- Remember that there is a difference between technology and the Internet.
When I first saw this title come up, I was a little confused. I think a lot of people do get the two mixed up, but it’s important to understand that they are two different things entirely. Technology includes your cell phone, your laptop, your gaming system—anything you use to enhance your life in some way. The internet is just one type of technology out there for you to use. The internet of things, for example, that’s technology. Your smartphone is also technology. The internet is just the way people connect to each other using this collective pool of devices and programs across the world.
- Have patience with yourself if you forget how to use your phone or computer.
If you’ve never had a cell phone before, it can be jarring when you first start out with one because there are so many new pieces of information that your brain has to process at once—new buttons, new symbols, etc.—and it can feel overwhelming! It’s all about figuring out what works best for you and sticking with it until everything becomes second nature again. Don’t worry about learning everything right away; take notes if need be! I used my laptop during the summer after freshman year to write my thesis paper for my History class—I remembered how to do basic things like save files but I had absolutely no idea how to use it effectively without an internet connection… But I found a solution!
- Ask other people around you what they use their computers/smartphones/tablets for in case something happens during an outage or power-failure etc.
I was lucky enough to have my father here with me over the summer, but I only ever saw him use his cell phone. He doesn’t like computers at all, so he wasn’t able to help me if something went wrong! If you’re not alone in this situation (i.e., you live with other people), make sure to ask them what they do with their devices; it will really help out!
- Remind yourself that technology is temporary and not permanent—and that’s okay!
It’s really easy for us to forget about the fact that technology is temporary because we’ve grown up surrounded by it our entire lives. It has become a part of our culture; it has become natural for us to use social media as a means of communicating and working from home as a means of getting work done. And yes, those things are great things, but they aren’t permanent or essential parts of life just yet—it’s very possible for us as humans to live without these luxuries if we had no choice in the matter. In an emergency situation where there is no power or internet connection available, try doing some creative brainstorming on ways you can still get your work done or communicate with other people without using a computer/smartphone/tablet etc.
- Don’t feel bad about asking for help if you don’t know how to do something.
I know I’m really good at being independent and self-sufficient, but sometimes that comes with a price—I get too caught up trying to figure things out on my own when I should be taking more time to ask for help. It’s okay if you need some extra guidance—especially in this situation! Technology is different from what people are used to, so it’s only natural that everyone would have questions about how everything works. Don’t let your pride get in the way of getting answers from other people who might be able to assist you! You’ll feel better knowing that someone else knows more than you do about a certain topic, and they’re willing to share their knowledge with you!
- Try not go overboard with “being dependent” on technology just because it is functioning again after a downtime or power failure etc.. This goes back to the point about not feeling bad asking for help—if anything, it will make you appreciate technology more when it comes back online again because the whole world won’t necessarily have access immediately after an outage/power failure etc.
Technology is great. It has changed the way we live for the better, but it’s not necessary to have in order to survive. I hope this post helped out! Thank you so much for reading!
