Always Connected

Lets face it; our generation is obsessed with technology and being connected.

Modern society has evolved so much that our basic needs are right at our fingertips. Access to social networking, email, news and weather are all now available through most smart phones. Making it not even necessary to even fire up a laptop or desktop computer to get the same information.

Being a person who is constantly connected, with access to an iPhone as well as a laptop computer, I began asking myself, is there benefits to being constantly connected in the technologically savvy universe that we live in? I found myself answering both yes and no to this pressing question.

As time presses on so does technology, it comes and goes with the modernization of society. Yes, there are positives to being connected. Convenience is a major positive. With all of the accessibility that smart phones provide, urgent emails are no longer missed and constant communication is available if necessary.

Twitter has also given a new meaning to being connected. Many people use this social networking site for breaking news and other information. Twitter has opened the opportunity for anyone to share breaking news from their hand held devices. This has shown to be very effective during major catastrophes such as natural disasters or times of dangerous in climate weather.

Skype is another huge break in the modern technology world. This free video chat program has been utilized through anything from business meetings to connecting people across the globe. It allows face-to-face conversation through computers as well as mobile devices ultimately aiding in the constant connection that technology provides.

Even though being connected has its positives, I believe there are some downfalls to this constant connection. Laziness. Think about it, when is the last time you actually picked up the phone to communicate with someone instead of chatting with them via text message. Could you imagine what our parents did to communicate with friends? They did anything from writing letters to going to see them in person just to stay in touch. Back then, there was no convenience of Facebook or text messaging just to stay in constant communication. It makes me wonder if somewhere in the near future if no one will converse face to face anymore and if every kind of communication will be via the digital universe.

Being constantly connected does have some major positive aspects, however we still need to be connected with reality and make sure this constant connection isn’t taking over our lives.

Morgan Miller
Pierce Arrow Editor-in-Chief