Final Thoughts

 By Chloe Brussard

    Taking time to reflect on my time in Media Law and Literacy, I can confidently say that I came out of that class with a newfound understanding of the role that technology plays in not only my life, but in the lives of those around me. Technology isn't just something that you can give up for Lent. It's something that if taken away, would make lives extremely difficult. How would I be able to communicate with my parents all the way back in Massachusetts? My grandparents in Maine? Even my sister who lives up in Centennial II? 

    The convenience that my phone offers me is irreplaceable. Being able to check my emails right away has saved me countless minutes, and the same goes for Blackboard. I don't need to open my computer to check on my grades, I can just look on my phone. But this doesn't mean that my phone is becoming a replacement for my computer. I can't go to class and take notes on my phone. Being able to type up my notes in class is a time saver and allows me to focus on what the teacher is saying rather than trying to remember what they are saying while I handwrite my notes. 

    Do I understand my dependence on technology? Absolutely. I am well aware that I spend more time on my phone than some people, and the same goes for my computer. In any situation in which I am in that even contains the slightest bit of awkwardness, like standing in line at Starbucks, I take my phone out and scroll through Instagram or check up on my Snapchat. That way, it looks like I am doing something instead of just standing there. 

    But what's wrong with just standing there? In reality, nothing. But for me, and probably so many others, doing nothing feels wrong. I always feel the need to be doing something, because doing nothing means I'm being lazy, and I can't allow myself to be lazy. It's a vicious cycle that I have yet to break, and wonder if I will ever do so. 

    That's not the only problem, though. Social anxiety is a huge factor in how I present myself in public. If I'm with friends, I have no problem leaving my phone off and conversing with them, but if they leave and I am left alone, I get the feeling that I need to do something. If I just stand there, and tell myself not to reach for my phone, I have noticed that the anxiety that would be released if I had my phone presents itself in other ways. I start tapping my foot, playing with my hair, or fidgeting with my jewelry (rings, necklace, earrings). 

    If I had the choice to give up technology, even with all this knowledge I have about what it has done to my life, I am completely positive I would not give it up. Technology has become too important to me. It has helped my social life and my academic life. It helps me stay close to people who I am not physically close to. Like I said before, my phone is not something I would be able to give up for Lent. This isn't a situation like giving up a Nintendo DS. It would be like giving up a crutch. A crutch that I would love to get rid of but cannot. 

    Sometimes I think back to the days where I didn't have a phone or a computer. Where I would be playing outside with my sisters, whether it be sunshine or snowing. We didn't need technology to entertain ourselves because we were fully capable of finding things to do without it. Now it seems impossible to think of something to do that we don't need our phones for. Maybe one day I will come to the realization that I don't need to rely on my technological devices during my everyday life. But, unfortunately, that day will not be today.