Technology Narrative

Mary O'Donnell

WRH 205

Dr. Ray

1-26-12

Technology Comes Slowly to This Nerdy Girl

     I wasn't always the nerdy girl siting at her computer downloading shows and movies, and using Facebook and reading e-books and fan-fiction. I hadn't always wrote my short stories and novels on a word processor. I'm older than most students that I attend classes with, who can't remember not having cell phones or internet. I had graduated high school without ever having a computer in the house. I did learn how to use a computer thanks to a business writing course that I took in school. But even after that class I only used my computer basically as a sophisticated type writer. So what has changed when it comes to technology in my life? To be honest, everything has changed.

     The first sign of change emerged when I got a cell phone about six years ago. Until then there was only a land line in my life. The cell phone opened up my eyes to really what technology was becoming, an extension of people, like another appendage. It was creepy to me at first but it wasn't long before I was on board since I could see how nice it was to be able to communicate instantly by text and telephone at any time or anywhere. After that there really was no stopping the technology freak that was lurking underneath the surface of my brain. After a cell phone for going back to college my husband got me a laptop. However it never got even opened until another two years later. When we go wifi at the apartment the laptop became a new and exciting place.

    After exploring the web and getting to know what the laptop and wifi could get me, I started download music and shows and even started to share my short stories with friend's on line. It was a slow process but sharing stories and made a Livejournal account. Live Journal tended to be too complicated to post in for me in the beginning though and so I stopped and just tended to use the instat chat and e-mail. All I did on the computer for the next few years was writing, watching shows and e-mail. But then something else changed in order to open up the internet for me. I found Facebook and Google Docs.

First to come and dominate my life was Google Docs, and this did this by allowing me to share my stories easily and even letting me give other people permission to edit the work. The easy of sharing made it possible to write with another person and so thanks to Google Docs I started to role play with some friends online. Role playing is just basically writing together taking turns writing different characters and making up the story. It is constant and addictive because the story never ends. So instead of blogging I do more creative writing as my on line addiction. While other people have gaming addiction issues my problem is staying up until way to late at night replying to a friend's section of the story and expanding it. A few months after I started role- playing on GoogleDocs I found Facebook.

     Now I know I am a late comer to Facebook, most young people have had Facebook since they knew what a computer was. But I was afraid of the ability it had to connect me to so many people at once. When I found out that my best friend I grew up with in Florida had facebook, that was all it took to get me to be brave and make an account. Now I talk to family members that are far away and friends as well as share photos and experiences. It was exciting to share parts of my life again with far away friends and family. Now Facebook adds to many late nights and tired mornings along with the role-playing.

     I am proud of how I went from not even owning a computer for years to the technology nerd that I am today. Like most people I am addicted to my technology, I like my internet and e-books, and cellphones. They give me the ability to be entertained and to communicate with friends and family in an immediate way. For me however it was a slow process, and I'm still not sure if it's completely a good change or not. However, I can't deny that most of my late nights are spent typing on the keyboard writing the latest part to the role playing story, or chatting on and sharing on Facebook. I enjoy every moment of my addiction.