Shantiya Gilchrist: Techno biography

Shantiya Gilchrist: Techno biography


Since birth, I have observed the transition of technology in our society. I have watched technology transform from the most simplistic to the most complex. Technology started out as a recreation activity, however is a basic necessity in society today. Technology has impacted my life in many ways from birth through today.

I don't remember technology being used for a lot of things when I was born. One of my first memories was singing along with my mother to her favorite artist from an album. These albums were huge and round. They were played on a record player. VHS were highly used during this time period also. I learned about the different modes of the VCR by watching my first videos, such as learning what the play and pause button was used for. It was awkward because the record player set on top of the radio, and they were used separately. While riding in cars, I realized that we didn't use Cd's but tape cassettes. These cassettes were miniature tape recordings. Cassette tapes lasted for years. I had a premature understanding of technology when I was younger.

I really became exposed to technology in school. My first usage of a computer took place in my elementary computer lab. These computers were large white systems. During this time, I had no idea about the Internet. I just remember playing games on the computer, which were programmed on a disc. In elementary school, I remember viewing films on film projectors. Because film projectors were so complicated, this use of technology wasn't used in the classroom. Technology was a bit separated from school. Taking a step away from technology in the classroom, I remember some technology use at home. I remember my household having at least four telephones that were plugged in the wall. Telephone conversations had to take place in one area. People could not travel around the house to have phone conversations, because the cord only stretched so far. People also used pay phones during the nineteen nineties. During the early nineties, pagers were widely used. This was a better communication device to get in contact with people faster. A few years later, my household updated our telephones with cordless phones. Cordless phones were a huge upgrade, because people were able to multitask and have phone conversations at the same time.

During middle school, technology began to become more and more advance. Cassette tapes begin to fade out. They were replaced with Cd's. Cd's were a more complex way of listening to music. VCR and VHS were fading out as well. They were replace with DVDs. I liked DVDs because they were smaller and more manageable. Systems include a VCR and DVD player. CD players were widely used in middle school. Students listened to their music on walk man's.

As I entered high school, technology was evolving rapidly. I had to take and pass a technology class in high school. Computers were used in wide spread. People threw encyclopedias and dictionaries to the side to surf the web to find information. Lap top use was being used at home along with desktop computers. The birth of MP3 players took place during this time. IPOD'S were the most commonly used player. I can never forget the technology that changed my life forever, my very first cell phone. Cell phones were the most fastest way to communicate with people. The cell phone is the technology device that I have had the most of.

Today technology is a part of our every day life. People rarely communicate through mail. They can send emails straight from their cell phones, a computer is no longer needed to send emails. Music can be listened to on our cell phones as well. Our cell phones has become a mini office for us. Digital cameras are also a big thing. Not only do they take pictures but also record videos. A lot of people leisure time is spent surfing the net and communicating on social networks such as facebook. Most houses I enter today have flat screen televisions, DVD players, and blue ray disc players. I am sure that technology will become more unimaginable complex in the future.