Ruthie's Writings.

Online Connection: A Blessing and a Curse

At this point in time, it is inevitable that most people have at least one relationship that consists online, began online, is stronger because of online connections, etc. Whether this relationship is keeping in contact with relatives who are far away or making new friends through apps and similar interests, online relationships are extremely prevalent in the world today. This fact is very beautiful while simultaneously very alarming.

The convenience of having the ability to chat online at any point is like no other. Our connections are made infinite with the ease of being able to look up practically any phone number online, or communicate through social media platforms during all hours of the day. I recently read an article titled “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” which touches on many of the changes between the current generation and past generations in terms of relationships and habits as a result of being exposed to smartphones. At one point in this article, the author talks about the differences in dating habits and the ways that these romantic relationships form. In the past, courtship consisted of dates and phone calls and more tangible mediums of connection. Nowadays, this period of courtship is known as “talking” and usually consists of some ongoing form of online communication whether it is snapchat or constant text messages. I resonated with this observance. I recognize this pattern in myself and all of my peers. This tendency is nice because it allows two people to learn volumes about each other in a much smaller span of time. However, I believe there is a downside to this as well. Sometimes it feels like getting to know someone so quickly makes it harder to have more conversations later on. Obviously it can be awkward to get to know someone and when you get all the “getting to know you” stuff over before you are comfortable around someone, it can feel like there is little left to talk about. Another major downside to the “talking” phase of a relationship is that it completely leaves out all in person interactions. It is easy to feel like you know someone really well online but until you meet them in person, I don’t think you can be so sure. Overall, relationships, romantic or not, can be deepened through online connection. However, I believe that it can happen too fast and sometimes even end up sabotaging what could be a strong relationship if done completely online.

As mentioned above, there are very definite pros and cons of connecting online. The ability for me to connect with my immediate family at home and my distant family around the country is wonderful and I’m not sure I would survive college without the ability to know what’s going on with everyone. I love keeping up with my friends from home through social media and text messages and I can’t imagine not being able to email my teachers and classmates for school related reasons. Personally, I find that the pros outweigh the cons, but my last paragraph clearly shows that I see problems. To accurately display both sides of this argument, I should explain more negatives to the situation. First of all, people can present themselves in any way they would like online. This can lead to false perceptions and ultimate letdowns or even scams. Also, it is harder to truly read the way people feel while connecting through the internet. Perceiving senses of humor is important but tricky to do online. Finally, because I feel it is a major aspect to consider, I’ll mention it again, the loss of personal interaction can be very detrimental to the full formation of a relationship. These are significant concerns to online connection and just some of the dangers that present themselves on the internet and social media.

To me, it seems like the main lesson to be learned is to be aware of the possible faults with online connection, but to also use it to our advantage. We are so lucky to be able to connect this way, so we should use it to its full potential. We just need to keep caution in mind.

We Take Convenience for Granted

https://www.pexels.com/photo/macbook-pro-on-brown-wooden-table-891679/

This week, I was challenged to stay completely technology free for 4 continuous hours. A challenge this was, indeed. I chose to complete this task on a Wednesday, but this wasn’t random, of course I was going to be strategic about this project. I chose Wednesday because it is usually my busiest day of the week, so I was sure I would have things to occupy myself during the 4 hours. I also assumed completing this challenge would increase my productivity. This was true. I finished nearly all my homework for the day in one four hour period. This was the positive of the situation. Most of the time when I am faced with a large workload, I think about turning my phone off and putting it in a drawer… but do I? Never. Anyway, this was the perfect opportunity to cultivate the most ideal studying environment and get my work done.

Though it was convenient to complete my work with lack of distraction, this little experiment came with more negatives than positives. First of all, my sense of FOMO really kicked in. I wondered if my friends were texting and I was missing out on the conversation and/or possible plan making. Additionally, a sense of anxiety was very present. Like I have mentioned in other posts, my phone provides a sense of comfort and security. During the time spent without my phone, my mind wandered all over. What if I was missing messages or calls from family? What would I do if I had a homework question? How would I contact people to ask? Long story short, there was a lot that left me feeling slightly uneasy.

