A Relationship with Technology

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Technology is a large part of my life, as it almost entirely takes up my day. I wake up from an alarm on my iPhone, walk downstairs and make a cup of coffee using an espresso machine, complete work for my internship on my laptop, run errands in my car, cook lunch/dinner using a stove or microwave, watch a movie before bed on the television, and repeat the routine another day. Each step that makes up my lifestyle cycle involves an aspect of technology. From the coffee maker to the television, both technological inventions impact important tasks in my life. Even though I am constantly surrounded by technology, I have never really given much thought regarding my individual relationship with technology. Instead, I’ve focused and honed in on other people’s relationships with technology in their lives.
Cyberbullying is a large effect that has spawned from the development of media, especially on social platforms and conversational sites. Comment sections are always bound to have negativity in them, and the person on the opposite end of the screen always gets hurt--whether they like to admit or not. One can act like a negative remark does not bother their self esteem, but it most definitely does. While I have not experienced intense forms of cyberbullying, I have had my fair share of negativity on my social media platforms. Speaking from that experience, I know rude remarks can truly hit home. I consider myself to be a tough person, but a “this post is ugly,” or “this post is stupid” comment can ruin my entire day. I cannot even imagine being famous and having a social platform, as that form of cyberbullying is extremely intense. 
One celebrity I follow on Instagram and keep up with is Selena Gomez. She is one of the most followed profiles on Instagram, with over 176 million followers. She has publicly spoken out against cyberbullying, as she is faced with it everyday. Each time she logs into instagram she sees a cyber storm of hate comments and increasing negativity for simply just existing. Nobody who spits such harsh words to her has a true reason, but they do it because it is entertaining to them. To pick out one example, Gomez posted a simple picture of herself in 2018 and instantly received over 430,000 comments under the post. Most of the comments were, in fact, negative. This caused her to edit the caption on the post reading -- “Just remember, negative comments can hurt anybody’s feelings. Obviously.” In several interviews Gomez discusses the harsh reality of cyberbullying that she faces everyday, going as far as to say: “I delete the app from my phone at least once a week. You fixate on the [negative] ones. They’re not like, 'You’re ugly.' It’s like they want to cut to your soul.” This goes to show that even those who have all the fame and wealth they could ever want can still be affected by any action on the internet, as they are also human. 

In regards to my own relationship with technology and social media, I believe it is a healthy relationship. I always try to keep my screen time down (on my phone) and take time for myself, rather than sit on my phone and scroll all day. Being able to text relatives who do not live nearby is very important to me, and contacting those that you live with is also crucial in day to day life. While teens are now using social media more than ever, I do not rely on it to keep me company or entertain my every hour. I continue to talk to my friends and family on Facetime or text, and focus on those real relationships--rather than fake ones on the internet. Ultimately, my family and friends are ones that I know will always be there for me, when technology could falter and change at any point in time.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3QcD9W13Dr0bxmt4CMWVkGk/7-stars-who-have-personal-experiences-of-online-bullying
https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/selena-gomez-worries-social-media-can-be-dangerous-for-young-girls.html/


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