Final Blog Post

 I think my relationship with technology is pretty healthy. I used to go on some social media sites to see what other people post and keep in contact with my friends, but several months ago I deleted all my social media apps. Nowadays, I mainly only use technology in the form of video games. I use my computer to talk to and play online games with my friends. I only really use my phone for music and talking to my parents. I also sometimes use my phone and computer to watch YouTube videos. The only other form of technology I engage with is video game consoles. I do sometimes spend a lot of time playing games, but since I am majoring in game design, I feel it is somewhat essential for my career. I don’t really have much of a digital footprint either. I deleted my Facebook (which I very rarely used) a few years ago and my accounts on other social media platforms don’t use any of my real personal info. 

I believe that technology mostly improves my life and does make me smarter. The way I use technology and the internet, I gain many of the benefits it provides without having to sacrifice much of my privacy. Technology and the internet also play a very important role in my relationships. The only reason why I still have friends I originally met 7-10 years ago is because I’ve been able to keep in touch with them online. Because of technology, I get to talk to my friends several times a week, even if they go to different colleges. I have also been able to make friends in other areas of the world through online interactions. This has been really important for me, especially in a time like during COVID. Even though I wasn’t allowed to leave my house for about a year, I still had people to keep me company online.

I believe my digital footprint and online presence is positive, if it even exists at all in the first place. My parents, however, use social media and the internet a lot more than I do. My mom constantly posts to Facebook and keeps an Amazon Echo in almost every room of the house. She doesn’t really try to keep her life private online. Overall, I think technology and media have the potential to have a very positive effect on our lives, as long as we regulate our usage and be careful of our privacy.