The first time I had a cell phone was when I was in elementary school. I am not sure, but I think I was eleven or twelve years old. Most of classmates have already had their own cell phone: I was jealous because I did not have one, and I have asked to give my phone to mother.
After I got my cell phone, I registered playing games on my phone, and downloaded many songs because my friends did that. My parents did not think that I spend money on my phone, so they got anger and were disappointed. They did not cancel my phone’s contract, but they limited a range of use on the internet.
I think my parents’ decision was right. Letting children have their own cell phones could be dangerous because they do not understand media literacy, what is wrong and right, and how to get along with a cell phone. Technologies can safe children from dangerous sometimes such as kidnapping, but I think it can be a dangerous tool to roll up children to a virtual world.
When I was a junior high school student, social networking sites were in fashion. In Japan, there were a lot of sites such as glee, mobage and mixi. A lot of teenagers registered these sites, and I also registered one. My friend impersonated as an other and tried to go out with an unknown guy. I stopped her and she did not date with a stranger after all, but I thought the technology made our society dangerous. We cannot see others’ face and have no idea who tell truth. I did not have a limit of using the internet at that time, I used the internet whenever, but there are many risks to use the internet. I have heard the news about one strange man text to a teenage girl, and he told to her that “I am a pilot and just broke up with ex girlfriend. I am searching for a cute girl.” Besides he sent a picture of a handsome guy. (It was not a photo of himself). The girl went to meet him, but there was one old man, and he tried to let her go to a hotel. This is a good example of how dangerous social networking sites are.
When I was a high school student, twitter, facebook and instagram became popular applications. In addition, most of people started to have a smart phone, not a cell phone. People do not use e-mail to text very much, and “Line” or “Messenger” became common tools to send messages. I think this is the reason students do not know how to write e-mail to professors. The means to send messages are getting more casual. (But actually, I exchanged messages by e-mail with my ex boyfriend.)
I think the appearance of these social networking sites made our friendship complicated. Because we can make groups on chat applications, and text friends who are not familiar with easily, so people are more likely to betray their friends.
Besides, there are a lot of people who are addicted to use these sites. When I went out with my friend, she always watched her smart phone even she was with me, so I felt like unpleasant.
In Japan, being a friend with parents on social networking sites is not general thing. My mother and father are on facebook, but I will never add them as a friend because I do not want to show my life with friends to my parents. Generally, Japanese people divide life with friends and with their family.
When I was in a high school, I felt twitter can break my life because it show negative dimensions of my friends and I almost could not believe friends, so I erased twitter from my phone.
Now, I have instagram, facebook and Line on my phone. I think I manage these items well, I mean, I have proper distances from these applications. Overusing of social networking sites can cause risks such as addiction or distrust, but if we use them well, it works well.
For example, I use instagram as the place to make my art works public. I have liked to draw pictures when I was a kid, I used to shoe my drawings to my friends, but I wanted to show them to more people, so I was unsatisfied. Then, I started to post my art works on instagram. When I posted my work of Kiko Mizuhara (she is Japanese model), she found my work from a hash tag and liked to my drawing. Her fans liked as well and some of them praised my work. I felt like I am an artist and I thought that I want to post better art works.
In addition, there are people who earn money by using an internet such as Youtubers. I think they cannot get money if there was not the internet.
In this sense, an internet technology is a convenient tool. Besides, there are some advantages.
I think if I did not have iPhone, I could not go anywhere. We can use Google map and search for the address of our destination. I always use these functions to get where I want to go.
Moreover, we can watch weather forecast and movies on our phone, so we do not need to watch TV and buy DVDs. I think the industry of TV can be changed due to a technology of an internet.
And I often use an application of bulletin of earthquakes. We experience an earthquake at least once a week in Japan, and when it occurred, the network become unstable. This application is used in such an emergency. We do not need network, and we just confirm family is safe or not. This is really convenient and suitable to Japan.
I think a technology made us less likely to talk face to face. I have no idea whether it is good or not. We can make an appointment without talking directly and I can talk to my mother even if I live in America by using applications such as Skype. However technologies caused unexpected problems such as mental issues or the rise of the rate of crimes.
Technologies made our society convenient, but not happy I think. As I said, if we overused social networking sites, we would be in danger. We all need to learn about media literacy.
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