Vending Machines

Imagine you’re at school and you want something to eat, but you don’t have any food. The cafeteria is closed, and your friends don’t have food either. Your best option would be to look for a vending machine. Many public buildings, including schools, have vending machines for you to use at your convenience.

Vending machines are nice because they let us buy snacks, drinks, and other small items without having to make a trip to a store. They also do not require an employee to be on duty. This allows us to buy snacks from them at any time of the day, so long as the machine is turned on. If there is no line, we can take our time to decide what we want to purchase. This is not the case other places, such as at a concession stand. At concession stands there is pressure to order quickly because the person working the stand will be waiting for you. 

The downside to vending machines is that they sometimes do not work correctly. Either it will reject your dollar bills, keep your change, or not push your snack all the way off the shelf, leaving it sitting on the edge of the row. This has caused people to become frustrated with vending machines, prompting them to shake the machine to dislodge their food. Shaking vending machines can cause them to tip over and land on a person. It is a widely known rumor that vending machines kill 10-13 people per year. (I say “rumor” because many sources claim the number of deaths is around 10-13, but I could not find any credible sources. There are, however, specific cases here and here.)

Vending machines can be extremely helpful when they work properly, but they can be irritating when they won’t accept your money or they don’t dispense items you paid for. Lastly, never shake vending machines. A few dollars is not worth being crushed to death.

Driving Dangers

Most people use some type of automobile everyday, and some would argue that they are the best technological advancement made in the last 150 years. Cars have proved to be a wonderful invention, but good things often bring negative consequences. There are so many distractions that make driving dangerous, such as talking on a cell phone, texting, adjusting the controls, or trying to find a good song on the radio.

Using a cell phone while driving is extremely dangerous, yet people continue to do it. It’s impossible to fully concentrate on more than one thing at a time, and when people use their phones while driving they are putting themselves in danger as well as other people nearby. Often times people think they can text and watch the road at the same time, but this is simply not true. So many innocent people have been killed by someone carelessly texting while driving. Everyone has been told that texting and driving is a bad idea, but for some reason many people ignore these warnings when they’re actually behind the wheel. It’s scary to think that any time you get in a vehicle there could be someone near you texting and driving, and that they could easily cause you or someone else in your car to be seriously injured. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), up to 10% of drivers are on their phones at any one time. This means one in ten drivers around you are probably not fully focused on driving. I understand it’s tempting to want to check and see if someone has texted you back, but that is not a good enough reason to put your life and the lives of others at risk.

Not only is using a cell phone while driving dangerous, it’s annoying when the person in front of you is going 10 mph under the speed limit because they are on their phone. What’s even worse is when someone is trying to avoid going slow and they end up going 10 mph over the speed limit. Both cases can lead to frustration from all nearby drivers, which can in turn become another distraction. If you are angry or frustrated when driving you will be less focused on what everyone around you is doing and more focused on how stupid everyone else seems to be. This will make it more likely for you to get in an accident. Moral of the story: using a cell phone while driving is dangerous in a number of ways.

Sometimes it’s not the cell phone that’s a distraction, it’s the controls in the car. The mirrors, seats, steering wheel, windows, air temperature, windshield wipers, headlights, and radio can all be adjusted from the driver’s seat. This makes it easy for one person to control all these things, but these controls become distractions when driving. Looking around for a certain button while trying to drive makes it easy to drift to one side or the other. It is extremely important to become familiar with all the controls and their locations in the car before you start driving to avoid having to search for them when the car is moving.

While bad weather and driving under the influence cause many car crashes, most accidents are caused by distracted drivers. Other studies from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have shown that distracted drivers cause 80% of traffic accidents. This includes drivers that were on their phones, eating or drinking, fiddling with the controls, or were distracted by an outside event. They also reported that you are over 23 times more likely to be involved in an accident when texting as opposed to being focused.

Cars have made it significantly easier to travel long distances quickly, but it’s clear that there are many dangers associated with driving. Using a cell phone, adjusting the radio, and being distracted in general are major causes of accidents. Everyone has heard that it’s risky to use your phone while driving, but it’s up to each individual to follow these warnings to make the roads safer for everyone.

Emoticons

Emoticons are faces made by punctuation marks, and they have become more and more popular thanks to the ability to send messages electronically. Casual conversations through the internet and text messaging often involve emoticons, which are useful when trying to show emotions. For example “I’m going to my grandparent’s this weekend” could have different connotations depending on if an emoticon is used. If there is a smiley face, that person is clearly excited about it. If there is a frowny face, the person is probably sad about having to go, and may be missing out on another event. If there is a face with its tongue sticking out, he or she likely knows it will be boring and would rather do something else. While the meaning of the sentence doesn’t change, the use of an emoticon alters the tone of the message.

There are many ways to express the same emotion through different emoticons. A simple smiley face, for example, can be represented as  : )  🙂  :]  or any of those facing the other direction, with the mouth on the left and eyes on the right.

Another way to make emoticons is to have them straight up and down instead of rotated 90 degrees. A happy face is commonly shown as (^_^) while (>_<) can be used to represent disgust or frustration.

