o1. Communication Technology meet Yin and Yang

In seminar one, we looked at advancements in communication technology and the benefits and shortcomings that come along with them. For this first journal entry, think and write about how an example of modern-day communication technology has a good side and a bad side.

The advent of communication technology has certainly made our modern world much more accessible. With continually advancing communication technology, the world seems to be getting smaller and smaller as it becomes easier for people to reach even the furthest corners of the world. However, as with everything in the world, there is a thin - that isn't always so clear - line between good and bad. Two of the most controversial pieces of communication technology - blurring this line quite effectively - could probably be the cellphone and laptop.

The cellphone is probably the fastest growing commodity. In only a few decades, it has evolved from walkie-talkie look-alike to a fits-in-your-palm, no-hands-needed piece of technology. Not only does it look great, but it does more than simply making calls as well. Now people don't have to leave a voice mail or continuously call someone who's not available; cellphones can reach people using text messages and picture messages. The network has also expanded, allowing people to make calls around the city and even make long distance calls on their cells if they want to. Cellphones are portable (unlike home phones) and make it possible to call family or friends while on the go. It's also become a sort of safety measure for many people (especially females), making it possible to call for help on the spot instead of running around, searching for a telephone booth.
Nonetheless, the cellphone - like all pieces of technology - also has it's drawbacks. The main problem that our generation seems to have with the cellphone is moderation. Even though we would all like to deny it, most of us often chat on our cellphones all day long until our jaws feel like they'll fall off. Everyday, there is always someone calling and someone to call to talk about the latest gossip or cute crush. Not only do we feel the need to talk all day long, we also need to text message our friends. The moment we become slightly bored, our cellphones are whipped out and we're dialing on the pad like crazy to type out a message to a friend. The problem with all of this? Most teenagers probably don't pay the cellphone bill. As a result of our excessive over-use, our parent(s) must dig even deeper from their quickly emptying pockets; it just doesn't seem fair.

The same could be said for laptops; they've progressed at a tremendous rate in such a short period of time. They've become the latest accessories for students because they're both useful and quite stylish now. Progress has developed these sleek, fit-in-your-backpack notebooks that the world can't seem to get enough of. For students, especially in Mary Ward, these pieces of technology seem like a godsend with their portability and capacity to hold great amounts of information. The laptop allows its users access to their own files and programs and the ever-important, life-sustaining Internet. For Mary Ward students, the greatest advantage to having a laptop is the fact that we don't need to wage an all-out war with the rest of the student body to simply get a computer.
However, once again, there are also the ever-increasing drawbacks that the laptop possesses - particularily for the youth. Since the laptop is becoming increasingly appealing physically, it becomes like another pretty toy that people must have to show off to the world. This problem is especially true for the youth who wish to be seen with the latest piece of technology, not because they need it, but simply because it looks "cool". Having Internet access on laptops can be helpful, but most of the time not in the educational sense. Many people abuse their laptops by using the wireless Internet to chat on MSN, play online games, visit their blogs/websites (think Facebook and Myspace)... just to name a few. Laptops aren't exactly the cheapest pieces of technology available and can be one of the worst ways to invest one's money if for selfish, petty reasons.

Once again, I must emphasize the point that the line between good and bad is often thin and blurred - extremely difficult to distinguish yet all too easy to cross in terms of technology. One must always remember that with the good, always comes the bad.