Ayo Technology

"Humans used to sit around and stare at each other all day. Got very boring. So they invented the snarfblat..." --Scuttle, The Little Mermaid.

1. I am a huge Disney movie fan.

2. Replace the word "snarfblat" with the word iPod, kindle, HDTV, laptop -you name it- and you've got the main idea of this blog.

In another class I’m taking this semester, we were asked to compile a list of “American entertainment” that we could leave in a time capsule for a bunch of aliens that would inevitably take over the Earth. We were given no specifics on how to fill this list out, what we could or could not include, or exactly what types of entertainment we should focus on. You may be thinking of some of your own examples, but our list included some classics like Casablanca, Grease, and an episode of The Jersey Shore. A boy band or two, Harry Potter and the Grammys also graced a list that, although diverse, had one alarming similarity: technology. We listed movies, TV shows, music artists, even video games, but no one suggested board games, playing sports, coloring, singing, or cooking—no simple entertainment was mentioned. Technology has transformed so many aspects of American life, and this blog is going to discuss America’s shift into the technological age, and American society’s general love for and acceptance of technology.

I'm going to discuss various leisure activities, sources of entertainment, information gathering, and several processes (like writing dreaded research papers) that have been forever changed by technology. I’ll discuss topics like how we listen to music in 2010 versus how our parents listened to music, how gossip magazines and tabloids have lost the spotlight to websites and blogs, and how technological advancements (like the iPod, iPad, or snarfblat) change lifestyles. Many technologies like iPods, smartboards, color TVs or even Internet databases have revolutionized ideas and industries. It is these revolutionary items that will be the focus of my blog posts.

One thing I will not discuss is the good, the bad, and the ugly of technology, because honestly, I do not know. I know that I would hate not being able to text message, that I love listening to my iPod, and that being able to stream movies directly from Netflix to the TV is too cool; but I also know that there were 10 million cases of identity fraud in 2008, cell phone use is a factor in about 342,000 auto accident injuries, and that 70% of employers have rejected an applicant because of online info. Is there really a right or wrong? Maybe, but I’m in no position to decide. I may offer opinions, but I will in no way pass off anything I believe as fact. (Call me on it if I do!)

Next time I’ll begin my discussion of “out with the old and in with the new,” and I hope that jour289i and my supplemental research will aid me throughout the semester and result in an entertaining and informational discussion of technology’s great “Now vs. Thens.” I hope you’ll comment and join in on the discussion!

‘Til then, Happy Monday :)