When you’re talking to someone in person it’s easy to pick up on the other person’s mood and tone of voice, but that’s harder to do with electronic messaging. Emoticons are a wonderful way to show the emotions that would otherwise be difficult to convey.

The Dark Side of Television

Watching television can be helpful and entertaining, but too much t.v. is not a good thing.

Some blame the rising obesity rates on the fact that people aren’t getting enough exercise, which could partially be due to the increased time spent watching t.v. Forty years ago there were relatively few t.v. channels, and most of the time they showed the news, weather, or other informational programs. With more channels available, it is more likely that there will be something interesting to watch. This has led people to choose watching t.v. over more active forms of entertainment, such as taking a walk or playing catch. Decreasing the amount of physical activity we do everyday has contributed to more and more people being overweight. 

Individually, every time we choose to watch t.v. instead of doing something more active, we become slightly less fit. We do not burn as many calories lying on the couch as we could by walking around. Our muscles will not become any stronger either. I’m not saying we should never watch television, but every time we go outside instead of sitting down in front of a t.v. we will become that much healthier.

There is also the issue over how much t.v. children should watch, young children in particular. More and more shows are being designed for infants and toddlers, and not everyone believes this is a good thing. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children under 2 years of age should not watch t.v. at all, and children over 2 should only watch a couple of hours at the most. While there is controversy over how much television young kids should watch, it is widely agreed upon that young kids should spend a lot of time being active in order to stimulate their brains. Watching too much t.v. will reduce the amount of time a child could spend exploring and interacting with others.

While television can be great at times, it can prevent us from choosing healthier, more active ways to spend our time. This has affected us on an individual and a national level. There is also the concern that kids are watching too much t.v., which could contribute to future obesity rates. It wouldn’t hurt anyone if we all spent a little less time in front of a t.v.

Television

Two hundred years ago the ability to watch a moving image on a screen would have sounded crazy. No one would have heard of a “television” or “video” or a “DVD player.” No one would have used the phrases “let’s watch a movie” or “I loved the new show last night!” Nobody would even think it was unusual that these things didn’t exist. This has all changed with the invention of the television. Today televisions have become part of our lives. They provide us with entertainment, a new form of relaxation, and quick access to information.

Ever since the t.v. was invented, we have been spending more and more time lying on our couches staring at a screen. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as it provides us with entertainment. T.v. shows often make us laugh, which puts us in a good mood. For this reason, watching t.v. can even be addicting. Nearly everybody has one or two shows that they love to watch. Many people even record their favorite shows so they can watch them at any time, not just when that show is being aired.

People watch t.v. not just for entertainment, but as a way to relax. One may not be looking for entertainment, just a way to relieve the tension of a stressful day. Everyone needs time to rest their bodies and minds, and watching television is a pleasant way to do that. 

Quick access to information is another benefit of watching t.v. Television has allowed us to be able to know what’s going on in our communities almost immediately. Not only this, but we can physically see what’s going on. Seeing images gives us a much better idea of the events happening in the world. For example, hearing about a natural disaster often makes people think “Wow, that’s not good,” but two minutes later the thought will disappear from our minds. If we actually see pictures and videos of a disaster, the images and emotions will have a greater impact on us. Watching t.v. also lets us know if there are any community events going on, such as a local concert or art show. We are even notified about recent crimes, which will cause us to be aware of violent behavior and help the general public stay safe.

 Television has become an important part of our world. We use it for entertainment, relaxation, and as a source of information. It helps us see different events going on in the world and feel more connected, as well as bringing some enjoyment to our free time. There is no doubt television has changed our lives.

Water Damage

Everyone has those moments when they don’t think things through. Sometimes the situation turns out to be funny, such as with a “blonde moment,” and other times it turns out to be a costly mistake. These moments happen with technology all the time. Water damage is a popular example.

A common example of an accident with technology is dropping your phone in water. This can happen when spending time around a swimming pool. If someone bumps into you or you slip on some water, it can be difficult to hold onto your phone. If we are falling to the ground, it is a natural reaction for us to put our hands out to catch ourselves, letting go of our phone in the process. To prevent this, simply avoid having your phone out near a pool.

It’s also possible to drop your phone in the toilet. This is more of a problem for girls, especially if they keep their phones in their back pockets. Girls pants are generally tighter than boys pants, plus they are known for having small pockets. It’s easy for a phone to slip out of these pockets, and if that happens at the wrong time, things can get messy. There isn’t much you can do to avoid this other than being careful and being aware of where your phone is at all times.

When going on a trip somewhere, I recommend putting your phone and other electronic devices in a plastic bag. I say this because of a story from a close friend. She and her family went to a park to explore some caves, and she put her iPod in her shirt because she didn’t have pockets. It was a humid day, the caves were damp, and everyone had been sweating. At the end of the day her iPod didn’t work. She knew the battery wasn’t dead, but her iPod still wouldn’t turn on. It had absorbed too much water over the course of the day, and she was terrified that it wouldn’t ever work again. Eventually she was able to turn it back on, but only after having it in a bag of rice for several hours to absorb the water. Moral of the story: use a plastic bag to protect your electronics.

