Lara's Blog

Always learning

Technology Narrative

on October 4, 2016

I remember the first time I ever sent an email. It was in 1996 and I was a junior at Clarion. I sat in disbelief that my mom would get the message immediately. I’ve always been a letter writer and was used to communicating by US postal mail.

I remember my first cell phone that was the size of a brick, but I was so excited to be able to make calls from wherever I was, without having to find a payphone.

I remember the first time I sent an email and made a call on my cell phone (before that, my friends and I used pagers that we thought were pretty cool) were just the first of many firsts that remain vivid in my memory.

I remember my first text message in 2002, how it startled me, as did my first photo taken with a camera phone. Even my first digital photo was thrilling (I didn’t have to send the film to be developed), and more so when I was able to send a photo of where I was at that very moment.

I remember my dad’s first video camera around 1990, into which we inserted a full size VHS tape that had to be played in a VCR. In the 8o’s and 90’s, our old computer games eventually were replaced by Nintendo; recording music videos from MTV and playing them back became the internet; trying to capture songs from the radio onto cassettes turned to burning mix albums; these were gems of my childhood that shaped my technological literacy.

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What surprises me the most about our constantly developing technology is the things I never imagined could be possible, I’ve seen become possible. Things I could have never imagined growing up, like Facebook. When I see today’s younger generation becoming literate with social media and e-texts, I know that they could never imagine what it was like for me growing up without it. I passed notes in school, from elementary through secondary, and still have a bag of the folded, faded short letters that had been slipped under a desk or into my locker. I imagine that today’s youth would find this pointless when they can send messages immediately through their phones.

Today I tend to avoid what I’m not familiar with. I prefer turning paper pages, sending paper letters, smelling fresh print, and doodling with colorful pens. 


7 Responses to “Technology Narrative”

  1. It is very interesting to think of the many things technology adds to our lives, things we never imagined could exist. So technology expands and changes our world.

    At the same time, things we value often need a physically tangible record, like your folded notes. A bunch of IMs can’t pass on that same feeling of long term value. They are here now and then gone, meant not to last.

  2. Zhigang Bai says:

    God, we can play the game again together?

  3. J says:

    My first email sent in 1997.

    My own cell phone purchased in 1997.

    My first text message sent in 1997.

    My dad’s first video camera and mini-portable TV purchased in late 1980’s. I guess he was a kind of early adopter back then. Now my younger brother is buying ‘cool stuff’ exactly like my father; but not me.

  4. kbvv says:

    WOW!!! This Nintendo looks totally different from my image of Nintendo!!! Is this American version!?

  5. Sukanto Roy says:

    Lara,
    This is really fascinating. I am delighted to see how you narrated your story.

    It is amazing that you illustrate your reflection in a poetic style. I like it.

    Best,

    Sukanto

  6. BSH08 says:

    Hey Lara!!!

    I think this was decent!!! I hope the robot was good!

  7. rbvv says:

    Lara, having read your narratives reminded me of my first mobile phone which was also the size of a brick. Your narrative is interesting.

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