In this posting, list all the communication technologies you own. Then discuss (1) the purpose of each technology—i.e., what you use it for; (2) how much time you spend using each technology; (3) what are some of the intended and unintended consequences for you and your lifestyle.
12 comments:
Computer - 1) Purpose: accessing information via the internet, communicating with others via email and social media... 2) Time: probably an avg. of 1-2 hrs. a day (much more if you include the time I use my work computer)... 3) Intended consequences: Receive and transmit information back and forth... Unintended consequences: Miscommunication from the lack of face-to-face communication, time wasted surfing the internet and facebook.
Cell phone - 1) Purpose: communicating verbally with others or in writing via text messages... 2) Time: Probably 2-3 hours a day altogether... 3) Intended consequences: Able to communicate back and forth with others... Unintended consequences: Constantly distracted from what I am doing by cell phone interruptions, lack of face-to-face contact.
TV - 1) Purpose: To receive information regarding various subjects and to entertain... 2) Time: Maybe 1-2 hours a day... 3) Intended consequences: Become more informed on topics I am interested in, enjoy entertainment... Unintended consequences: Time wasted watching TV, not challenging my mind or creativity.
TV – 1) I use this for entertainment- and news/information-purposes. 2) It varies – from 10 minutes to 3-4 hours. 3) The intended consequence is to take a break and unwind. The unintended consequence is that TV watching doesn’t exactly promote an active lifestyle.
GPS – 1) The GPS is very handy when you are unfamiliar with roads and places, like I am here in Iowa. 2) This too varies – but in a normal week less than two hours. 3) The intended consequence is to take me from point A to B in the least amount of time, or to get me on the right track when I get lost. The unintended consequence is that I probably couldn’t go from Ames to Jordan Creek without it, for example, even though I’ve been there a few times already.
iPod Touch - 1) I use my iPod touch to listen to music and books, but also to check my e-mail, read online news etc when I’m away from my PC 2) About two hours a day, on average 3) The intended consequence is to have a portable music device, and also to have a second unit with an internet connection that is easier to sleep with than a laptop. The unintended consequence is that, on some nights, there’s too much of interest to read - meaning I don’t get as much sleep as I had originally thought.
Cell phone - 1) I use my cell phone to communicate with, and also for checking my e-mail when I don’t have internet around, and I also use it as my calendar, watch and alarm 2) From two minutes to two hours a day 3) The intended consequence is to be available, and to be able to communicate when interpersonal communication isn’t possible. The unintended consequence is that I have a tendency to sleep next to this device too, as it is my second alarm. I sometimes worry about radiation.
PC - 1) I use a PC to communicate via e-mail, Skype, Facebook, blog. Sometimes I watch movies on it, do homework, research, read news and blogs. 2) From 2 hours to…. I believe 32 hours is the record. 3) The intended consequence is to keep up with the world – from family and friends to what is going on in terms of news. The unintended consequence is that it is too easy to be distracted when actual work needs to be done on it.
1.Computer
a.Purpose- I use the computer to use applications such as Facebook and Twitter to keep in touch with friends. I also use email to stay connected with family and school related tasks.
b.I spend an incredible amount of time on the computer (sometimes I feel too much). Whenever I am at school I am constantly logged into my Iowa State email and typically working on some type of assignment on the computer.
c.An unintended consequence of the computer is that I feel I live a pretty sedentary lifestyle by sitting in front of a computer all day. In terms of intended consequences, I am able to easily get things done and multitask (e.g., eating lunch and responding to emails).
2.Cell phone
a.Purpose- I use my cell phone to communicate with family and friends.
b.I actually don’t use my cell phone that often, maybe fifteen minutes on a typical weekday. I may send one text to my husband during the day or receive one text from a friend that day.
c.An unintended consequence of having a cell phone is that people think they can reach me at all times. Although I could turn my cell phone off, I typically don’t and therefore I am always “reachable” to everyone. An intended consequence of having a cell phone is being able to talk to friends or family wherever I am (e.g., at home, school, or traveling).
