Tuesday, May 25, 2004
Storying Technology
What is my technological history? Well, I grew up in the days of light brite, Atari, Etch-a-Sketch, and She-Ra … you know the princess of power. We had those bulky computers and the graphics on those video games, wow we must have been bored. But back then I was perfectly happy with the technology because I knew nothing else. Yet the technology of yester year is nothing like what we have today.
Fortunately I was one of the lucky ones that grew up with technology constantly being shoved in my face. Unlike my parents and grandparents I have no phobias of computers because my generation kind of grew with computers. I remember being exposed to my first computer in school around fourth grade. I was forced to play a game called the “Oregon Trial.” For any of you that grew up in the 80s, you know what I am talking about. Anyway, it was a boring game of survival, which I am not sure what skill our teachers were trying to drill into our brains but we played this game all the time. Then once I moved on to fifth or sixth grade I can’t quite remember which but I know we were still forced to play that stinking “Oregon Trial.” But now we were learning how to type on computers. I don’t really remember the program, but I remember that I hated this computer game almost as much as that “Oregon Trail” that haunted what seemed like half of my childhood life.
And now that I am preparing to graduate from college, computers are one of those things that I can’t live without. I check my e-mail everyday, I do research, I check the news, and I have even found myself buying Christmas presents on the Internet. I think my experience as a college student has made me more comfortable with computers. I now teach my mother how to use the Internet, but I think no matter how hard she tries she will never fully understand the basics let alone all you can do with the net.So I guess I had it easy ... maybe.
Fortunately I was one of the lucky ones that grew up with technology constantly being shoved in my face. Unlike my parents and grandparents I have no phobias of computers because my generation kind of grew with computers. I remember being exposed to my first computer in school around fourth grade. I was forced to play a game called the “Oregon Trial.” For any of you that grew up in the 80s, you know what I am talking about. Anyway, it was a boring game of survival, which I am not sure what skill our teachers were trying to drill into our brains but we played this game all the time. Then once I moved on to fifth or sixth grade I can’t quite remember which but I know we were still forced to play that stinking “Oregon Trial.” But now we were learning how to type on computers. I don’t really remember the program, but I remember that I hated this computer game almost as much as that “Oregon Trail” that haunted what seemed like half of my childhood life.
And now that I am preparing to graduate from college, computers are one of those things that I can’t live without. I check my e-mail everyday, I do research, I check the news, and I have even found myself buying Christmas presents on the Internet. I think my experience as a college student has made me more comfortable with computers. I now teach my mother how to use the Internet, but I think no matter how hard she tries she will never fully understand the basics let alone all you can do with the net.So I guess I had it easy ... maybe.
