Tech

"Hey google, what year is it?"

90s Kid

When I came into this world, computers required dial up internet, music was only on cassettes, movies were on VHS tapes, cellphones could only call people, documents were saved on floppy discs, and film was the #1 way to take photographs. Flash forward to 2020! Phones can do literally everything. They are essentially computers that fit in your pocket, or at least most pockets. It is very easy to forget just how good we have it now. Instead of grabbing an encyclopedia at the library and flipping to find something, all I have to do is say “hey google, what is the height of the Eiffel Tower?” and an answer is provided. With these advancements in technology comes responsibility. Growing up I learned the importance of using the evolving technology properly.

Say Cheese

As I mentioned above, back in the 90s we had to wait for our film to develop and get our prints back. Luckily there were so many photo labs that could process film that you would only have to wait an hour! Nowadays you would be lucky if you still had a photo lab in your city. As we got closer to the 2000s, in comes digital cameras as new tech, they provided instant gratification and were deemed revolutionary. Not to confuse with the Polaroids of course when talking about instant gratification. I am talking digital files here. Now we look back at those digital cameras in the 2000s and think the photos were not that great and low quality. What really happening is that technology is advancing quicker than ever before and as a result we constantly want the new tech the moment it becomes available.

Can you Hear me Now?

‘Smart’ Cellphones can do literally anything. They can take photos, make videos, type documents, record sounds, send emails, watch movies, play music, connect to people in a second, video chat, scan, and so much more! It is truly amazing. The smart phone is an extremely important tool to stay connected to the rest of the world. It is also true that we all have become very dependent on our cellphones and sometimes too dependent on them. For example, I still use my Waze app on my phone as GPS to get to work. Not because I don’t know where I am going, but because I am notified of cops, pot holes, car accidents and traffic jams. All of those notifications are crowd sourced, meaning other people are flagging these things. Connecting us by helping each other get to work on time. The important thing I try to remember is that technology can all go away. The power could go out, your battery could die, cell towers could go down and you would have to switch to survivor mode. Even though the connections smart phones provide are important, we have to remember that it can all go away and we need to remember how to live without our phones.

No, Your Phone is Not “better” than a Real Camera

I know this is a polarizing topic. A phone camera is certainly not a bad place holder if you don’t have a camera at the ready. Phone cameras on average are only about 12 megapixels with a sensor about the size of a No.2 pencil eraser, so there is a reason professional photographers use real cameras and in some cases still use film rather than a phone. The quality of the image MATTERS! The proof is in the printing. Try printing a phone picture 16x20 or larger. You will lose quality quickly, especially if you try cropping into the photo even a little bit. Now it is true that as technology advances cellphone cameras will become better, but they can’t fully replace real DSLR or Mirrorless cameras. Nothing will fully replace a DSLR or Mirrorless camera. The technology is appreciated too much by professionals and hobbyists to ever go away. I am not trying to discourage you from exploring photography with your phone, but there is a moment that you may want to explore other methods of shooting and a phone will not be able to accommodate.

Connecting the World

The greatest benefit of technology is how connected we all have become. I can message someone who lives in Australia and hear back from them in an instant. I even have my whole family on Facebook and can stay up to date on their lives. I can send little videos via Instagram, Marco Polo, or Snapchat, and reach countless people. We are extremely lucky we can share opinions, stories, information and important news updates with a click of a button. This is especially important regarding the recent Covid-19 outbreak. If it weren’t for technology we wouldn’t be able to work remotely, call family members, home schooling, and receive updates about the virus. As much as people are getting overwhelmed by the constant news feed, imagine if we were living in the 1700s when they did not have a quick way to communicate to everyone at once. I am frequently reminded of how lucky I am to live in the 21st century.

Be Responsible and Respectful

Because technology has been evolving so quickly and our level of connectivity has increased so widely, I think we forget to be respectful and responsible. Just because you have your phone with you in a movie theater does not mean you should use it during the movie. Just because you can bully or be revolting on the internet doesn't be you should! There are still consequences for if you choose to do bad things. I shouldn't have to go into detail with what "bad" things people can do online. In today's world we are dealing with a lot of issues and they should not be ignored. Understand that what you do online can be seen by a lot of people and you need to know that what you say, share, and comment on matters. Do not ruin your day or even friendships by fighting with someone online because it does not solve anything. Sure there can be a "discussion" but once hateful words are thrown about it turns into a conversation that is no longer productive. Think before you post.