Technology and the World Today

So, the world's a bit crazy right now. And by a bit I mean a whole lot. New York schools are officially closed down for the rest of the school year and, while I was expecting this outcome, it still feels real. The next time I'll step foot on campus, I'll be a senior. Everything will be different. It's weird to think about.

I've been doing online school for almost two months now. My siblings both go to different schools and my brother is just starting his online class. It's strange to know that the rest of the school year is going to be spent staring at a computer screen.

This past week I took the National Spanish Exam. Those who know the exam know that there is a listening portion to the exam. When I got to this section I found, to my horror, that I couldn't get the audio to play.

Everything worked out in the end. I got in contact with my teacher and we worked out how I could listen to the audios. But this really got me thinking about how codependent we've become to our technology. Especially now.

I'm taking the APs online and my biggest fear isn't bombing them. It's having my computer break down in the middle of them. I have an older computer and it's lasted me a good while. Yet, you never know when something won't work properly.

If life were normal, I'd be prepping for a more than two question AP and not worrying as to whether or not my computer is compatible for the test. I'd be in class instead of counting down the seconds until joining a class meeting.

And yet, I'm one of the lucky ones. I have access to technology that allows me to stay in contact with my school and my teachers. Even though it glitches out sometimes, I still have something. There are many people who aren't able to continue their school year because they don't have access to the same technology. We're complaining about staring at a screen, but some people are cut off completely.

I wonder what's going to happen when life goes back to "normal". I am confident life's not going to return to the way it was before after this. But what's going to happen once we go back to school? I dropped off a gift for my friend's birthday and ended up chatting (6 feet away) for over an hour because I missed talking to people that aren't my family. It happens when we're split off into smaller groups in online class and the conversation continuously drifts because we all miss each other.

I miss my friends. I miss being able to leave my house and not worry about spreading my germs. I miss the days where the computer is not the center of my focus. People are talking about the fear of a second wave. I don't want to do this again.

If you can't stay inside for yourself, do it for others. Do it for the people who are following social distancing and are counting down the minutes until they can see their friends again. Do it for the kids who lost their final graduations and sports and shows because, if this continues, you can lose yours next. Do it for the kids who can't even stay in contact while under quarantine.

Be safe and be smart. Stay inside.