I
finished college, got married, and had a child before Google. Back in college,
when I had to do research papers, I went to the library, flipped through a card
catalog, found books that were decades old, took notes, came home, wrote the 1st
draft by hand, typed the final draft up on a typewriter and handed it in to the
professor in person. My son, (who is in college now) doesn’t even know what a
card-catalog is. He saw his first typewriter in a local museum. He never has to
leave the house to do research. He can Google any subject and have the most
recent information. He can even submit his assignments to his instructors
electronically.
Of
course, it’s understandable that my son, who grew up in the internet age, would
be dependent on technology—but I’m just as hooked! It’s hard to imagine that I
planned a wedding before the internet! Now, I can’t even plan a trip without
it. I have to read reviews and gather information about every detail before I
plan anything these days. And how in the world did I make it through a
pregnancy without Google? These days, I wouldn’t be able to get through a
hangnail without searching for causes, symptoms, and cures online! I need
Google to look up recipes, maps, my calendar, check weather, connect with
friends over email, write my blog, look up scripture verses—basically to look
up answers for every question that pops up in my head.
I
used to cook, drive, and take care of my family without the assistance of
Google. Over the last decade, I’ve grown so dependent on this kind of
technology. Since I know I can look up information so easily, I don’t bother to
retain it anymore. I devour information, ingesting substantial amounts of it
daily. However, most of it just passes through my brain. I used to write things
down, memorize it, and make an attempt to digest it. Now it’s more like I binge
on data and then vomit it out--information bulimia! And Google is my enabler.
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