Completing this experiment reminded me of an article I read recently, titled “Hamlet’s Blackberry.” This article described the ins and outs of a family’s venture to disconnect from all internet on the weekends. There was more to this article than just this disconnect, but it is this aspect that reminded me of my time spent without technology. In the account of their journey, something they touched on was the uncertainty that they might miss out on something important. Would a child’s sporting event get cancelled? Would plans change? Would they be stumped for an answer to a question but not have the ability to simply look it up? Additionally, they talked about the need for completing tasks in advance. If any research for a school project or a work meeting was necessary, it had to be finished before the start of the weekend. Though this would be rewarding once the weekend came and the work was finished, it creates extra stress and pressure during the week. This exact point prompted me to examine the extreme luxury that the internet is. If a person has access to a computer and wifi, questions can be answered and tasks can be completed instantly in a painless way. Without this ability, my life would be altered severely. The need for planning and getting things done ahead of time would grow so much larger.

It seems that everyone thinks their life is incredibly busy, but we take for granted the accessibility of the internet and technology and how much it cuts down on the work we have to do. Forget about research, but something as simple as writing a paper (or a blog post!) is made incredibly comfortable with the ability to type and not write out every single word. Learning is effortless, making plans is a breeze, and we are kept up to date with greater efficiency than ever before. It’s fair to call ourselves busy, but next time we do it, we might take a minute to consider the parts of life that are cutting down on the amount of time we have to spend doing things. We should be mindful of taking these parts of life for granted.

In pulling all of my points to a close, it was rewarding to spend time away from technology. It gave me first hand experience in realizing not only how much it does for me, but how much complication it removes from my life. I’ve said this before and I will say it again, I would not like a life without my phone. Whether I consciously notice or not, it does so much for me. Without these faculties, my life would be far more tedious.

To Stay On or Turn Off

Nearly once every week I click my phone on, open my messages app, and immediately click my phone right back off. This same thing happens with emails, Snapchats, and GroupMe messages. The ease of connection in our world in incredible. I’m not sure I would survive college without the ability to call or text my parents when I get the urge. Technology makes maintaining relationships with my friends across the country so much easier, too. However, there are major downsides to the amount of notifications I receive everyday. Personally, I find it overwhelming to see that I have 45 text notifications. There is something about knowing I must respond that makes this feel like somewhat of a burden. Additionally, when I’ve been M.I.A. in a group chat all day, messages add up fast, they get to be in the hundreds. When this is the case, whether I want to or not, I feel like I have to read through to catch up and instantly, the glory of being able to send and receive text messages becomes a dreaded job.

At least once daily, I open my personal email and scroll through the countless promotional emails I receive. Similar to messages, I am usually overwhelmed. The difference is that when scrolling through my emails, my eye is almost always caught by an ad for a sale or a subject line that seems too good to be true, but click worthy, nonetheless. Usually my initial click, leads to more clicks, and eventually I end up shopping for things I don’t need. The difference between emails and text messages is that emails are specifically curated to catch the eye of the reader. This is loosely known as attention economy, a phrase that encapsulates the recent race for our attentions which are now viewed as scarce commodities. Companies will pursue seemingly any tactic that prolongs engagement with their website or app. Despite my dislike for the many emails I receive daily, I am one of the first to admit that these tactics catch my attention. I am giving the people what they want.

Though I find occasional discomfort in the amount of notifications I receive, I would not like a life without my phone. For me, and I’m sure many others, my phone provides a sense of comfort. Not only do I know I can make a phone call to a friend or family member in a second, but I also have the ability to check their locations. Similarly, social media provides the awareness of what others are up to. I don’t think it would be a stretch to say that the number one reason I use my phone is to keep up with the lives of others. This happens through texts, calls, facetimes, emails, and namely, social media. Social media is fantastic at allowing every person to keep tabs on anyone they want. Though it is great, one of the largest downfalls is the formulation of FOMO, or the Fear of Missing Out. I must admit, I used to fall victim to this. Though I’ve gotten better, it still presents itself in my life. In my experience, FOMO usually happens when I’m not doing anything and I notice that other people are. I don’t think I give in to FOMO when I’m actually out and enjoying myself. Despite this, it’s a real occurrence and probably one of the larger drawbacks to social media.

