Interactivity #1: Technology as Autobiography

Step 1:

1. Cellphone
2. Computer
3. Television

Step 2:

            I find it inspiring that although Olivia does not have a computer in her home, she is very proficient at using one for purposes of social connection. She obviously goes out of her way to find computers that can be made available to her on a regular basis. The video did not focus much on her relationship to technology in terms of her education; however, she did mention that she likes to use MySpace to read about things that she finds interesting on a regular basis. Olivia seems like a typical teenager in that she is accomplished when it comes to online social networks, a fast texter, and likes to listen to music on her iPod. Although many of us may take these technologies for granted, they did not come to her easily. In addition to not owning a computer, she mentions that she only has an iPod because one was donated to her. Olivia’s strong relationship with technology, despite her economic situation, proves how reliant this generation has become upon these devices.

Step 3:

            I specifically appreciated one young man’s point about technology in this video. He compared technology to a soccer game. In a soccer game, if you make a wrong move, you cannot take it back and must deal with the ongoing consequences. When dealing with technology, you almost always have the option of going back or even restarting. I think that’s the one main thing about technology that appeals so much to today’s youth. As is common with most species, the younger you are, the more adventurous you are and, therefore, the more you like to experiment. Music technology has allowed me much experimentation and self-discovery over the last several years.

Step 4:

            All three of the technologies that I listed as being the most influential to my communications have also affected the way that I learn new information in a positive way. My cellphone helps keep me updated at all times. Although my cellphone is not a smart phone with eMail/internet capabilities, I still use it to communicate with people about last minute scheduling developments, keep my own schedule straight, as well as remind myself of what I need to accomplish on a daily basis. I even use it as my main calculator. My computer serves many of those purposes but on a larger scale. I use eMail to receive and send out ensemble rehearsal schedules, and I use the internet for various kinds of research. It’s amazing to think that in the days before home computers, books and other paper documents were the only ways to learn new information via reading. I use the television as my main way to keep up with current events. When I watch the news on TV, I can obtain both primary and secondary views that include both picture and audio at the same time.

            I would say that my use of a cellphone is pretty similar to those of the young people in the videos. Most people in the videos seem to have smart phones, and I do not, but I still use my phone for texting and calling, which seems pretty common for people my age. I also use my phone for scheduling pretty excessively. As a music student, I have many daily activities that I need to keep track of as well as many updates that I need to send and receive at a moment’s notice. I got the feeling that most of the people in the videos use their phones primarily for social reasons. I rarely use my computer to navigate social websites such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. Olivia seems to be very proficient at using MySpace, and I imagine that most other younger people use Facebook or similar social networking sites fairly excessively. I do not recall any of the younger people in the videos discussing their use of the television. I imagine that the TV is almost becoming an antiquated technological device due to the advancement of the computer. It is amazing that with a little patience, you can find just about anything that is on TV on the computer as well.