Hello, My Name Is...

Hello, my name is Katie, and I am a technology addict.  Technology plays a massive part in my life, much as it does in the majority of the twenty first century college going young adults in the United States.  When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I'll check is my phone.  Not only does my phone act as my alarm clock, but it also acts as my connection to just about everybody I know.   The fact that my alarm clock also doubles as a social media outlet, is both a blessing and a curse.  If it was not so easy to access social media, maybe I wouldn't spend so much time on it.  Reality check comes in, I probably would find a way.

However, I am much more the rule than I am the exception.  I am able connect with friends who I cant see everyday through Facebook.  I can keep up with current events through Twitter.  In a way, the internet and social media have allowed me to keep in touch with people who without it, I most likely would have lost touch with.  On the other hand, social media has become such a dominant part of the culture and my life, it's difficult to pinpoint exactly when my dependence started.

Not all aspects of easy to access media is negative, I learned about the Boston bombing first from Facebook posts.  I definitely don't check the news sites as much as I check Twitter, so I learned about Columbine, and several other major events very soon after they happened from tweets.  I have educated my friends on current events and breaking news through social media, whereas they might not actually take the time to check the news sites.

When I have important information, I might make a few calls, but the ultimate way of shouting my news on the rooftop is a quick tweet, a short paragraph Facebook post, and a couple of hasty texts.  It's more than just a nice amenity, it's an extremely effective way to communicate.

All this to say, I am a very media centric person.  Social media does not define my daily life, but it enhances what I do everyday.  And yes, I might be a little addicted.  For better or worse, me and my ipad, iphone, and laptop are in it for the long haul.