Current Issues in Journalism

It was like a nightmare, only more real. A day without technology. It might not have been so bad if I hadn't bought a Blackberry Curve right before I began the 24 hours. I watched that sleek red PDA like a hawk. Every little noise at work, in the car, at home, screamed, "Over here! I'm OVER HERE!"

It wasn't that bad when I couldn't call 98.9 The Rock to win a key that might start a Harley. Sure, I was disappointed, but I kept driving. The real hurt came when I got to work and realized, not only did I not know the extension to the daycare, but I couldn't call long distance. A fine time to discover that fact. I got calls and emails all day, but persevered.

After work, I met my mom at Walmart. We spent 20 minutes looking for each other. We could have paged, but no one likes hearing their name being screamed over public intercoms. At home, I usually check my email, blog and/or chat with out-of-state family, and generally goof around. On Monday nights, my sister and I get on MyspaceIM and discuss Dancing with the Stars. My day wasn't up yet, so we had to catch up later.

Since I use my cell or the internet during my daily schedule, I didn't do other activities. Instead, I felt left out without a way to connect during my routine, like a kid in a world of adult jokes. I realized that my life is centered on being in the know immediately, and it was unnerving to wait for an answer to my questions. I depend on my phone and internet to keep my relationships strong and up to date. This day made me appreciate technology for what I wouldn’t have without it.