Technology has become our main source of communication, learning, entertainment. A new study from Ball State University found that 99.8% of college students have some kind of cellphone. Technology has expanded access to education. Hundreds of years ago, books were rare and were only for the wealthy people. Today, loads of information are uploaded daily to the internet; changing the way we perceive time.

Learning

Technology is an influential tool that can support and revolutionize education in many ways, from making it easier for teachers to make instructional materials to enabling new ways for students to learn and work together. Technology supports learning 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and increases student commitment and motivation. Online educational resources, such as Reading Plus can increase the rate of learning and reduce the cost of materials. Due to technology, forms of communication and collaboration is a huge part of the learning experience.

For example, if a student is interested in a recent discovery or expedition, the student can send an e-mail to the scientist with as many questions in a matter of seconds. You can edit group papers and projects on google drive in real time and have it be a true collaborative effort.  You are able to have YouTube videos where you see professionals in their field explain their work. This can not only help you grasp the concepts you are learning better, but be able to see what it is you really want to do.

Entertainment

Technology has provided people with even more creative ways to take up time, such as Xbox, Nintendo and television. There are many pros and cons with electronics. A study by Information Solutions Group for Popcap Games found out that playing video games can improve concentration and help increase attention span. On the other hand, technology causes teens to be more isolated from others and spend less time with family. Today, interaction between individuals is slowly decreasing as people turn to technology instead of seeking to make a new friend at school or spending time outside. It doesn’t hurt to put down the Xbox controller or TV remote and go to a club activity to make some friends and go camping, hiking, biking, going on scenic drives or extreme canyoneering. Part of the college experience comes form

Communication

As stated in Connectmogul, 70% of Americans use their smartphones to text and 91% keep their phones within arms reach at all times. Technology has become an essential for communication. Students use social media; such as Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat to “keep up to date” and because “it’s interesting”, says Laura from Top Universities . Many students use text messaging, e-mails or Facebook to avoid talking to people directly. Studies show that students are informed of the increased benefit of personal socialization, yet still consider impersonal communication.

This doesn’t mean that we haven’t made lots of new connections thanks to online communication. In fact, it can be very beneficial to your career to be able to use online communication when you are searching for schools and jobs. In the past you would have to ask for mailed magazines from schools you were interested in and would have no in depth idea of what their programs really offered to students. Now, you can see professors ratings and see the real experiences of students in your desired field.

The increase in communication has been great for those who are wanting to bridge the gap between education and their professional career. Instead of scrolling through newspaper classifieds to find local jobs you can see what jobs you are qualified for nationally through websites like Medijobs. This is great because with this increased communication students are able to go from med school directly into a position that they want in a location they want to live in.

Speed of Time

Technology could have a deep effect on the way we experience time. It makes us impatient for anything that takes more than seconds to reach. Technology is forcing us into a target time zone. Hyper-connectivity devices, such as cellphones, tablets and computers can subsidize a need for instant fulfillment and lack of patience. Individuals who use technology frequently are more stressed because they are more likely to feel like time is running out. There are different ways to change the mind into “slowing down time”. For example, listening and getting “lost” in music and life threatening events such as skydiving. Boredom tends to slow down the perception of time as well.

Greater approach to technology allows for greater interaction with content, peers and teachers, all of which play a huge role in helping students stay committed and excited about their studies. College students agree that technology improves their overall learning experience and lowers costs of textbooks, tutors, etc. Technology has widely expanded access to education, communication and entertainment.