3.Garmin
a.Purpose- I use this GPS system whenever I leave Ames, I am directly challenge and find this device incredibly helpful.
b.Although I don’t use my Garmin on a day-to-day basis I use it extensively when I travel.
c.An unintended consequence of having my Garmin is that I no longer pay as close attention to my surroundings when I’m outside of Ames. This could present a problem if I was without my Garmin, I would easily be lost. An intended consequence of this device is that I am easily able to new destinations with minimal planning and preparation (e.g., I don’t need to read a map or print off directions).
4.TV
a.Purpose- I use the TV as a way to keep up with what’s going on in the world (e.g., watching the news) as well as a way to unwind and relax.
b.I use the TV daily, probably around an hour a day but significantly more on the weekends.
c.An unintended consequence of using the TV is again that it contributes to a sedentary lifestyle. I may not necessarily be intensely watching something, but I end up getting caught up in a show and wasting time. An intended consequence of using the TV is that I am able to entertain myself by watching a show or catching up on the daily news.
Laptop: 1) I use my laptop for studying (doing homework, writing papers and searching stuff) and keeping touch with my friends and family through skype, facebook and mircoblog, etc. I also using it for leisure purpose (watching movies and playing online games) and writing blogs. 2) I usually spend about 5-6 hours a day in front of my laptop. 3) Intended consequences: easily find the information I need and keep in touch with people. 4) Unintended consequences: waste of time in browsing those web pages when I had something better to do.
I-phone: 1) Basically my i-phone do the same thing that my laptop can do. I use it to call and text people, to check e-mails, to surf the internet, to listen to music and many more. 2) I use it almost 24 hours a day and I can’t live without my i-phone. Well, maybe except the time when I was sleeping. 3) Intended consequences: it is user-friendly, versatile and multitasks. You can download many useful apps which made your life much easier. My i-phone is not only a cell phone, it is a watch, an alarm, a game box, a music player, an information seeker and pretty much everything to me. 4) Unintended consequences: I probably rely too much on i-phone. If one day I forgot to bring my i-phone with me, I would feel very bad and emptiness on that day.
I-pad: 1) I use i-pad mainly in reading e-books because the screen is big so it is easy for me to read. I also use it in watching videos and movies. 2) The time I spend to use i-pad varies. I may not use it at all or spend couple of hours to read in a day. 3) Intended consequences: easy to carry around and easy to use. 4) Unintended consequences: I spend a lot of money in buying the apps and the latest model. I already had an i-pad one and I bought an i-pad two when it was released last year even though one and two don’t have much differences and I don’t know why I am buying it.
Yuwei,
I was interested in your comments on the ipad, as I've never owned one and don't know much about them. The unintended consequences you mentioned are the very reasons I haven't purchased one myself yet. The intended consequences wouldn't outweigh the unintended consequences for me.
Ryan,
You are right. I guess I spend too recklessly and being too irrational on apple products. Need to spend the money wisely on those high-tech innovations.
1)Laptop
I use it as the most important communicative device for getting news, doing homework, communicating with friends, and entertaining. Checking news both in English and Chinese is the first thing I do on my laptop everyday. A lot of my assignments have to be done on laptop. I check Facebook and other social network websites everyday. There is no TV set in my apartment, so I normally watch TV programs online. Six to ten hours per day is the basically the range of the mean. The intended consequence is to communicate with the world and get informed. The unintended consequence can be that sometimes it distracts you with entertainment from really important work you need to do. Also it can make you want to stay at home instead of going out for a walk or run.
2)Cellphone
I usually call someone if I need to contact him/her. I personally do not text that much as everybody else does. My cellphone is not connected to the internet, so I don’t check it very often unless there is a phone call. The time I spend on cellphone per day can range from half to two hours. The intended consequence is to keep in touch with someone you need to contact. The unintended consequence is that I have to bring it anywhere I go in case I don’t miss any important phone call.
