Digital Literacy Narrative
I am considered part of the Zillennial generation. “Zillennials refer to a small cohort born between the early 1990s and the early 2000s,” said Deborah Carr, professor of sociology and director of the Center for Innovation in Social Science at Boston University. “They’re on the cusp of Gen Z and millennial, thus the mash-up label of zillennial.” (Ward,2023) I grew up as technology evolved. My earliest memories of using technology would be in middle school, using the library computers to take online reading comprehension tests, and my intro to typing and computer skills class. I still remember when the teacher would roll a TV and VCR into the classroom to watch a movie or show. The first upgrades to writing on white boards were overhead projectors with film that the teacher would use a marker on and project on the wall, and then later we got the smart board with the interactive pen. I didn’t have a phone until I started riding the bus and began participating in after school programs. I did not have my first cellphone until high school, and it was a flat silver go phone, that later got upgraded to a pink razor flip phone, and eventually after high school I was given a hand me down iPhone 4.
My first computer was an HP laptop that I covered with stickers. It now lives under my bed as a token from my past. I remember playing a game called Math-A-Thon that raised money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital on my family’s desk top computer. My first mp3 player was a cheap no name one, but then I later got an iPod Touch 4th generation and that helped music become my lifeline when dealing with the beginning stages of social anxiety.
“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything”. (Plato) I have always been a huge music lover; I couldn’t imagine life without it. I have Spotify playing music while studying, cleaning or driving. I need background noise to help me focus. I think it helps my ADHD brain tune into what I am doing instead of getting lost in my thoughts. "I do not think I can live without something of a musical society. I condition for nothing else; but without music, life would be a blank to me." (Austen)
My first experience with video games was playing Super Mario World on a Super NES from my mom’s childhood. I had a Gameboy Advance, Nintendo DS Lite, Nintendo 3DS, Wii, Xbox 360, and now have a Nintendo Switch, iPhone XS Max, iPad and a MacBook Air.
I mainly played games like Super Mario Bros, Wii sports and Mario Kart. I also was into Pokémon, Zoo Tycoon, Nintendogs and the Professor Layton series. I also really loved playing Guitar Hero, especially at the bowling alley. Now I play Disney Dreamlight Valley, Animal Crossing and Mario Kart on my Nintendo Switch. I have also grown up with YouTube and still use it today. I remember having to go to the MTV channel on the TV and now I just use YouTube or Spotify for that.
My current computer is my MacBook Air- 15 in, M2, 2023 because I wanted something that will last me throughout earning my bachelor’s degree. I am a receptive audience because I grew up with and without technology. I can adapt to the changes of technology but also know that I am not one that must have the newest iPhone every year. I do question what our society would be like without technology because there was one point when we did not have any or we were not exposed to it. I think sometimes life was simpler back then before I had connected to social media and the digital age.
My experience with technology has helped shape me into who I am today. For example, I am currently into watching videos about how to apply Gods word in my relationships. At first social media for me was for keeping up socially with family and friends while growing up as a military kid. Social media has good and bad sides. On the good side, we can share photos and updates of our lives to our friends and families, share life hacks, and explore our hobbies for example. On the bad side, it can also allow access to people we don’t know and can expose us to negative things that could cause self-harm, anxiety or just cause us to get caught up scrolling and waist hours in our day. Social media has caused me a lot of anxiety because I got caught up in comparing my life and body to those online. I still catch myself falling back in to that comparison game because I see my friends getting married and having a family or getting their dream career and I’m just not at that step-in life. I must remind myself everyone’s path in life is different and that’s okay, that’s what makes our life, simply ours.
Resources:
Austen, J. (1815, December 23). Emma. Goodreads. Retrieved February 3, 2024, from https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/410656-but-said-i-to-be-quite-honest-i-do-not
Plato Quotes. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved January 26, 2024, from BrainyQuote.com Web site: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/plato_109438
Ward, T. (2023, July 23). Zillennials: The newest micro-generation has a name. CNN Health. Retrieved January 26, 2024, from https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/10/health/what-are-zillennials-wellness/index.html