I found Cynthia Lawson’s talk very interesting. I always think about how technology has changed the way we work, socialize and live our lives. It is all around us, and very hard to get away from. If we are not at our computers checking e-mails, we are on our phones, ipads, iphones, etc. When we are on our computers we may have ten internet windows open while we do work. The internet can be very distracting, but it is also very helpful if you are researching or finding different inspirations. I think we need to learn when is a good time to turn it off. I am guilty of getting distracted with looking up things on google that are unrelated to the project I am working on at the time. I can get work done much faster if I am only focused on one thing.
Cynthia Lawson’s discussion about time and technology was something I can definitely relate to. She talked about how time and technology felt different while she was in Guatemala as compared to when she came back to New York. In Guatemala there weren’t as many ways for people to reach her and things moved at a slower pace. I know this is a little different, but a few weeks ago during Hurricane Irene, many people had to get by with no power or internet. I remember the lights flickering and all the sudden the power went out. I was at home in CT where we live further back in the “country”. Our cell phones didn’t work because cell towers were down, we had no power and no internet. I felt so strange because technology has become such a big part of peoples lives. I kept getting frustrated with not being able to get in touch with people or check my e-mails, etc. By day 2, I had to tell myself to just learn to live without and realize it can be very relaxing to not have to check emails, facebook messages, and texts. Sometimes it can be overwhelming with all of the personal e-mails, school e-mail, blogs, class websites, etc. I think there is a happy medium to technology, it is all about self-control and learning when and where are appropriate times to use it.
She also talked a lot about twitter, which I am new to. When I first heard of twitter, I didn’t quite get the appeal. As time went on, I was hearing more positive things about how you can follow museums, artists, and galleries and hear about openings, shows and much more.
Before watching this talk, I was just discussing with my mom about how the internet and technology has changed the way we go to school. We have blogs, e-mails, google accounts and more that allow us to communicate with professors and other students during the week. When my mom was in college, you would get an assignment and then not hear from the professor until the next class. We are able to ask questions, and look at our class website whenever we need to.
