INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: Making Life Better or Worse?

     REFELCTION ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Jose Arnelle Gay R. Millena | BSN 1-2

    In the modern era, returning to old practices involving using paper is impracticable. In school, we students often ask this question in class discussions “Ma’am magsesend ka po ba ng PPT?” (Opens the camera on our phones if our teacher says no). Especially given the ease of technology, 90% of the class would rather have a PPT copy of the lesson than write notes on paper. Technology has influenced every part of our everyday lives, altering the way we interact with the world. 

    It shifted the way of living and the environment we are in. I lived 18 years of my life using technology, and almost everything I do is assisted by this creation. It amazes me how it evolved through time, from keypad cell phones (I had one of those phones where you can flip them) to touch-screen mobile phones. In this generation, it's impossible to go anywhere—whether in public transportation, hospitals, restaurants, malls, offices, homes, or even classrooms—without seeing people using electronic devices. There is no moment that every time I go out, I don’t see a single gadget. It’s revolving around us, this technological advancement indicates a change in our surroundings, in which almost EVERYTHING is digitized and networked.

    In ELIE class, our teacher, Mrs. Salazar, shared with us that not all electronic devices can be called “information technology." That gave me insight that information technology mainly involves the use of technology to communicate, transfer data, and process information. It involves interaction, and it makes sense why it is so significant for us today: it is because of its ability to connect with other people, which was limited in the early times of technology. It’s crazy to think that even technology and humans can interact through AI which is widely relevant right now.

    This brings questions about how information technology is affecting our lives. Does it have positive or negative outcomes? Does social media affect our mental health? Does it increase our knowledge or make us feel lazy? Is it a source of distraction, or does it enable us to be more productive? The effect of information varies from person to person. The impacts are mostly determined by how we use it. Personally, despite its limitations, I am thankful that information technology was invented to make our lives easier. Here are some of the ways that information technology influenced the way I lived my daily life:

1. Accessible information and knowledge

    As a student, I find myself thankful for information technology because it has improved the way I handle my studies, making it less complicated to finish projects, create ideas, and do research. Throughout my years as a student, I was taught to use the computer since sixth grade. I learned some basic skills, such as familiarizing myself with the keyboard, and learned how to use different hardware equipment until I reached high school. Those were the times I learned how to use Excel and Word documents; it was a big help, especially since we're trained in my previous school on how to make a research paper. I can say that information technology plays a vital role not just in my studies but also in my studies. The amount of information available online made the learning process easier compared to what my grandparents experienced. They told me that they're physically visiting libraries and sifting through numerous books and resources just to get quality information. Now, with just one click away, thousands of sources are already available to answer our questions. There was this time when I was trying to sleep, and then curiosity hit me, so I couldn't resist searching on Google “Who invented sleeping?” All jokes aside, information technology gave me a deeper understanding and broadened my perspective on the world, allowing me to learn new languages and respect cultural diversity. It has played an important role in promoting a better awareness of cultural differences.

2. Entertainment and Creation

   I never thought of myself as an online person, maybe since my mom won't allow me from having a phone growing up, including social media. I practiced guitar and watched TV much of the time. I didn't force my mom to give me permission to open my own Google and social media accounts until after I started taking online classes. That was my starting point in the virtual world. I first started using social media back in ninth grade and things went pretty really well—until it started to worsen my attention span. Let's all admit that we experienced this matter. In any case, it improved my ability to interact and inspired me to be more creative. Because I love making music, I make use of the internet to get advice on how to be more skilled in it. The use of information technology made learning simpler, not just in education and creative activities but also in entertainment. I enjoy binge-watching anime and TV shows on Netflix, and platforms like these as well as YouTube allow me to explore my passions.

3. Connection and communication

    Information technology has improved my ability to connect with my loved ones and beloved friends. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic back in 2020, face-to-face interaction was prohibited and people used social media to remain connected with the world. I’m a huge anime fan, I even made friends online who share the same interests and surprisingly some of them are still in touch. I am also an active member of our church, and back in those times, I can recall everything was held online from meetings to church services. It wasn’t easy but information technology made communication possible despite the inconvenience that the pandemic brought to us.

    Despite the benefits, the constant flood of messages and information may be overwhelming and distracting. I also experienced how it may cause laziness and negatively affect my mental health. In summary, information technology has benefits that can enhance daily living, but it also includes issues that need to be properly handled. Making use of its benefits while taking caution while using information technology can provide us better experiences.