After this analyzation of my media and technology habits, the beauties and shortcomings, I begin to wonder whether a middle ground between staying online and turning off can be found. I’m not sure if there is a very clear answer. Of course there are ways to filter the amount of notifications you receive, but the minute you unlock your phone, the 15 message notifications are not going to be discreet. I feel like the only real solution to diminishing the amount of time spent, without turning off all technology, is to decrease the amount of platforms you interact with. If I deleted snapchat and unsubscribed from just a fourth of the retailers I receive emails from, my notification load would become significantly lighter. However, I will mention once more that I fall victim to FOMO and I don’t want to cut these apps or connections. I like to know, and find security in, being aware of what’s going on around me. I am absolutely positive there are ways I could improve my media habits in order to cut down my engagement, but for me, I’m not sure it’s worth it. I enjoy my phone, I enjoy being in the know, and I don’t imagine my media habits changing any time soon.

Tech and Media from an Observant Perspective

My name is Ruthie, welcome to Ruthie’s Writings.

Currently, my life revolves almost completely around the fact that I am a student. I’m living in a dorm, attending classes, I see my friends more than anyone else, and I’m trying to soak up this lifestyle. I am from Kansas City but am living in Omaha as a sophomore at Creighton University. Originally, my intent was to study Marketing so that I could eventually work in a trendy environment on modern projects. However, I’ve realized that my interests lie farther outside of Business than I thought. My goal is to be more creative and less analytical, I want to write, design, and explore technology and media rather than crunch numbers. My new plan is to major in Journalism with a certificate in Business, just to give integrity to my credits in Business. I am enrolled in this course to explore the field and eventually feel confident in making the switch from Business to Journalism.

Whether I like to admit it or not, technology and media seem to saturate my life. Given my age and the time period, these things aren’t simple to avoid. Having a cell phone makes it natural to engage with media and technology everyday. In fact, my phone is my main source of news and media updates, solely because it’s convenient. I would guess that on average, my phone dings seven times per day with a notification from CNN or the Washington Post. “Breaking News,” it reads and then it displays a short message explaining the gist of the article just recently posted. I must admit, however, it is rare that I swipe the banner to actually read the article. Once again, my goal is convenience. I read the short sentences and consider myself updated. Additionally, I receive a daily email from theSkimm which gives a fairly in depth yet modern and interesting run down of the current major news. I read this from time to time but this one is less convenient, as it is delivered in several long paragraphs. I think after reading this, you can probably tell that I do love my phone. However, I wouldn’t call myself a huge technology person, I think in comparison to other people, I use technology in fundamental ways. Technology doesn’t consume me, I love to be in settings where a cell phone is the last priority. But, in the era we are in, it’s difficult to ignore technology, namely phones and computers, for they are all around us.

Going back to the media and the news, as you can probably tell, I’m not very well-informed on the patterns of a variety of sources. Because of this, my opinions aren’t terribly strong. To me, journalists do better than ever before at creating controversial headings and content that intrigue the public, whether their claims are true or false. Even though I think journalists are skilled at this, it is one of the most troublesome parts of news media. It feels as if generating the top story or most compelling videos are more important than the sole purpose of it all, to inform. It’s a race to become the top news outlet, real news, or fake. Additionally, everyone and everything is so linked. This is simultaneously fascinating and alarming. While it’s nice to be able to connect with the whole world, it’s hard to feel like this isn’t dangerous. Similarly with the collection of data and targeting of ads, the world is benefitted, but it’s at the expense of human information. Living in a world consumed by media is great when it comes to the freedom it provides us to learn, connect, create, and share, but it’s also intriguing to wonder about the world before it was this way. I, personally, can’t remember a day without my cell phone or computer or the television, let alone a day completely free of social media and news updates.
In regards to programming and HTML, I have little to no experience. I have spent a great deal of time working with graphic design which I think falls into a distant but related category. As far as I know, my skills are remote from the world of programming, making it difficult for me to be able to speak on this. Despite my lack of knowledge, I’m eager to explore these topics and look forward to learning about what they have to offer to me, and the world!

About Ruthie!

My name is Ruthie McKee and I was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. I am a senior at Creighton University where I am pursuing a degree in journalism with a focus in public relations and a certificate of business administration. Though I am a die-hard Kansas Citian, Omaha is slowly but surely becoming a second favorite city of mine, and most definitely a second home. I am the oldest of four siblings, would consider myself an avid student, and have an eye for all things design and fashion. Some of my favorite things are delicious meals with family and friends, deliberately curated Pinterest boards, and I should probably mention that I am one of the more extreme denim fanatics you will meet.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy my blog!