In my younger days, I never really used technology, nor was it as big as it is today. The only technology I used was an old Dell PC I used to play games on and for homework purposes, as well as television. I would enjoy coming home from school and firing up the computer to play the Space Cadet pinball game that came with the PC. But as much as I look back on those memories and wish to recreate them, I find it harder to enjoy technology at that same level these days, despite it being part of my everyday life, along with a majority of other people's lives as well.
As a sports media major, I constantly am working with all forms of technology, from cameras to video editing software to audio equipment and studios. With it being my passion, I'm always curious about new equipment, how to utilize it, finding new ways to edit videos, etc. I always wanted to work in sports, in some form or another, with dreams of being an athlete as a kid slowly shifting into a job with my favorite team, working as a big part of their media team. Even working for the High Point Club Sports media squad, I look forward to road trips with the team or finding out I will get screen time as the game's color commentator. There's never a dull moment when doing something you are passionate about.
I got my first smartphone back around my freshman year of high school, and from there my exposure to the world of social media and the unsupervised internet began. I created my Snapchat and Instagram accounts during my sophomore year and things changed quickly. I was exposed to all forms of hate comments, trolling, explicit content, and other negative online gestures that, as a teenager, I didn't need to see. In a time when I was still figuring things out, including myself, the Internet was the last thing I needed to be a part of, and I'm glad that I was able to remain composed and not fall deep into the legion of online hate and trolling.
Along with the negative experience of people hiding behind their screens, I was also a victim of having my Instagram account hacked and was also blackmailed, both of which are becoming more common. I can tell you confidently that both of those experiences were not times I wish to relive. I was scared and confused, and at the same time angry, thinking, 'why do people do this?'
I eventually had to completely give up on my old account and made a new one, along with another page for my media projects, which is a good Segway into some of the positives of technology today. While not completely flawless, it's easier than ever to do work in my field of study. From editing clips to writing articles, a job that would take forever to make a couple of decades ago is now fast and simple with the latest programs and hardware.
Being a sports fan is easier than ever too. I can now watch all my teams simply by tapping my phone screen or clicking around on my laptop. Subscriptions to ESPN+ and other sports channels make it simple to watch my teams. The MLS, the highest level of soccer in the USA and Canada, has recently paired with Apple TV to stream all their games with no blackouts, making it easier for fans to watch games. As part of the HPU Club Hockey media team, family members and friends of the players can watch the team for free through the team's YouTube channel, using the streaming software and graphics we create. And to share about the stream, we use all our social media accounts to notify fans that the game has started. Having these kinds of resources makes creating a larger audience and keeps people that follow us connected.
As with all technology, there will be flaws. But there are many reasons to take advantage of it as well. In the end, there needs to be more awareness taught to the younger generations. The best way I can phrase this is the current generation of kids is growing up ON the internet and modern technology, while my generation and millennials grew up WITH the internet. Through our experiences of being online and using social media platforms and services, it's our responsibility, as well as parents, to teach the next generation the appropriate way to go about using technology and using social media, because we as a society have learned to use it in our daily everyday life. Therefore, we must be aware what it is, how to use it responsibly, and how we can use it to our advantage without it taking advantage of us.
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