iWrite - Isabel Jenkins

It seems that any mention of technology brings about the same age-old question. Is the technology of today having a good impact, or a bad one?

I consider that to be an impossibly inconclusive debate. There's no doubt that technology is overrunning our world, whether it be the constant murmur of a TV in the background or the obsessive glances toward a cell phone in class. Yet it would be foolish to dismiss the benefits of technology - advancements in medicine and science, access to more information, and a general better quality of life. I could not imagine living in the dark ages. But living 20 years ago?

I can still recall the times when I spent most of the day outside with the neighbors, making up stories or going on adventures. The only form of "modern" technology I ever encountered was American Girl flash games. But as I grew older, the dreaded Webkinz and DS became increasingly popular. And playing "pretend" became increasingly dull.

I have always fantasized about living in a simpler time. Technology has definitely improved communication, but I believe people used to have different relationships. I can't say whether or not they were more genuine, but they definitely required more effort. We live in a world where doing something as mundane as saying "hey" or something as extreme as breaking up takes only a few button taps. But of course I love going to the movies, and looking up information online, and being able to quickly text a request without having to find a pay phone. So my ambivalence prevails.

But all fantasies aside, I'm content in the time period I'm in now. (Mainly because if I had been born 20 years earlier, braces wouldn't even have been an option for my horrendous overbite - they'd just break my jaw and reposition it. Eugh.) My youngest brother has grown up with a Wii, Xbox, iPod Touch, TV, and computer. He never played "pretend." I'm glad I got to spend a bit of time without all this technology, even if it was just a taste.