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Alyssa Aquino
English 114B
Jennifer Rodrick
21 February 2016
Technology in Action
Technology has turned our world upside down, literally. It has given us the extent to use
it as a way to find out shortcuts to perform necessary tasks. From ordering a pizza online rather
than calling, to finding out daily news on an app instead of grabbing a newspaper, technology
has been changing our way of life every day. We depend on the Internet so much that it becomes
a constant need, like an attachment. We use it as a way to get to our needs faster such as
educational purposes. In addition, society also uses the internet as a source of finding their
personal interests like a significant other. In most cases, people find it very useful that it has
become the voice for public opinion and national politics. However, society does not realize how
the Internet has been taking over them uncontrollably. Although the Internet has been used as a
voice for public opinion and national politics, it has negatively shaped peoples identities.
Back in the day, we used to hear peoples opinions on a certain issue through television
debates, protests, newspapers, magazines, or even the radio. Now, theres social media apps that
start to do the same. From Facebook, Instagram, and especially Twitter, they have become the
voice for public opinion. It also sparks the way we look at things politically. For example, an
article written by JE Burgess discusses how Twitter developed its own insider known as a
hashtag (#). As the use of Twitter has become more commonplace throughout many nations, its
role in political discussion has also increased (Burgess 5). Twitter has become the main source
for letting ones voice be heard. Typing in ones opinion under 140 characters gives the ability to

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express their thoughts in a limited way. Using hashtags could lure people to join in to support or
oppose the argument. Social media apps arent all about showing off publicly, its also a way to
express an opinion to be heard. However, I believe that this is the only positive way the Internet
has provided for us.
During the late 1940s, the Cold War occurred. Many scientists and militarists were
completely paranoid if a Soviet attack would happen. So they decided to create a network that
would enable government leaders to communicate before the Soviets destroyed the system.
Within that pinpoint in Americas history, the Internet started to develop better and better over
decades, alternating our brains to brainstorm ideas of what to do, where to do this, how to do
that, etc. According to an article written by Olivier Dumon, he claims that science has been
dependent upon the publishing industry to advance knowledge (Dumon 2). We research so many
scientific issues every day. From looking for any cures toward cancer to searching for evidence
to support a scientific experiment/study, technology is really necessary for any scientific
research. However, not all people, especially young students, use it for research; more like its a
use for a disadvantage. For example, many students have been using the Internet as a source for
their education. According to an article written by Zaryn Dentzel, he discusses the ways how the
Internet changes our everyday life, People can use the Internet to create and share knowledge
and develop new ways of teaching and learning that captivate and stimulate students
imagination at any time, anywhere, using any device (Dentzel 2). In many cases, students find it
so easy to use the Internet as a shortcut. Students get really lazy to read a whole textbook and
would turn to their device for a summary. Using the Internet for educational purposes should
have a limit. For example, many students that I know struggle in math. They found a website
called mathway.com to solve all their equations; however, the website only offers the answers,

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they dont offer the work shown to get the answer unless the user becomes a member. Students
will not be able to apply what they learned when a test or quiz pops up. In addition, we all get
side tracked at some point. For example, what if a friend decides to text someone? That person
will get distracted and lay off their homework. It could also lead to going on social media. Many
students would make fun of this habit by calling it ADHD. According to an article written by
Masuma Ahuja, he claims that, Students today, also known as the Facebook Generation or
digital natives are part of the first U.S generation to be so closely identified with technology.
(Ahuja 3) Many students today spend so much time on social media, that students dont realize
how much time theyre wasting to be productive. Later on, they will end up either not putting
enough effort into their work or look up answers on the internet. I believe that we know more
when it comes to the Internet rather than academics due to how much time we spend on the
Internet. Aside all of this, the main point of this is that students wont learn the proper way to
educate themselves if they continue to use the Internet as their teacher. Itll be very hard for
students to benefit themselves when theyll try to apply it to their lives in the future, creating a
big effect on future society.
Another disadvantage of the Internet can be seen as source of finding ones significant
other. In-store apps such as Tinder or Hot or Not have been known for their simplistic ways of
finding that person just by swiping a persons profile photo either right or left. Other websites
such as match.com, farmersonly.com, or even christianmingle.com belong to finding a more
specific significant other. Theres so many websites that you could find that special someone, but
there are many cases where they might not even be themselves. Known as catfishing, people
online try to be someone they are not and trouble strikes if they decide to see each other face-toface. According to an article written by Raychelle Lohmann, she discusses how catfishing can

