Reading and Activity #1

1-    How old were you when you got your first computer?

                  -Early thirties 

2-    Before the Internet came out, how did you find information about a topic?

                  -Usually the computer lab or the library. All there was in school was a                                    typewriter. As a kid we had an encyclopedia set we used as well.

3-    How often were you in the library before the Internet compared to after it came out?

                  -Pretty much every day.  

4-    How long did it take you to connect to the Internet?

                  -A long time, what seemed like forever because of dial up.  

5-    Did your activities as a kid change once you had Internet?

                        -I was outside all the time playing with friends because I grew up without                              a computer in the house. 

6-    Did you think the Internet would come as far as it has today?

                        -No, especially not for the Internet to be on your phone.

I interviewed my mom about growing up without the Internet and it turned out to be quite shocking. She was really surprised when she realized she did not have a computer herself until she was in her early thirties. That is really surprising to me because she is the technology guru of the family. Looking back as a kid I really did not spend too much time on the internet as much as computer games but really I was always outside as well. I am sure you could ask anybody who grew up without the Internet would agree that they did not believe the Internet would come as far as it has today. Look at how it has affected people’s daily lives! The Internet on the phone is just one feature of several on a smart phone these days.

            It really is amazing how far technology has come since the Internet first came out and how much it has changed people and their daily lives. Jason Russell was the man who launched the famous “Kony 2012” video. This video received seven million views in less than one week, with that an influx of criticisms and praise. These comments started to mess with his head and he was diagnosed with “reactive psychosis” which is a temporary form of insanity. This is all from just being on the Internet or computer way too much. China, Taiwan, and Korea have all accepted the diagnosis of ‘Internet Addiction Disorder.’ In Taiwan there was a case where a high-school boy was on his iphone 24 hours a day and had to be put in an asylum. The Internet is starting to run our lives and becoming involved in everything we do. I can diagnose myself with ‘phantom-vibration syndrome’ where you think you feel your phone vibrating in your pocket but it really is not. Maybe I should think about shutting off for a day or so.