Technology

At first thought I considered technology things like computers, video games, or cell phones. I thought that it had to have a microchip or processor in it to be considered technology. Then in my group I was open to the idea that more can be considered technology. That lights, cars, or any electronic can be grouped into a category of technology. Then in a class discussion my ideas where stretched even more. That even the idea of how something is designed from a new way to build a building, a bridge, or a vehicle could be considered technological. So when I ask myself how technology has impacted me there is many ways technology has changed the way I live life. At first I can think of having a mobile phone that allows me to call anywhere whenever and also has many other functions that I may not even use to my advantage. Then there is the abuse of electricity that society as a whole has taken for granite. Electronics and internet has allowed the world to develop in a whole new and very fast way. Finally the ideas of design have changed the way cities are built. We have earthquake and tornado safe building in high risk areas. There are redesigned safer bridges for commuters. Even this school, well some of it at least, has had new designs to improve its structure. So from this view technology has impacted me a lot on many different levels.

Cyber Culture

At the age of five, I started playing videos games on Sega Genesis. Since then I have evolved with the gaming community. My first experience of a cyber culture would be Xbox live. Through Xbox live I met other gamers that shared similar interests. I made new friends that lived anywhere in the world through Xbox live without ever seeing them. I then moved onto play Final Fantasy XI online. Final Fantasy XI is a MMORPG, massively multiplayer online role-playing game. Final Fantasy XI had players all over the world join forces to accomplish goals in the game. Well in the process one is bound to meet new people that grow to be good friends. I played FFXI with a few real life friends but there were some people that I met in FFXI that I viewed to be just as good as a friend without ever meeting them. I then started playing WoW, World of Warcraft, about three years ago. The cyber culture that I encountered here was huge. I joined a guild that had 100 people that I would talk to everyday that would be willing to help out in any way they could. Every night my and 39 other people would join together to accomplish large difficult goals in game. The people on WoW introduced me to Ventrilo which is a voice communication program. With Vent we could talk with each other and this allowed stronger bonds to form between myself and those that I met in the game. Through WoW I have met and become good friends with those in Texas, California, Alaska, Canada, Europe, Russia, and even Australia. Some of these people I talk to every day. They are just as good of a friend to me as any friend I have made in real life. I have had a huge experience with some different cyber cultures and I am glad that I have experience all of it.

Popular Culture & Me

I always thought of myself as someone that did not conform to the popular acceptance of society. I thought that I always did my own thing. Now I think I am part of a group or culture, just not the largest accepted one in society. I would say that popular culture has somewhat shaped my circle of friends. The people I became friends with have or had the same interests as me. Originally I became friends with two people back in fifth grade because we all shared the same liking towards Pokémon, which was very big then. More friends came from sharing interests in video games like Final Fantasy games and World of Warcraft. I became friends with those that had similar interests in the media popular culture. My interests in music originally came from the interests my dad has in music. He likes the music that he grew up to in the 70s and 80s. I share the same interests in most of these rock groups today. I do not go to the television shows like MTV or VH1 to find out what music is current in music popular culture, however, close friends and those that I have met through online gaming have shared their interests in music with me and I have mixed and matched those that I found interesting. I conformed to the technical generation, but I feel I am in a sub-category that shows interests in video games and anime.