Leighanne Guettler-James: Assignment 2

I often wonder what my life would have been like if i was born 20 years sooner and I don't doubt that my life would have been different in countless ways. For one thing, the music I hear would have been more along the lines of Rick Astley and Micheal Jackson, as opposed to Beyonce and Chief Keef. Not to mention the fact that denim on denim would have been all the rage when I was in high school. Aside from all of the things I just mentioned, technology is the thing that would have most definitely impacted my life differently. Other than the very early years of my youth, I have never known a world where mostly everyone didn't have a cell phone and at least Facebook. Or a world where I couldn't look up almost anything I need on the internet in 2 minutes, whether its homework help, beauty tips, or the latest news from around the world. Technology, in this way, is helpful, but I have also found it to be detrimental to many of my relationships. With such easy access and contact of anyone you know, it's easy to let things become blown out of proportion or say things that you wouldn't in person. With such widespread virtual communication, the subtle nuances and ques that can be used in face to face conversation can't be used. This leads to misunderstandings and ineffective communication. Also, the fact that people have cell phones allows them to constantly be submerged in their own personal virtual reality. I am guilty of this, sometimes it feels easier to scroll through Instagram then hold a conversation with someone right next to you and that is really scary. Because of this, I think that many of the relationships I have would be very different 20 years ago. We would talk less, be more attentive to each other, and communicate more effectively.