“It is indeed a rare university student who does not use computers-on a regular basis- for writing and research activities, for communicating with classmates and teachers, for organizing and scheduling tasks, and for many additional purposes.”(Selber 3). In speaking of our digital age, this quote really hit the nail on the head. Inevitably, the use of technology has become a part of our everyday lives. From sitting in an auditorium using a 'clicker' , to being at the workplace and placing an order online to restock inventory, technology is all around us, no matter where we are or what we are doing, even in jobs where you think you are least likely to find it.
My Past & Present: When I take a trip down memory lane, I think about how the days where a good old board game with the family or an innocent game of hide and go seek have vanished. Not because I’ve gotten any older, but because the influence of my computer and all of the addicting and time consuming games, programs, and websites it has to offer keep me from spending time doing things outdoors or with my friends and family. I spend countless hours a day sitting at my computer checking my email, working on my online class, commenting facebook profiles, googling random questions, or even just killing time. In recognizing what I mainly use a computer for, I have realized that my technological skills are very limited, and although I have spent countless hours upon hours sitting at it, I have not tapped in to a computer’s true capabilities yet because I have been using it more for leisure then work purposes. Without a doubt, I feel like I am one of those students Selber mentions in his writing that needs to be better prepared by professors for the digital age (Selber 4.) Now that I am a student in college, this moment is the time for me to start gearing myself, and my technological skills towards my future, and my career.
My Future: I just recently changed my major to International Relations (IR), which entails working closely with our government and interacting with nations and states, as well as the international society as a whole. This major accommodates a large spectrum of academic fields, giving me the option to pursue my dream of working for the government abroad as a diplomat in an American embassy. My argument is that technology cannot be escaped, even in jobs where you think you are least likely to find it. In my initial thoughts of my future career, I saw myself interacting strictly with people and having no need for digital literacy skills. After conducting some research, I discovered that it does entail the use of a few digital technologies that I will need to understand how to use. For example, I will be traveling a lot, as diplomats do venture into places the every day man off the street cannot. As Eva Holland writes in her journal entry speaking of her diplomatic father, "Diplomats go where the average traveler can't, from full-on hot zones like Iraq and Afghanistan to more stable, impoverished places like Haiti or Chad" (Holland 1.) Therefore, the work-oriented technologies I will be using will revolve around two major technologies, one being a Global Positioning System (GPS). It is important that I understand how to correctly operate a GPS because life overseas is just as unpredictable as the future. One never knows where they will be headed tomorrow, and when time is money, I can't afford to get lost. In relating this to Bolter’s writings, I found it ironic how true the words he predicted were in saying, “ Although print remains indispensable, it no longer seems indispensable, that is the curious condition of the late age of print (Bolter 2). Hence, the reason I feel the need to carry around the latest technology in the GPS market rather than an outdated stingy, torn apart map.
The other and most significant technology in my future workplace is the computer. Obviously, working for the government, there will be a plethora of classified documents for official eyes only. This is why, as silly as it sounds, it is imperative that I must understand what to and not to click on to stay away from viruses and Internet hackers. I want to understand how to use a computer safely, especially if it means preventing harm to our government. Among other things I will need to have exquisite skills in are the Microsoft tools including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access. When I think of being a Diplomat, I know that office skills are going to be imperative when I am at the Embassy. Moreover, I can see the computer becoming an incredible source in helping me to understand the roots of my own country, as well as becoming familiar with the host country I am to work in. The computer definitely holds a wealth of information when it comes to language, ethnicities, religions, cultural traditions, and many other subjects that I might need to have common knowledge on of the country I will be assigned to. I plan to use this technology to perform my job to its fullest extent; although it will be challenging, I want to understand how to properly use all the above technologies in order to become a successful member of our workforce. Therefore, whether we realize it or not, technologies have snuck their way in to many different places and jobs, even the ones we least expect.
In conclusion, my relationship with technology is that of any average Joe. Nothing to boast about, but it gets me by on a daily basis. As of now I depend on technology more so in the play oriented category, but after conducting this research and really sitting down to think about it, I’m realizing that this is a bad thing. While I’m still young, I must snip this problem at the root and begin to use my technological resources more wisely, so that I can become computer savvy in the workplace, because as Selber states, “Colleges and universities are beginning to embrace requirements for computer literacy, as employers and academic accrediting agencies strongly urge upper-level administrators to do so.(14)” Therefore, as the world progresses into a digital age, I must advance my skills along with it.
Works Cited
Bolter, Jay D. Writing Space. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc, 2001. Print.
Holland, Eva. The Life of a Diplomat (2010). Print
Selber, Stuart. Multiliteracies for a Digital Age. Southern Illinois UP, 2004. Print.
