English II not only challenged me to incorporate aspects of myself in my papers, but it also taught me how much I learn about myself through the writing process. As we explored our society and the available technology as well as the technology that each of us uses as individuals, I began to realize how much of my time is spent using such devices. What once seemed like a simple aspect of my life, technology quickly became complex as it became evident that everyone uses different forms of technology and in very distinctive ways. Over the course of this semester, I learned how important it is for writers to establish themselves through their writing. When I removed myself from my everyday life and attempted to write about my views and beliefs, my main goal was to establish my ethos to my readers, who I am and how I view the world as “a result of experience and instruction” (Reynolds 328) over time.

http://www.virginmedia.com/images/robotworld430x300.jpg

Our entire semester focused on technology and the ways it affects our society on a spectrum ranging from our everyday lives to global impacts. It wasn’t until we watched the documentary “Frontline: Digital_Nation” in class that I realized just how much of my time is spent using technology. Between my phone and computer, there’s rarely a moment when I’m not “plugged in” to technology. While the benefits of technology are extensive as in easy communication, constant Internet access, and simple applications such as my alarm clock and camera, I quickly realized that not all of the ways I use it are always beneficial.

In my previous post I explained how technology, pinterest in particular, has benefited my life. Over the course of the semester and throughout our class discussions, the numerous negative consequences that come along as side effects to technology consuming our nation and world became increasingly more evident. In class, we considered the ways that we communicate with others and it quickly came to our attention that majority of our interactions are through technological devices such as the internet for emailing or a phone for calls and texting. These discussions challenged us to remove ourselves from our everyday lives and consider how our lives are impacted by the loss of face-to-face interactions.

We were all able to admit that the convenience and efficiency that technology has made possible in our society is clearly important to our development, but it is extremely important to take a step back every once in a while and remind ourselves what is really important to us in this world. This unit made me realize how incredibly special genuine, physical company is and I must continue to remind myself to not lose myself in technology and all of its entertainments. As easy as it is to send a quick text checking in on someone, when I step back and evaluate my friendships I realize how genuine and meaningful our face-to-face encounters are. While technology has made keeping in touch easier and more convenient, those exactly adjectives I want to use when defining my relationships. One of the most important things I learned about myself this semester is that I need to frequently take a step back and always evaluate myself and make sure I'm living in a way that benefits my life in the most amount of ways. Technology has changed society forever and it is crucial that we remember to use it moderately and continue to cherish face-to-face interactions more than ever before.

I’ve always known I'm not “tech-savvy;” however, when my friend told me about the website called Pinterest I thought there might be hope for me and my technology use. At first, I had a difficult time understanding how to operate my virtual bulletin boards, but I quickly figured out how to categorize boards and “pin” different images to the corresponding titled board.


I have enjoyed Pinterest because it allows me to quickly search anything ranging from craft ideas to popular places to travel. How is this different, not to mention better, than google? Rather than having to bookmark favorite web pages, by “repining” websites or posts all of the images I have liked are in one location and neatly organized.