24 hours technology free assignment brown
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The student was assigned a 24-hour technology-free assignment for a class on the impact of computing technology. They realized they had become very dependent on technology in their daily life as an IT professional and student. During the 24 hours, they went to a spin class, spent time with their nieces at the park, had dinner with their family, and were able to reflect on their heavy reliance on technology and miss out on family time as a result. The assignment gave them insight into balancing technology use with other important activities in life.
24 hours technology free assignment brown
- 1. 24 Hours Technology Free Assignment Brenden Brown CSC 223 – Professor Friedman 10 July 2011
- 2. Computing technology plays a role in nearly every aspect of 21st century life. It is truly a day in age where most people are connected with an information highway that is the internet. Humans are utilizing technology to make their lives more efficient, connect with their worlds around them, and to improve quality of life; whether the computing technology is a desktop/PC, mobile cell phone, smart phone, television, car, or any technical application of specific knowledge for practical purposes. In the industrialized world, computing technology has flattened the world per se, on a global scale, leveling the playing field for lower-to-middle classes to have an equal chance of having access to information and tools that will help improve the quality of life. Growing up in the information age as part of the “millennium” generation, I have always used some sort of technology as part of my daily routine.For an assignment in the Impact of Computing Technology class, I was tested to stay technology-free for twenty-four hours. Beyond prohibiting use of a cell phone and internet surfing; I was required to refrain from watching television and operating a motor vehicle. This was extremely difficult in that I am used to driving to work in the Information Technology industry and telecommute for school. In general, I realized that I have and ambecoming increasinglytechnologically dependent. It is interesting to reflect on the alternatives to technology that I discovered during this blackout. In addition, I will discuss whether or not I was able to go twenty-four hours, what my successes and failures were, what I did with my time otherwise spent utilizing technology, and how cutting myself off from technology felt. I went technology-free on warm, nice Saturday morning. I walked with my mother to a spin class at a nearby gym, LifeTime Fitness. My mother and I talked about what our following week looked like. I also told her about my assignment and that I was to stay technology free and to ensure that when I was around her that she made sure that I was being technology-free from cell phone, internet/computer usage, driving a car, and watching television. She offered a great idea to me as a way to cope with being technology-free, which would be to have my nieces come over to our house. After I went to spin class for an hour, I was back at home and took a shower. I got ready and then wondered,
- 3. “How am I going to contact my nieces or sister to ask if they wanted to come over?” I asked my mother this same question in hopes of finding an answer. My mother ended up calling my sister and my sister drove the kids over to our house. Was this really being technology-free? Is utilizing my mother to contact my sister and nieces considered leveraging computing technology? I felt that it still counted, as I personally was not using the cell phone to contact them. This served as a successful alternative to a cell phone and I learned that I can ask others for help or for a favor when I needed to be technology free. It is notable that I do not spend as much time as I would like to spend with my nieces since I am busy with working and attending school full time each, so this blackout presented an opportunity to have a “win- win situation” where I could see my nieces and spend time with them, while completing this assignment. Got to love win-win situations! When my nieces came over, I was tempted to turn on the television mainly because it is a form of entertainment for not only me but for my nieces. They like to watch cartoons, mainly on the Disney Channel and Cartoon Network. Both of my nieces asked if I could turn on the television and I told them about my assignment. They did not understand why I was doing this assignment, so I asked them about their schoolwork and said, “You know how you have assignments for school? This is one of my assignments.” Bernice replied with a mere, “Oh. That doesn’t seem like a fun class.” I chuckled after her response because at that age, growing up with watching television and playing with toys is an everyday occurrence. This was also the same for me when I grew up. My mother bought video game systems and plenty of games to keep me stimulated and ultimately satisfied. Not to go on a tangent, but as a guy, playing video games is typically more common of an activity than it is for girls, but it may beside the point for this reflection piece. Nonetheless, I digress knowing that children are learning hand-eye coordination playing video games and it provides stimulation in their brains when they interact with others playing video games. It is a fundamental learning experience in today’s day in age.
- 4. I decided to take my nieces to the park near my house in Algonquin, IL. We also took my dogs with us so that we could play with them. My mom also went with us to go to the playground where my nieces could play and my mom could watch them and talk. We were at the park for a good two hours. At this point, I had been technology free for only six hours or so. After we came back from the park, my sister came to pick up her children and was on her merry way home with them. In this aspect, I was successful for only six hours, just had eighteen more to go! I thought at this point, I mine as well keep going. I asked myself, come on, if you can’t go twenty-four hours technology free, your control over your will is in jeopardy! I decided to take a nap and it lasted four hours. At this point, I was on the way. When I woke, my father was home and he asked if I wanted to make dinner with him. Score! We drank some wine and made dinner. We then ate as a family. Then I went to bed and it lasted until the morning. Being technology-free for twenty-four hours was an event that allowed me to be technology- free. I appreciated spending more time with my family instead of burying myself with work and school- work and being in-touch with the outside world. I did not have any failures, I don’t think. If listening to the music in the cycling class I took in the morning is considered technology, then I might have failed. However, the ultimate learning experience was that the utilization of technology for an extended period of time takes away from other events that could happen in my life (e.g. watching my nieces growing up). This could also be known as an opportunity cost, where the cost of utilizing information technology costs opportunities to watch my nieces grow up and spend time with them. I think this assignment opened my mind and allowed me to reflect on what takes most of my time up on a daily basis.