iExamen - Katherine Mosher

This iExamen has allowed me to realize how often people rely on technology as a means of communication. My self-analysis started on Monday morning at 8:30 am. After subconsciously shutting off my phone alarm three consecutive times, I finally opened my eyes to check my missed text messages and notifications from the night before. Due to the fact that I am not a morning person, I noticed that the texts I sent in the morning were not as peppy as the texts I sent later on in the day. My tone of voice in my text messages clearly resembled my mood during that period of time. After I got out of bed, my roommate and exchanged a quick “good morning” and continued to rush to get ready for our morning classes without saying another word.

As I walked out of my dorm building, I greeted several of my friends that were on their way to a class or boulder with a brief “hello” or “good morning”. Since it was still relatively early, many of the students I encountered were dressed in sweatshirts or sweatpants armed with a cup of coffee, ready to tackle the day. The majority of students were entranced with different forms of technology. Many students were texting, some were talking on the phone and others were struggling to finish typing an essay or studying a PowerPoint in time for class. People appeared to be less talkative in the morning compared to the afternoon. This was evident as I noticed many students sitting alone in boulder compared to the afternoon as many of the tables are filled with students.

After my economics class finished, I stopped for a bagel in boulder where I met up with a few friends. People were considerably livelier compared to an hour prior. My friends and I discussed our classes, homework and proceeded to check up on new Facebook pictures posted from the weekend as we walked back to our dorms. During my two-hour break between classes, I disconnected myself from electronics and finish some homework before my afternoon classes. When turning off my phone, I honestly didn’t think I’d be able to last a full hour without checking my phone. During this period of time, I discovered that I worked more efficiently and productively. I tried to focus my energy on completing my assignments but I often found myself thinking about any missed phone calls or text messages. I wanted to check my phone but I knew I needed to prioritize my time and finish my work without any distractions. I didn’t realize how my mind was completely encapsulated by technology all the time and its impact on how we live our life. It is surprising to think that we are so absorbed by technology that we would choose to communicate via text rather than face to face.

In the afternoon, many of the students I talked to were noticeably in a better mood compared to the morning. Walking in the quad, I saw many more people smiling and laughing with friends rather than keeping to themselves. Instead of brief conversations on the way to class, many people would stop to ask how your day is going. I thought the overall mood shifted from negative to positive as the day progressed. Later on in the day, I went to cheerleading practice. Naturally, the girls are extremely peppy and spirited which is evident by their body language. More often than not, the girls on the squad will greet each other with hugs and proceed to stretch in a circle to allow everyone to participate in conversation. In cheerleading, communication is vital in order to guarantee a successful routine. Each girl in the group must alert the other girls if there is a problem in the stunt in order to avoid injury. By working together as a team, we learn how to communicate effectively and build trust in each other. By the end of the day, I realized that effective communication is possible with and without technology. People appeared to be just as happy, if not happier when talking to their friends face to face rather than sending them a text. Observing the differences in how people present themselves and communicate with one another during different times of the day was an interesting discovery.