3)IPod Touch
I’m a music person, so i-touch has become a very important role in my daily life. I always have my iPod touch in the pocket to kill time on bus, and I like to listen to soft music while I’m studying. Sometimes I use it to check emails and news via wireless internet when I’m on campus. Two to five hours per day can be spent on my iPod touch. The intended consequence is to enjoy the music I like. The unintended consequence is that I don’t talk to people if I have my earphone on since I can’t hear them clearly.
1) the purpose of each technology—i.e., what you use it for; (2) how much time you spend using each technology; (3) what are some of the intended and unintended consequences for you and your lifestyle.
Computer- allows me to stay connected with school,current events and friends. Also allows me to avoid getting cable or sattelite service. I'm on a computer all day at work but at home I try to limit it to one hour of personal time and then whatever is required from school. I find myself getting very distracted when working online, even now I keep checking scores in games on ESPN.com. Generally, my daughter keeps me away from the computer in nonessential times but sometimes I'll look up and wonder where the time went.
Television- I use the televsion for information gathering, mostly the late local news and PBS. I also enjoy the Saturday baseball game of the week and football on weekends. I probably watch about 2 hours each day but would probably watch more if my schedule permitted it. Also, not having cable helps limit my hours. I used to spend WAY too much time watching TV but as I said earlier, I don't have the luxury of that kind of time anymore.
Cell phone: I use this mostly to stay connected to my wife. I suppose I use it one hour each day. I'm not really a compulsive phone talker or texter so there aren't too many unintended consequences. I do text quite a bit during Hawkeyes games with some of my friends. It is very nice to be able to keep up the same banter we had when we watched games together but are now too geographically isolated to do so.
mp3 player: I mainly use this to drown out distractions at work. It is sometimes difficult for me to focus while everyone else's inane prattle drones in the background. I also love music and it really helps. I am one of the few people who has successfully avoided purchasing ANY Apple product. I use a Microsoft Zune, which I find far more user-friendly and it is supported by an interface that won't raid my music collection, making arbitrary changes in labelling. I spend my entire working day listening to music. I have a very large music collection and so most of my 120 gb is full. One unintended consequence of listening to so much music is that my mood and the genre of music I am listening to can greatly affect my productivity and mood.
Jennifer, I also feel out of sorts if I don't have my phone with me. I tend to be a little paranoid anyway but especially since my wife is pregnant I constantly check it just to make sure there are no messages and everything is okay. I think having this technology constantly available has made it a lot easer to give into every little impulse that we may be missing out on something.
Jennifer,
I think it's interesting how you check both English and Chinese news as the first task of the day. I do the same thing. I think as international students we are even more dependent on a PC or Mac to keep in touch with what's going on back home. By the time I get up, stuff has been happening in Norway all day, and so there's more to read - which again can be somewhat time-consuming.
Computer:
1. Purpose: do homework, getting information from Internet and communication with friends and family, watching TV clips and entertainment.
2. Time: usually at lease 8 hours a day in front of the computer.(either my own computer or Mac at school).
3. The intended consequences are: get frequent communication with family and friends. Get my homework done. Get information and news that I want. Unintended consequences: with too many information available, it's hard to read in-depth and get real knowledge/information from it. Sometimes chatting with friends can be totally meaningless and time wasting. It's not healthy to spend too long time in front of a computer.
Cell phone:
1. Contact friends and family when they or I don't have Internet around. I also use it as an alarm.
2. Usually less than 10 minutes a day.
3. Intended consequences are get effective communication with family and friends, talk directly to them, a time-saving version of communication for me. Unintended consequences: When most of students and friends have smart phone, i start to want a smart phone, and I am thinking of end my old phone contract and getting a new one. Also, as a forgetful person, I am constantly losing my cellphone. It's kind of an unintended consequence...
MP3 player.
1. Purpose: listening to music, recording classes and interviews when necessary, also using as a 3-file storage.
2. Time: it depends. But I use it a lot recently for interviewing. On average, maybe 2 hours a day.
3. Intended consequences are doing an MP3 job all right. I can refer to whatever I recorded when I need it. Unintended consequences can be hurting my ears when I listen it too much, and distract me from working if I am working while listening.
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