Week Six- A Day Without Media

Also known as, the day the Earth stood still. So maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but life certainly does seem to revolve marginally slower without a constant connection to media. I find it interesting how much preparation I needed for a day without media. Planning was the first step. Monday through Friday I either have class involving computers, or my work at the Auditor-Controller’s office is solely online. Saturday and Sunday were the only available options for a day without media. That was shocking alone; that I depended upon media so extensively that preparation was needed to separate from it. I even warned my brother and mom that I would not be responding due to an assignment.

Once upon a time, in a galaxy seemingly far far away, I would borrow a cell phone if my well-being demanded it (think field trips without the parents). Soon, the cell phone became an extension of my hands, with some months in high school I had over 16,000 texts sent. Though 16,000 texts a month was certainly an accomplishment in its own respect, described by a Verizon salesman as possibly one of the few customers to actually cost Verizon money, I began to cut back and become more cognizant of my usage. Today, I primarily use my phone for browsing articles, setting up in-person contact with friends, and communicating with family. Despite this limited current usage, I still feel dependent upon my phone. If I accidentally leave my phone in my car, I notice within about ten minutes. If I accidentally leave my wallet in the car, I might notice the following day. As Itunes might describe, “Synchronization complete.” Am I not effectively a cyborg with such a dependency upon technology?

This thought has actually plagued my thoughts since taking Writing 105P. In the course, we discussed human’s increasing dependency upon technology, including how recall is even changed by technology. A study by Betsy Sparrow of Columbia (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/15/health/15memory.html?_r=0) even investigated how search engines and the internet change recall. People are much more likely to remember how to find things rather than the content. Is this not a more valuable skill with human knowledge exponentially increasing and its wealth available where the tips of fingers connect to a keyboard?