I feel like my media log is kind of embarrassing because I didn’t know that I spent an average of basically 7 hours a day on my phone. Looking through the breakdown of all the data of my screen time I feel like it’s clear that I’m literally addicted to my phone. I spend the most time on my phone using Instagram. I actually don’t even post much on Instagram I literally just scroll, double tap, scroll, click on a profile, read the comments on a blog, the cycle repeats and I spend an average of 3 hours a day on Instagram doing  that. Also sometimes I hashtag things and follow profiles of websites I shop on. For example, besides scrolling and looking at comments or pictures, I hashtag things that I might want to buy to see better angles of it, people using it and stuff like that to help me make my final decision. The text messaging app I spent an average of almost 7 hours because I get text messages all day long and I got 644 messages last week. The Safari app I mostly use to look something up really quickly, sign on blackboard, online shopping and stuff like that. I actually used Safari more than usual because I’ve been scouting for Christmas presents early and trying to see if I can catch sales.  Even though I feel that my media log is ridiculous and to be using my phone so much is absurd, it does serve as a past time like if I’m bored, waiting on a train, riding in a car etc. It’s just so convenient that almost everything I feel that I need is in this one device and it keeps me occupied. The saddest part of this whole analysis is that even though I’m aware of how much I use my phone I probably won’t make a conscious effort to cut down.

This week i chose to read Marshall McLuhan “Understanding Media: the Extensions of Man” he talks about how technology makes it impossible for people to stay aloof. The idea that any invention or technology is an extension of human sensory organs and constitutes a new medium of interaction with the environment. I agree that technology is an extension of a human because of how we use it and make it apart of daily lives. We use technology to interact for us even if we are aloof in a way.

After reading “Is Google Making Us Stupid” by Nicholas Carr, I would have to agree with the topic of the article. To an extent yes it does as well as any form of technology. The creation of technology is to make our lives more efficient and putting less effort into everyday tasks. Such as spoon and fork, they may be simple in design and do not require electricity but they are still a form of tech. Google which is an online search engine formed in 1998 which is used to look up information online.

Google is commonly used throughout the day by millions of people to search up terms, people, addresses, songs, and much more info. Google is definitely useful during the modern times even I use it multiple times a day. But the problem is people rely on Google too much which takes the work out of looking up particular info. It is also shortening our attention span and our sense of patience. Because of the ease of access, Google has given its users, we expect info to come in a snap of a finger or however as fast your internet connection is. Technology does provide a ease of access to its user that’s why it was created but at a risk of making us more lazy and possible limiting our cognitive functions.

The article mentioned that because of Google people nowadays are less willing to read long articles or books. I agree with this statement, I do not read books often unless it is for class. Also, I have not read a book from back to front for entertainment since high school. I do feel insecure because it because I am a college student. I also know many students my age that does not read that often for entertainment.

For this week’s blog post, I am choosing to respond to “Missed Connections”. I enjoyed reading this article because it highlighted issues that I feel are important to speak about and bring attention to. The internet is beneficial and helpful in many ways, and with the same amount, extremely dangerous. The power of a search engine is magnificent and can educate many people on all sots of things. Unfourtatuntaley, the education isn’t so well placed and unfairly so. In this article we see how putting a woman of odor into a search engine to learn about culture, heritage, history etc, but instead of that coming up first and foremost, pornagrophy related sites and articles come up. The problem is, that the internet hows the ability and power to teach so much, and it is placed in such a terrible way. We need to do better. We need to improve the machines to us, before it overcomes, as with any device. We need to be so cautious with what we allow to be seen and how it affects us an future generations, and this article highlights one example. I took from this reading how crucial it is to be on top of ourselves with technology. To say it even better, the video we watched in class the other day, the subjegation to technology, screams exactly what I am trying to say.

“The Coming of the Microcomputer” by Brian Winston  explored the advancing technology of the computer system. when it was first introduced the computer wasn’t what it was now. when it was invented typically a computer and the monitor would be huge. taking up big spaces in rooms. scientist were the ones who could operate this technology. they were not used for public entertainment purposes but for only for government en devours. as the technology has advanced the size and its usage purpose has changed as well. it slowly became integrated into offices schools and homes , becoming readily available to the public. the size of computers also started to decrease as it became readily available for the public. in the present day, computers have become the norm in certain institutions. we use it everyday to interact with friends, business partners, and as a past time. computers have developed rapidly, that its structure have been Incorporated into our smartphones. essentially you can do everything you can do on your computer on your phone.

Johanna Drucker’s article “From A to Screen” opens your eyes to the historical and conceptual nature of how letters appear upon your computer screen. when we type, we never take into consideration that a simple letter as “A” can take on a different or new meaning based on the size and font. it is common for students in college to use a times new roman font for our work. it is seen as formal and legible but what if in another country times new roman is shunned and look down upon. with many things we are used too, we fail to recognize the history or power of words and font.  although speech is universal, language is widely different. our alphabet and how we use it, may seem peculiar to people from other countries. just how their language may be different from ours. i had a vague understanding of the power of letters. slowly im beginning to see how the look, sound, and presentation of a letter can be considered a aesthetic representation of a country or culture.