Technology is used to make tasks more efficient and life more convenient. Today’s modern technology is primarily used to make communication easier. The creation of wireless devices that allow people to contact each other more efficiently than ever before. Additionally social media is used to change the way we experience communication, by some sites emphasizing images or videos rather than a string of text.

As a child, the technology I had was used to educate as well as entertain. I remember having two blue Apple iMac computers that my sisters and I would use to play typing games or other games that had a core educational purpose. If we really wanted to just have fun on the computer we would open up a new document on Microsoft Paint and create an artwork. We didn’t have a strict rules about how long we could be on the computer, but my sisters and I were good at self-regulating when we should move on to a different activity and we never relied on the computer as a primary source of entertainment. We also had a GameBoy device that we used on road trips and to play with during Saturday mornings. Until I was in middle school, I did not really do a lot online.

When I began seventh grade, I started to notice how many of my peers had a cell phone. They would use their phones to make plans to hangout on the weekend or to text each other during recess. Seventh grade was also the first year of going to school in a new district where I didn’t know anybody. Because I didn’t have a phone like everyone else, I felt like it was harder to make friends because I wouldn’t be able to text away from school. I moved to a new school the next year and the same thing happened. I had friends but it was much harder to hang out on the weekends or away from school, or even communicate well at school, which made me feel like I was not fully a part of my friend group.

For the next three years, I went to online school. I had health issues related to asthma and going into online school was the best option for my health. During this time I did not have a phone, but I less often felt like I was missing out socially because I was not in an environment where everyone was using their phones. As I re-entered traditional school my senior year, I still did not have a phone until the Christmas of that year. This again made it hard to feel like I fit in, but ultimately I ended up with wonderful friends.

Each year that I did not have a phone I found it progressively harder to feel totally connected to my peers. However it was definitely not impossible to make good friends, many I still talk to today. By not having a phone as a teenager I often felt like I was missing out on part of the experience of being a teen today. Now I feel like I have a good sense of how often I am using my phone, in public and in private. I also feel more aware of how often other people are using their phones, and this helps to ensure that I do not let phone use over power face-to-face communication. To an extent, I credit my phone use awareness to my not having a phone for so long. However, I still find that today I don’t feel as connected to texting or virtual communication as most people my age are.