I sit here typing on my laptop that is essentially my lifeline in college. I use it for hours upon hours a day. It holds my notes, my papers, my emails and my messages. As embarrassing as it is to say, without it I am lost. I take it for granted as I pull up world news in seconds at the beginning of one of my classes. I am a millennial kid who has grown up surrounded by technology. I am at home with my smartphones and tablets.
I was lucky enough to grow up with technology developing alongside me. I can still remember the days of DSL and listening to the beeps while waiting for my AIM to load. I can still remember my excitement when I learned about chat rooms on my Nintendo. Starting in the fifth grade, I had my own phone. It even had a thick, built-in antenna.
As I made my way through grade school, phones advanced with me. The little flip phone turned into a Glyde, then a Chocolate and finally an iPhone. Computers were improved too, as thick desktops became slim laptops. Apple made its debut as ruler of the universe. My Nintendo was replaced with other gadgets, such as smart watches.
The effects of technology are profound. They are everywhere. Cyber security has become a household word. Hacking, mining and phishing are no longer only conducted outdoors, but by people on computers. The word apple is more often associated with the company than the fruit.
My generation is extremely computer literate. We can all find any fact on Google, find any person on Facebook and find any sum in Excel. We know our tech. We are the first ones asked about how to switch themes in PowerPoint or troubleshoot an app.
But we are also extremely computer dependent. Most kids my age wouldn’t know how to read a map if Google Maps failed, let alone function without technology in general. There are lots of art pieces that depict people literally chained to their phones.
The generation after me is growing up with the technology I only dreamed of when younger. Kids now are playing on iPads at age 2 and can work a Wii by age 3. Parents are becoming dependent on technology to pacify their children. They are joining the craze and becoming obsessed with technology too. Millennials aren’t the only addicts.
With a generation of kids raised with cutting edge innovations and apps that are created for nearly everything, how will the information age affect us? I’ll be the first to admit that my computer is an extension of me, and I know I’m not alone. So as technology spreads from my generation to others, it begs the question of how it will affect us all.
