Technology Intergrated With Our Lives

When my son was 5, we decided that our family should get a computer. That was almost 19 years ago. WOW! Hard to believe that, but having said that you can tell that I am one of the older "kids" going to college. I think that I might see this technology a bit different than the younger kids at school. When I was in high school, to do a research paper was a nightmare! A lot of time in the library, trying to find what you were looking for in the good old card catalog. It still amazes me how easy it is to find out about anything, with just one click of your mouse.
Email; is a wonderful way of spreading a good joke or just keeping in touch with someone. It doesn't take too much time and the good part about it is, you can do it at your convenience and aren't tied to a phone or person who just won't stop talking!
I would have to say though, the greatest way that technology and the internet have enriched my life though, would be through the use of facebook and Skype. Through facebook, I have reconnected with several old friends from school, old co workers and family. It is a busy world that we live in and it's not always possible to call, text, or email everyone all the time. Now all I do is sign in and see what everyone is doing. While some people post a bit too much info, it is me who decides what to read and if I would like to respond. Skype is I must say, something I would have loved to have had years ago. When my husband was in the Army, we were stationed in West Germany. All we had was snail mail (I called it the pony express) and a few phone calls. It was very expensive to call home (around $2.00 a minute). We didn't have cell phones or computers and I got homesick quite a bit. Then I got pregnant and I really wanted my family and friends around. Today, my son is in the Army and he is in Alaska. Not only do we text and call each other often, we Skype too. It is so good to be able to see his beautiful smile and know he is OK. Being able to actually see your loved ones face really helps with the separations. Sometimes it is hard to "read between the lines" when reading a letter or text. Through Skype it is possible to see their reactions, and be a part of each others lives. Although being apart from loved ones is hard. Technology really has made it a lot easier. I would have given anything to have been able to show my parents my son's first year of life.
While all of these are great, there still are those few bad seeds out there that make all this wonderful technology tainted. Virus's, identity thief and cyber stalkers to name a few. Even with all the bad, I wouldn't go back for anything. I love having the ease and knowledge at my fingertips.