The end of the 19th century marked the change of life as the generations before then knew it. With the explosive birth and development of the digital world, people who lived during that period of time were bombarded by devices and things they never thought would be possible. Since then, it has been hard to keep up with the technological advancements taking place. People who were born in 2005 feel outdated in 2015. Last year’s cellphone is considered primitive when compared to what’s fresh in the market. Facebook started out as the social platform, but then became one of a million social platforms. What will our life look like 20 years from now?
Early Childhood
I was born in 1998, so it’s safe to say that I was born in times where digital technology was uprising. My first interaction with technology continues to be the most present, despite the massive advancements and “makeovers” it has gone through. What could be the thing that made its way into my childhood, and persisted all the way through my adolescence till now? It is that device I remember thinking of as a “magical portal of moving images and colors” only to later know it as the “television.”
In my earliest years of childhood, I remember watching “Teletubbies” and “Zeina w Nahoul” for hours, making it easier for my parents to go about their chores. A tool of distraction for my parents, and a tool of entertainment for me. By the age of 11, it was within my daily routine to watch Cartoon Network and Space Toon. My imagination was feeding on fiction and fantasy. However my parents, at that time, set rules to regulate my interaction with the TV by limiting my time to two hours per day, after I finish my homework of course.. Felt like dictatorship to me if I’m being honest. I’m glad that didn’t last long.
By the age of 14, I not only watched TV for as long as I wanted to, but also claimed ownership of it (not legally though). I had purchased my own Play station, and I must confess that it made my lifestyle very unhealthy. I ignored my family, friends and educational duties, and created a fortress of my own: the living room couch.
At that age I was in the 8th grade, and I had noticed that all of my friends were purchasing iPhones, and after numerous quarrels with my parents and negotiations on reducing my Play station hours, they agreed to buy me one. This palm-sized device had a huge impact on my life. As I expected, I was allowed to use my phone for only a couple of hours a day , so I made the best of them to explore it’s features and capabilities.
My parents were afraid of the negative impact the cellphone might have, especially after my uncontrollable attitude towards the Play station. So my actions were somehow monitored. Up until today, I coexist with my phone; wherever I go, I take it with me. It is my connection to the outer world, and my easy access into information. I was never a bookworm, so thank god for Google! Countless are the times I open my phone to research something, and end up jumping between applications: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter… I am not the kind of person to share my personal life on social media. I use my social media platforms to keep up with news, sports, and most importantly the realm of sports cars. Learning from my early days of obsessive indulgence into technology, I have developed a self monitoring system when it comes to using my social media platforms,going up to a maximum of 5 hours per day. I wouldn’t say it’s perfect, but It’ a process in progress!
Educational Journey
Taken from The National Institute of Social Sciences
Going into university, my parents bought me my first laptop. All of my courses were digitized on my student database, and so the time I spent and continue to spend on my laptop is immeasurable. However one thing I noticed is that studying on the computer, as opposed to school, has helped me in improving my linguistic and literary skills. Every time I have an assignment, I would go online, read samples and explore new terminologies. The unlimited sources offered online for free have aided me in enhancing my academic performance. Of course Netflix and YouTube, being one click away, are very luring when I’m bored in the university library. However, to kill my guilt of diverging from studying, I go for documentaries and educational videos, so I am constantly trying to learn from whatever technology I indulge into.
Based on my own personal experience, I believe that the digital world has spread its roots into the realm of humanities, reaching a state of coexistence. How did the past generations make it without technology? I guess we’ll never know. Technologies are growing right this second as I type, and the market has been shaped in an inclusive way. In other words, technologies cost as low as 50$ to as high as a million dollars. What does that mean? It means that EVERYONE can purchase a phone. In 2013, TVTechnology (https://www.tvtechnology.com/miscellaneous/the-state-of-television-worldwide) posted an article which reveals that “Globally, more than 1.4 billion households now own at least one TV set, representing 79 percent of total households; the report notes that “virtually all” households in the developed world now own a TV set while 69 percent own at least one set in developing countries.” The contemporary idea of a break is watching a TV show or series on the computer, or even checking the feed on Instagram; the idea of a break is no longer about taking a walk or seeing friends, it has become a computed individualistic process. So in light of that I ask myself: is there any distinction between computing and humanities?
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