OpinionThe TOWER 3

By AMIE WARRICKTOWER Co-Editor-in-chief

A few months ago, I had to give up the luxury of owning an iPhone, for financial reasons, and over time I have relearned how to function without the world at my finger-tips. This experience has made me think, how did I ever survive before the iPhone and how am I going to survive now?

Well, the truth is I have survived; I haven’t died because I missed an important email or because I’m re-ally behind on reading my twitter feed. Even though my iPhone has that daunting “No Service” banner at the top, I can still access Wi-Fi connections where available.

So instead of hearing about top news stories immediately when they happen, I have discovered myself conversing with my profes-sors (and others) more often than I ever did before. I am now, more often than not, a little behind on breaking news and other top sto-ries (behind by a few hours because I can no longer keep up during the day while in classes or at lunch), and yet it has not affected my level conversation when discussing news topics.

Over the last four years, I have learned to work around the “Beth-any Bubble” to see what is going on in the United States but when it comes to worldwide instances, it is much harder to keep updated with what is happening out there.

I must admit, being a Communi-cations and Media Arts major has definitely given me an advantage to having situations where a large media discussion is perfectly ap-propriate. I am currently enrolled in International Communication where Dr. Sutherland hosts discus-sions between students about not only what’s happening in the U.S., but most significantly, worldwide. In class we utilize the Internet as our main source to research media of other countries and cultures.

Which brings me to my next point, how did we ever survive without the Internet and the pos-

sibility of instantaneous informa-tion? My generation is in the now. We demand it, we want it now and we will fight to get what we want, right now. We are definitely living in the beginning of a new era.

My generation has been grow-ing up with technology. Even as a young girl, my father gave me ac-cess to computers and other tech-nologies, always eager to teach me about them. My dad provided these opportunities and since then I have found myself ahead of most of my classmates when it comes to under-

standing and utilizing technologi-cal advances. People come to me to solve their minor computer, phone or even printer problems: friends and other classmates, teachers etc. And since I have left home to attend Bethany, I have found myself read-ing at least one technology-related news story every day. On average, I spend about five to seven hours a week reading technology-related news on everything from basic up-dates to inventions of whole new products that have the potential to change the world. I tend to pay

particular attention to stories that pertain to innovvations (and prob-lems) of Apple Inc.’s constant insis-tence on being the top provider for what is “now.”

Being a “closet nerd” (as I have been called in many different times of my life), I put a high importance on media and technology. I believe that the media have directly influ-enced the way we use and under-stand the advances of today. I am very grateful for the opportunities and experiences the Communica-

See iPhone, page 5

In a Technology-Obsessed World: How I Survive Without my iPhone