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destroy relationships. Catfishing is an emotional and humiliating experience for those affected
(Lohmann 4). Realizing that one was being catfished is really saddening and tension starts to
rise. It could affect other people who might want to try online dating. It could lead to dangerous
moments where a person can feel insecure or even unsafe. Overall, it just has to be the persons
responsibility to choose their right identity to post online.
The way we can express our opinion could lead to drastic effects if a person overpowers
themselves. Having opinions should always have their limits. Many people dont care and start to
go over the top, that possibly, it will start ruining someones feelings and itll affect them
horribly, leading to cyberbullying. Cyberbullying has been a key issue that has circled around the
globe for years. Cyberbullying is when a person is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated,
embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another person using the Internet, interactive and digital
technologies or mobile phones. Not all people think that cyberbullying is as serious as any other
serious issue today. Cyberbullying can affect the person mentally and physically. One might not
be able to function well such as eating, sleeping, etc. Suicide has been a result in some cases
when someone is being cyberbullied. According to statistics created around February 2015 by the
Cyberbullying Research Center, about 35% of people get bullied online for a lifetime (Hinduja
See: Figure 1). Cyberbullying has been such a worldwide issue that ABC Family decides to
produce a movie about it. Known as Cyberbullying, it stars Emily Osment as the student who
gets cyberbullied. In the movie, she tries to fit into her high school, however, someone decides to
pin her down by posting many lies and tries to even hack into her personal social media
accounts. Drastically affected, she lost her friends, she couldnt eat nor sleep, and she stopped
going to school. She was even close to committing suicide. Being that bully to commit such a
terrible crime like that just shows how he or she truly is. Its turning their identity into a horrible

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one. It just shows how immature and cruel that person can be and how society is letting the
internet empower them uncontrollably.
In conclusion, technology has given us the ability to do the inevitable. We use it as a
source for a shortcut for educational purposes such as reading a short summary instead of using a
textbook or searching up answers for the questions that remain difficult for the student to figure
out. Using the internet as a reliable source for public opinion and online dating just shows us
how we are over the internet real or fake. Some people take advantage of it by catfishing or
even cyberbullying.
The way the internet
gives us so many
advantages basically
shapes our minds
and even ourselves
that we use today
good and bad. Our
world must learn to
embrace technology
Figure 1: Statistics
of Cyberbullying

without allowing it
to take over our

identities and impact the future creation of functional adults in society. If society continues to
look at the Internet as its go-to for anything, think about how itll make the future society look
like. Think about how our identities today will shape the future societys identities if we depend
too much on technology to do human-like things.

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Works Cited
Ahuja, Masuma. "Teens Are Spending More Time Consuming Media, on Mobile
Devices." Washington Post. The Washington Post, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.
Burgess, JE. "The Use of Twitter Hashtags in the Formation of Ad Hoc Publics."
Eprints.edu. N.p., 23 Mar. 2011. Web. 21 Feb. 2016.
Cyberbully. Dir. Charles Binam. Perf. Emily Osment. 2011.
Dentzel, Zaryn. "How the Internet Has Changed Everyday Life." Bbvaopenmind.com.
N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2016.
Dumon, Olivier. "How the Internet Changed Science Research and Academic Publishing,
Creating the New Research Economy." Huffingtonpost.com. N.p., 3 Jan. 2013. Web.
Hindijua, Sameer, and Justin Patchin. Cyberbullying Victimization. 2015. N.p. (photo)
Lohmann, Raychelle. "Catfishing: Hook, Line, and Sinker." Psychologytoday.com. N.p.,
10 Feb. 2013. Web. 21 Feb. 2016.