Shackled to Our Computers

            In the beginning of Carr’s book he states “The computer screen…is so much our servant that it would seem churlish to notice that it is also our master”(4).  When I first read this I thought that he was crazy because an inanimate object cannot control a human being. I thought that this was a dumb thing to say until I started to think about it. When I took a step back and didn’t think about it from a literal since, I realized that he might not be as crazy as I originally thought.  

            When I started to think about my computer and phone (which is now considered a computer since it’s so advanced) and how often I use/rely on them, I realized that they do have a hold on a lot of my life.  I don’t think it is the actual computer/phone that I rely so heavily on but the contents that these devices hold.

The first thing I do when I get out of class is check my phone for texts, Facebook for notifications and Twitter for recent tweets. I then proceed to my next class where I sit, check my phone one last time and listen to the lecture. Even in class I find my mind wandering and I begin wonder if I have a text message or missed call. I even find myself laughing in class when I think of something I could tweet related to what the teacher is talking about. When I get home the first thing I do is go on the computer and surf the net. I often find myself refocusing my attention and realizing that I’ve wasted twenty minutes of my day doing nothing.

Recently I had to send my laptop away for three days because it needed repairs. During these few days I found myself feeling anxious because I didn’t have my laptop. Everywhere I went (even if it was somewhere I would never bring my laptop) I felt as though I was forgetting something and that something was missing. I began thinking about what would happen if the company messed up and accidently deleted some of my files. I realized how crucial my laptop is to my schooling and began to realize the magnitude that I’m reliant on it. Saved on my laptop are countless amounts of homework assignments, passwords to online homework websites and PDF files that my teachers have assigned to read that are critical to my ability to succeed. I was also bothered by the fact that I have so many pictures and videos of my friends and I saved to my hard drive and how upset I would be if they accidently got deleted.

            I feel as though many people are as reliant on their computers as I am. Many people don’t take the time to think about what would happen if they were laptop-less or if they did not have access to the regular websites they visit. I feel as though in an abstract way a computer is our master because we rely so heavily on the information it can hold and the status it hold in our society.

            Nikki gaspari