Social media has taken the world by storm.  In just a short amount of time, social networking sites have transformed from just an idea into a large factor of society.  Over 400 million people worldwide have a Facebook account, while over 200 million people use Twitter (Morgan).  Facebook and Twitter are just two of the popular websites used to communicate with other people.  Other networking sites, including Instagram, Tumblr, and Myspace, are also popular in culture today.  These websites are so dominating that you don’t even need a computer to use them.  Cell phone and Tablet companies have made devices with apps, so accessing these websites are quicker and easier than ever.  Social networking sites are convenient and fun when interacting with friends and family, but are they appropriate in the work force?

            Many users of sites such as Twitter and Facebook believe that what they post is private and protected.  Although your account is secured with a password, and you think only certain people can view posts, the truth is that anyone can view statuses, comments, tweets, or pictures.  Some companies use extreme measures to locate prospects on the internet and use that information when conducting interviews.  In some cases, what you post on social websites determines whether or not you get and/or maintain a job.

The evolution of technology is amazing.  We have come a long way from listening to eight tracks and record players, using solely desktop computers, and watching black and white televisions.  It seems as if access to all forms of technology is extremely easy in today’s society.  Personally, I have experienced a difference in my preferences and habits when using certain technology.

            At one point in time, your teacher would give you an assignment and you would have to spend all day in the library checking out books in order to conduct research. Adults have always expressed to me that there is no reason not to have flawless paper because generations today have the “world at our fingertips.”  Students today do not have to use the Dewey Decimal System to find articles about a given topic.  They can simply type a few words in Google’s search bar, and in a matter of seconds, thousands of websites pertaining to a specific topic will appear.

            The use of computers, Android Tablets, and iPads has made accessing information easy and convenient.  Usually, information posted on the internet is concise, easy to understand, and short to the point.  Unfortunately, assignments in class are not that feasible. When I am presented with an activity that involves a lot of reading, I automatically become overwhelmed. I quickly scan the assignment and choose relevant and important parts.  This is because my brain has become accustomed to the summaries that are posted on the internet.  only are computers useful for schoolwork, they also keep you updated on current events.  I have set Yahoo as my homepage, so when I launch Google Chrome, today’s articles automatically appear.  I had no idea about the Trayvon Martin Case, or the political campaign race until articles were appearing on Yahoo.  Again, the articles are usually short synopsizes that emphasize the main points.  If I want the full story with details, I watch news broadcasts on television or YouTube.

            Computers have also made accessing music easier.  Until recently, you had to wait until an artist released a CD to obtain it.  Today, there are various websites that supply unreleased music.  CD sales have decreased because most people have turned to burning their own Cds and syncing music to their IPods.   I used to burn my own CDs because they were customized to fit me.  If you didn’t want a certain song on the CD, you had the option to choose a different song to replace it.  IPods have the same concept.  You have the power to choose what goes on it.  With music being downloaded from the internet, consumers have more options, rather than buying the traditional CDs. 

            As for me, the use of technology has made my life simpler.  I can do all my assignments, be updated on the latest news, and be aware of the latest tunes in the comfort of my own room.  I wouldn’t say that using these methods have made me lazy, or oblivious to other ways to completing the same tasks, because I know how to balance.  I know how to find and check out books in the library.  I am educated about navigating through newspapers and magazines.  I can go to a store and effectively search through CD racks to find my desired artists.  I believe people my age only choose to use computers because it has become a natural part of life.

Videos games play a major role in today’s popular culture.  They are normally played by all ages, but especially by younger generations.  Certain video games can sometimes influence the way children think, or portray a specific image.

            I was never a video game guru, but my cousin was.  I would go to his house often and we would spend countless hours playing his Playstation 2.  Instead of games like The Mario Bros, Fantasia, or Go Diego Go, he played games violent games like Saints Row, and the infamous Grand Theft Auto.  The first time I played Grand Theft Auto was at his house.  I was around seven or eight and did not know how to play.  He turned the game on and suddenly the screen became dark.  The setting was an inner city and displayed all of the characteristics.  Characters were migrating on street corners, shops were bordered up, stores looked broken into, and police officers roamed the streets.  I asked my cousin what I was supposed to do, and he replied “Get money!”

            He instructed me to use the gun to steal cars, rob stores, and kill people in order to obtain money.  I even could run people over to steal their belongings.  Now that I am looking back at this game, stereotypical characters were involved – minorities.  There were mainly Hispanics, African-Americans, and Asians robbing white people.  Is this what the video game producers assumed as normal life for minorities?

            I cannot determine if playing Grand Theft Auto endlessly had an effect on my cousin, but subconsciously, he, like all the other children playing, believed this is how the minority interacted with the majority.

Over the last decade, advances in technology have taken America by storm.  It seems as if a vast majority has access to even the simplest forms of technology.  Today, it is common for elementary school children to use cell phones, it is assumed that almost every household has at least two televisions with cable, and over half of the population has access to the internet.

            I am a huge dependent on technology.  It has just become a part of daily life.  I use my cell phone endlessly from making phone calls, to sending text messages, checking my social networking accounts, and even waking me up for class.  Television has also become a basic necessity.  I watch it when I’m bored throughout the day, when I wake up in the morning, and when I am getting ready to go to sleep.  I could only imagine how hard it would be to not have a television.  I watch it for entertainment, but also to keep up-to-date with the outside world.

            What is taken for granted today was not always so easy to access.  I spoke to my mother who told me:

 “During the 1960s and 1970s, most households could only afford one television.  It was usually placed in the living room, so the whole family could enjoy it.  In my home, our television only displayed primary stations like CBS, ABC and NBC.  And it was black and white.” 

She went on to explain that only the wealthy had multiple colored televisions.  It is hard for me to imagine a household with only one television with minimal channels situated in the living room.  It is common for homes today to have a television in each room with hundreds of  channels.  I have had a television in my room since I was five years old, whereas my mother did not get her own until she was in college.  This is similar to the Internet.

Computers with internet access were not available to the public until the 1980s, but it was still only limited to the wealthy.  My mom remembers when Apple and AOL were first emerging, and how excited everyone was about the new invention.  People were still using typewriters for documents, and using the Dewey Decimal System to check out books from the library for extensive research.  Today, most high school and college age students do most of their work on the computer.  They have programs like Microsoft or Open Office where they can type documents and create presentations, and have easy access to the internet where they can perform research, which eliminates trips to the library.  The internet is no longer restricted to only the wealthy population, much like cell phones.

Cell phones were made popular by, once again, the wealthy.  At one time, businessmen used to them as a more efficient way to speak with colleagues and clients. Many luxury cars were built with phones attached just below the radio for convenient usage.  Eventually, cell phones were made accessible by the general public. The very first cell phone that I have seen was a black Motorola.  It was huge compared to the phones used today.  It had two buttons, other than the numeric key pad, which were a green talk, button, and a red end/off button.  It was not used for texting, Skyping, social networking, or picture taking; it was solely used to talk.  I only knew a handful of people who were lucky enough to own a cell phone.

As I’ve previously stated, it is common for anyone – even elementary school children to have cell phones.  Anyone can have access to the internet and television.  What was once so prestigious and segregated, is now closer to being equally distributed throughout society.  I don’t believe technology is limited to gender or age, but in some cases it could relate to income, which subsequently relates to race.