newspaper would be the best resource because it has a section devout to job applications and available apartments and houses.

So many users of smart phones and computers have become so reliant on technology to complete daily tasks. According to Donna Haraway, these people are living in an “x-reality.” Those in countries where the technology is not available or unaffordable, have limited access to the changing world around them. Everyday these people get further behind in the technological revolution.

A Day in the Life of a “Have-Not”

@cougar_sean

We take so much for granted. Living in a first world country and being an active participant in Internet activities such as social media and news networks, I personally have innumerable “online” connections each and everyday. Whether it’s checking email with breakfast, reading about world news between classes, or texting a friend the time and place to meet that night, we all use electronic devices as an extension of ourselves. According to Haraway, we should all be considered “cyborgs” because of this. And really, we are. Through Smartphones and desktop computers, we have all become cyborgs to some extent or another—pushing our abilities beyond their physical limitations. We can be chatting on Facebook, texting friends and doing research all at once (debatably). If I’m not mistaken, this is an obvious example of x-reality and the ability to be in multiple places at once. Our physical bodies may just be sitting in a library chair, but through electronic devices we have extended ourselves cross country, over open waters and to our international friends all through the World Wide Web. I didn’t realize how heavily dependent I had become on my computer for basic interactions. I can’t even remember that last time I actually called someone on a phone. The Internet has taken a lot of basic communication skills away from our society. The more prevalent Internet becomes the more silent our lives become; yet at the same time we are more impulsive due to copious amounts of immediacy: direct contradictions, yet perfect complements.

Blog Post 12: No… Technology?!?!??!

@DTC_AlexTDTran

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I COULDN’T DO IT. Just kidding. To be honest, I didn’t think that it was all that difficult. Personally I have a good divide myself between technology and reality in which I do not rely completely on wasting time on the internet or texting friends, etc. What I would typically do on the internet I would instead spend doing other hobbies such as solving puzzles or walking my dogs. This is what I feel when it comes to the digital divide for younger generations. Karen Mossberger and Caroline Tolbert mention that there is more to the digital divide than just the access divide and that it is divided into more categories (Pg 207). I can understand that the digital divide in a problem in a ever growing digital world but I can’t help but think about the fact that this ever growing digital world forces those who want to continue on in this world to learn and use media and that because of the rapid growth of technology in modernized countries that those in 3rd world countries were unable to catch up and those who were content with what they already had would be left behind and ridiculed to “get with the times”. Furthermore, it does not help that this new technology keeps remediating itself and so requires knowledge of the previous versions in order to full understand it. I believe that the only solution to the digital divide is to slow technological growth and give time for people to learn and adapt to this new technology but also to make this technology available to everyone.

No Media – Weyman

I knew right away that going a full day without my internet media would be challenging. As it turned out, I was not able to go a full day because I had prior commitments that required internet access throughout the weekend. I managed to find a time from lunch until about 10pm on Sunday to perform this experiment. A few hours without my laptop or phone proved challenging. After dropping the media, I began to notice that I would feel my pockets out of reflex as if I had gotten a text message. There of course was nothing there. I was lucky because though I didn’t have my media, I still had a full day planned out. I went to several places including peoples houses. One thing that was strange was actually walking up to the door and knocking, as opposed to text/calling them saying that I was there. In my life, my general connectivity to others was lost, but a more close connection to myself was found. Those who dont have this luxury of internet must be very in-tune with themselves. I would imagine that things like finances would be difficult. For job searching, it would not be that bad because managers prefer to meet the applicant in person as it is. After coming home and picking up my media again, I found that I had many text messages and notifications lined up. It just goes to show how much other people have been using their devices.

Digital Divide

@PerrinKyla

Going a full day without my computer and smart phone seemed like it would be extremely difficult. However, it was actually easy for me to go an entire day without using both of them. I kept busy by going to the gym, running errands, and catching up on reading for my classes.  When I had things that I could keep busy doing it was easier for me to not worry about using any type of computer or phone. I did realize that our lives these days are totally reliable on digital media for communication and entertainment. Those who don’t have access or rarely have access to computers or computing devices have found ways to live their lives around technology. Some of them don’t need to have it or don’t want  the technology. If looking for a job most places ask that you apply online but when they do, they do not receive the application right away. If someone did not have access to a computer they would either go to a public library or find a work place that had an in store application that they could fill out. Whether or not an individual has home access to a computer or the internet is a part of what  Mossberger and Tolbert refer to as the “access divide.” These days there are public libraries and certain organizations that are set up to help people who do not have at home access to digital media. For some it may be easier than for others but it is doable.

Life Without a Smartphone/Laptop

@v_kono

I admit that I cannot go a day without using my iPhone or laptop. It’s like I’m lost without them. While I was in Ukraine last summer, I experienced being without my everyday devices. Time felt like it went a lot slower. Days felt longer. I felt as though I was free of all worries. If I wanted to find a job there, I would have to actually stand up and walk around the city to find a job. If I wanted to find housing, I would have to also walk and find a house that was for rent/sale. Newspapers only bring the news, and that happens only once a month. There are no advertisements in the back of the newspaper like we have here in America. The schools are traditional. A notebook, a pencil, and a library is all that is available. Access to the internet is very limited. I felt as though I wasn’t ‘in the loop’ of information. That was how I felt until we had internet connected at the place where we were staying. Then it began. It was like time began to slip by in a glimpse. Most of my time was spent on the internet messaging friends, scrolling on Facebook, and watching movies. In my experience, I have found life with these devices to be more simpler. With software like Siri, I can just speak what I want my iPhone to do for me. If I want to search for a job, I can just ask Siri. It is a lot easier than walking around in circles and searching for work at various places. There is really nothing that I can quote from the text about this subject.