Looking back over the span of my life in relation to technology and computers, I feel like they have been a there forever. But I was old enough to remember our first family computer, getting flat screen televisions, new cell phones, and eventually evolving to a technology dependant college student.

My involvement with computers grew as I did. In elementary school as fourth graders we were introduced to “the computer room” and taught how to use these new and exciting objects to learn.

I went from perfecting my multiplication and spelling words in elementary school to something much more exciting as I graduated to junior high school. This period of my life was the "technology revolution" of my lifetime. Not only did my parents get a computer and internet for our house, I got a cell phone and a television in my room. Within a few years we even got a satellite dish. As a teenager I was in my glory. I could chat over instant messenger with my friends while watching over 200 channels. At 13 what could be better? This is where my social life on the computer and more importantly the internet really commenced! My friends and I would make "home pages" that were colorful (and corny). These simple pages consisted of bubble gum pink background colors and purple italic fonts telling the world about our ever exciting thirteen year old lives. Looking back they seem so silly, but I remember how fun they were to make and share. They are an interesting comparison to the pages (like this one) in terms of complexity and dynamics...

I think the computers, the internet and my cell phone became the most prominent in my life when I graduated high school and started college. My three only forms of communication became my cell phone, AIM, and emailing. This is how I kept in contact with my family from three hours away, my high school friends spread across the country and even my professors now. Niagara University is a school very internet oriented. Through programs like Blackboard and the school email system our school runs in sync and smoothly (most of the time). I began shopping on the internet, downloading music, and just basically wasting time! As semesters and classes went by I began using the online reserve at the library and easily deciphering valid and useless research information on the internet as well.

Now I have to admit I can barely imagine my life without it, and I’m not sure if this is a good OR bad thing. However, I am sure it will remain a part of my life, financially, socially, educationally, and of course with shopping.

Today the majority of my time on the internet is used for :

Finances

Social Interaction

Education