I believe that it is difficult to look at controversial topics at face value. For instance, look at automobiles. They get us around from place to place, encouraging us to explore the world and stay connected to family and friends no matter how far apart. While they do so many great things for us, they also generate greenhouse gases like carbon that contribute to global climate change. It's difficult to say automobiles are a good thing while they produce greenhouse gases, and are a bad thing because they keep mankind connected.
Let's focus on the good for a moment. Without technology, our lives would not be as simple as they are now. To stay connected with my family in California, I would have to write letters and have them delivered by horse, which could take up to a few weeks. I have the luxury of texting them with my phone instead, and that message would be delivered within a few seconds. Plus, I can connect with communities anywhere with my phone or computer. Social media has been helpful too, being a platform to continue to connect with people you may have met briefly and would like to continue to get to know.
The issues that could fall into the cool stuff above are the environmental effects and platforms to harshly judge others. Power plants that produce energy are known for mercury emissions and ozone-related premature deaths. The media platform I use the most, Instagram, is known for cyberbullying issues, pressure to stay informed about everyone's lives, and unrealistic standards for beauty. It takes a lot to not be affected by at least one negative appeal of having a social media app on any device you have.
My relationship with technology, especially electronic, is complicated. I use my laptop and phone to play games and stay connected with my friends who go to other universities. As of this moment, using my electronics for that is the best way I can stay connected to them and be a part of their lives. Within that comes an issue where I am on my phone and laptop during the day for hours at a time, trying to stay connected with them. Additionally, I use Instagram to kill time and stay connected to other friends. While I kill time, I often find out about things going on in the world and can be exposed to fake news. I think in a way, I waste my time by scrolling on Instagram because my time could be better used doing something else. I looked into my online footprint, and I could not find much about myself besides the fact that I was nominated for an award during my senior year. This makes some sense because whenever I create online accounts, I never include my last name, so it's more difficult to find me unless you have mutual friends or something along those lines.
I do not believe my relationship with technology is in good health, but it is not in bad health either. Yes, I spend more time on my phone and laptop than I should. No, I am not addicted to them. I still find time in my day to get outside and enjoy using my ripstick to get around my campus and stay connected with my friends in a face-to-face manner. This reinforces my point that it is difficult to take complex subjects at face value, saying it is healthy or unhealthy, because it isn't exactly either or. I think the only way to look at the relationship people have with technology is that it has just as much potential to be good/healthy as it is to be bad/unhealthy. It all comes down to who is working that relationship and what they are trying to get out of it.
