Danielle Bowker
Professor Applegate
ENG 200 01
September 16, 2014
Digital technologies have gradually advanced and continue to change each passing year. Growing up in the age of new media, I find myself relying more and more on these technologies as compositional tools. Old and new digital technologies such as Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Vine allow its users to like, share, and communicate with others in a matter of seconds. Programs such as Microsoft Word or PowerPoint make writing essays and creating projects quicker and easier. Google allows one to search anything, anywhere, at anytime. These websites and many others can now be accessed on computers and smart phones, making the use of these programs a significant part of our everyday routines.
I would not consider myself an expert when it comes to technology. But, I do have experience and am familiar with how most websites work. I began to regularly use the Internet and all technology in general when I was about 12 years old. The first social media website I had used was MySpace. As I got more familiar with the ins and outs of its features, I found myself checking my profile every single day. I would message and write on friends wall’s, update statuses on my everyday activities, and kept up to date on the newest gossip and music. I began to customize my profile with my favorite background. I also had an “about me” section and was able to choose who was on my top ten friends list. It was my first experience with creating a profile and it was definitely fun being able to make it look and say exactly what I wanted it to.
After MySpace, I began to join new social media websites that were beginning to grow in popularity. Websites such as Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter dramatically minimized my use of Myspace and soon took its place all together. Facebook allows its users to add friends, post photos and statuses, and exchange messages. Users are notified if someone updates their profile, likes or comments on something they have posted, or if they receive any new friend requests or messages. You can customize your profile with a cover photo and choose your desired privacy setting to protect your information. Facebook allows you to share articles or videos and create or like groups and pages. It also shows suggested posts and articles that are most likely to catch your attention. It is a great way to meet new people and engage in social media.
After Facebook, I was introduced to Tumblr. I personally love quotes, photography, and writing. Being that Tumblr was a blog allowing me to post and view all of those things, I knew that I had to make one. I was able to customize everything as well as find and follow everything I love. Tumblr was different from anything I had ever used before. It allowed me to be creative and show my personality through both the content and design of my profile. After Tumblr, I created a Twitter account. Twitter allows you to send and read messages known as “tweets”. I was more interested in Twitter because I could get immediate updates on all the things that interest me. It was also a plus that I never needed to watch the weather or news. My fellow tweeters always seemed to keep me updated through their “tweets” on the most recent news report or weather condition.
After I finally got a smart phone, I began to use various other social media sites. I continued to use Facebook, but as I was introduced to new websites, the amount of time I spent on it slowly decreased and I stopped using Tumblr and Twitter all together. I began to use Instagram, Vine, and Pinterest. Instagram is one of my favorite sites. I love being able to share photos and videos on a regular basis. It is similar to a blog but instead of writing entries every day, you share your life through photos. Instagram allows its users to control who follows them, customize their profile, and add as many pictures, quotes, or videos as they want. Instagram has added new features to edit your pictures, including filters and the ability to rotate photos. It also allows you to change the brightness, contrast, and saturation of your photos to add a unique and eye-catching effect. Vine on the other hand is more centered on posting videos. It allows you to create short, looping videos. These videos can also be re-vined by others who follow you, ultimately helping to increase the popularity of your page. I do not personally post a lot of videos on vine but I do enjoy watching videos that my friends, family, and favorite celebrities post. Lastly, there is Pinterest. I just recently started using Pinterest and the more I become familiar with it, the more I grow to like it. It basically allows you to view anything that you are interested in. It provides several different categories including quotes, hair and beauty, food, animals, gifts, art, cars, celebrities, design, education, sports, home décor and much more. Whether you need a cooking recipe, birthday gift idea, or just an inspirational quote, there really is something for everyone. Each category provides thousands of images. It allows you to create boards in which you can re-pin anything you want to save and go back to. It is a really efficient way to find new and creative ideas. I like being able to browse through these categories and get tips and advice from people all around the world.
Once I got into my later years of high school, being up to date on social media sites was no longer my only concern. Doing my work on the computer became a significant part of my academic career. The two most important compositional tools that I needed to become familiar with were Microsoft Word and PowerPoint. It is almost impossible for students, especially those in college, to not be familiar with these technologies. Microsoft Word is great for writing essays or anything for that matter because it can check for grammatical mistakes. This allows students to concentrate more on the actual content of the essay, rather than fixating on every error they make. Microsoft allows you to pick a font and size for your words. It allows you to format your page with the appropriate margins and use bullet marks or numbers when listing. You can also underline and italicize words and add page numbers. The options to choose from go on and on, but once familiar with Microsoft, it without a doubt makes writing an essay quicker and easier. PowerPoint, which was also created by Microsoft, is extremely useful for students as well as those already in a career. Everyone has to make a presentation at some point in his or her life, so learning how to manage PowerPoint is definitely worth knowing. I do not remember my first time using it, but now I know all there is to know about its capabilities. When creating a presentation, one can add as many slides as they want. They can pick from an array of colors, fonts, and backgrounds. It allows one to add charts, tables, pictures, videos and even sounds and effects for transitioning through each slide. It can be used for a class project or even for teachers who need to create a quick and efficient lesson. PowerPoint is easy to figure out and makes for an amazing presentation.
Another significant website is Google. Whenever I am unsure of something, I simply go to Google on my phone or laptop and search it. It is extremely simple to use and takes just seconds to find millions of results for whatever it is that you type into the search bar. It can connect you to other websites and provide answers to almost anything. I use it for projects, research papers, homework assignments, and definitions. Google is an incredible search engine and is my go-to website for a long time.
Overall, my experience with digital technologies as compositional tools has progressively grown over the years. As the need for these technologies increased in everyday life, my knowledge and skills has broadened. The social media sights I mentioned above are just a few of the many technologies I use on a daily basis. They are not only for entertainment purposes but also for personal expression. It is amazing to be able to share your thoughts, photos, videos, and stories with people who can respond and sincerely enjoy reading and relating to what you are posting. As for other digital technologies used for writing papers, completing projects, or simply finding answers, they are useful programs that I could not imagine living without. Whether I am doing an assignment or browsing through Facebook and Instagram, my knowledge about these technologies widens every day. I am sure new media will continue to expand with more advanced digital tools and it is only a matter of time before I begin to learn and experience using those as well.
Danielle Bowker 