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Nicholas Proffitt
Dr. Nicole Emmelhainz
English 223
09/20/15
My Technological Literacy
Over the last few generations, there has been an explosion in technology, like has
never been seen before in the history of the world. There are many positive as well as many
negative effects of the rapid rise of technology and its deep infusion into all aspects of
societies around the world. My opinions of these aspects and their relative positivity for
society as whole is openly biased and altered by my personal experiences, background, and
knowledge of this technology. This is true for all people and their individual affiliation with
the concept of technology.
My technological literacy is very atypical to that of most millennial age college
students. I have always been technologically challenged. I have never played video games
or owned an Apple product of any kind. I prefer to handwrite notes, as opposed to type
them because, I remember things better but, mostly I am able to organize my thoughts more
easily. I always prefer to call someone on the phone rather than text them. Most people text
for convenience but, I find phone calls to be easier as well as more personal. It is also less
ambiguous since, you can hear their voice you can detect their tone and use of sarcasm
rather than try to decipher it from a text. While I do utilize the convenience of emailing as a
tool and use it as a vital part of my daily work, I am one of the few people I know that still
sends actual, paper letters via the United States Post Office.

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When I was growing up, we had two computers in the house: my fathers laptop that
was loaned to him through his work and a desktop that was primarily my mothers for work
but, occasionally my sisters and I would be able to use it for school or less often for
recreational purposes. Due to this lack of exposure to computers, I never became reliant on
technology and am effectively a Digital Immigrant. My grandfather has always held a
heavy influence in my life. My grandfather lived with us for much of my elementary school
years. He reads the newspaper every day and to this day does not own a computer of any
type. The first computer I ever received was a desktop for my bedroom. I neglected to use
the computer for almost three months, telling my mother that it was broken and would not
turn on. When a neighbor came over to attempt to repair the computer, it was discovered
that the computer was fully functional. I had been turning the monitor on and off, unaware
that there was a second power button on the box part of the computer under the desk.
Lastly, unlike most teenagers today, I did not receive my first cell phone until I was in the
middle of my freshman year of high school and I did not receive my first smart phone until I
was a senior in high school.
Children today, though, are obtaining these devices earlier and earlier. Today, thirtyeight percent of children under the age of two have access to a mobile device for
recreational purposes, up from ten percent in 2011. Another survey showed that most
children obtain their first cell phone by age six. ("Study: 53 Percent of Kids Get a
Cellphone at Age 6.") Where I obtained my first mobile device in ninth grade and my first
smart phone in twelfth grade, my youngest sister acquired her first cell phone, which was a

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smart phone, in sixth grade. My younger sisters call and text each other from upstairs or the
other room and my two year old cousin plays games on her mothers Ipad.
Technology is becoming significantly more accessible and it has infiltrated our
society to the point that some go so far as to argue the necessity of even learn to write by
hand. In Trubeks Handwriting is History, Trubek offers a detailed history of the
emergence and the evolution of handwriting. She then makes the argument that handwriting
as a both educational process and a practice is ancient and out dated. Trubek states,
For many, the prospect of handwriting dying out would signal the end of
individualism and the entree to some robotic techno-future But when we worry
about losing our individuality, we are likely misremembering our schooling, which
included rote, rigid lessons in handwriting. We have long been taught the "right" way
to form letters. (Trubek).
Trubek tries to argue that handwriting does not distinctively display any individualistic traits
or characteristics of the author. This claim is absurd. There is obviously personality in
penmanship. How else can someones individual handwriting be identified? If this claim
were true then, handwriting experts, as a profession, would not exist. They would not be
able to accurately describe the emotional state of the author when they wrote the sample.
Technology has evidently made life easier in many ways. In my occupational
experience, Facebook is a great networking tool, being able to access email anywhere in the
country is a definite benefit, and breaking news alerts direct to smartphones in combination
with google keeps the public informed and knowledgeable about current events. However, I
do believe that there are strong and justifiable concerns about the over infusion of

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technology into society. Children should and need to learn to communicate effectively
without technology, learning tonal nuances that indicate sarcasm or sternness as well as the
meanings of hand gestures and other forms of body language.

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Works Cited
"Study: 53 Percent of Kids Get a Cellphone at Age 6." ABC7 Los Angeles. 7 Apr. 2015.
Web. 16 Sept. 2015.
Trubek, Anne. "Handwriting Is History." Pacific Standard, 17 Dec. 2009. Web. 31 Aug.
2015. <http://www.psmag.com/books-and-culture/handwriting-is-history-6540>.