Even if you aren’t going to a beach or pool, it’s a good idea to protect your electronics from water damage. My friend didn’t expect to get her phone wet, but if she had put it in a plastic bag, she wouldn’t have been worried about permanent water damage afterwards. Amusement parks are another place people don’t often expect to get their phones wet. Almost all amusement parks have at least one water ride, and many places have entire water parks attached to them. My day would be significantly less fun if I was worried about my phone getting wet the entire time.

No one expects their phone or iPod to be ruined by water, but it happens to many people. Dropping an electronic device in water is pretty common, but even high humidity can cause damage. Sometimes water damage is reversible, but other times it will completely destroy a device. It’s always a good idea to put your electronics in a watertight bag just to be safe. If you don’t and something gets damaged, you’ll surely regret it.

Transportation Technologies

Locomotion has been a part of life since the first organisms developed. The ability to move from one place to another has proved to be important for many animals. We as humans move around for many reasons. Sometimes it’s to see friends or family who live far away, and other times it’s to experience a new piece of the world. People have been moving to new places since the beginning of our species, but the way we travel has changed greatly. Walking used to be the only way to get around, but technological advancements have created several new means of transportation. Trucks, boats, motorcycles, cars, airplanes,  buses, bicycles, helicopters; the list goes on and on.

These new forms of transportation have revolutionized the way we live our everyday lives. We can travel hundreds of miles per day by car, and thousands of miles by plane. Cities have also grown bigger, and cars have enabled us to make our way around a city in relatively little time. Imagine trying to walk everywhere you need to go in a city. It would take a substantial amount of time, and by the end of the day you would likely be exhausted. With the help of cars and other modes of transportation, traveling around a large city everyday is now much more practical than it once was.

Traveling longer distances is now much easier as well. Let’s say you want to visit your relatives who live 100 miles away, and you expect to be there and back in the same day. Five hundred years ago everyone would have laughed at you. Today nobody would think it was a strange desire.

Not only can people travel quickly, the products we make can be transported too. We now have access to all types of goods almost immediately. Instead of waiting months for products to be shipped around the world, we can have them delivered to our homes “in 7-10 business days”. The faster shipment of goods has also led to us being more dependent on foreign products. It used to be expensive to ship products across a country or ocean, but now it’s cheaper to make a product halfway across the world and ship it to other places.

Advancements in transportation have affected our lives even more than I can summarize here. Over time traveling long distances has become faster, cheaper, and easier thanks to new technologies.

The Great Calculator Dispute

Imagine you’re doing a task that requires you to add a long list of numbers. Would you rather add everything in your head, or use a calculator? Most people will choose the calculator. Being able to add, subtract, multiply, and divide numbers in your head is important, however, when dealing with more complex calculations I believe calculators are wonderful tools. Even for simple math like adding and subtracting, calculators are often favorable to use. Calculators make math quicker and easier to do, but are they really helping us in the long run? Some believe our generation is becoming too dependent on calculators, but I disagree.

Using a calculator to do math will save you time and eliminate the stress of keeping track of everything in your head. Scientific and graphing calculators can even show you a graph or put a number into a fraction for you. There is a growing concern that we, the younger generation, are relying on calculators too much. Some argue that we are becoming incapable of doing simple math quickly because we are used to a machine doing it for us. I agree that as a whole our generation may be a tiny bit slower at mental calculations, but this does not mean we are less capable of doing such calculations.

When using a calculator, you often can’t simply put in numbers from a math problem and expect it to give you the correct answer. You have to know how to do the problem and what to do with the numbers. Today’s calculators can sometimes be programmed to solve an entire problem, but as long as you understand how you could solve the problem by hand, I don’t see why you wouldn’t want to use a calculator. Personally, I find calculators especially helpful when doing math homework. The goal of doing homework is to help you understand how to solve different types of math problems; therefore as long as you understand what to do with the numbers in the problem, the use of a calculator should be permitted.

Just to clarify, I do understand why some teachers won’t allow you to use a calculator on certain tests. As I said before, some calculators are capable of solving an entire problem for you, and the teacher needs to know that you can do the problem on your own without the help of a calculator.

While some believe calculators are hurting our generation’s ability to do math, I believe they are more helpful than harmful. They can save you a great amount of time, and they can save you the stress of trying to keep track of numbers in your head. It’s important to know how to solve math problems, but as long as you understand what to do with the numbers, it should be acceptable to use a calculator.

Effects of Facebook

Posting statuses and pictures on Facebook is something that has recently become part of some people’s everyday lives. Most people with internet access have a Facebook account, especially teens and young adults. Why exactly do we like using Facebook so much? How does it affect our lives? Most importantly, when does some sharing of information become too much?

Facebook is useful for a multitude of things, such as keeping in touch with friends and family, sharing pictures and videos, and entertaining oneself. Some people get on Facebook a few times a week, some do everyday, and others do so several times a day. What makes people so interested with this website? Perhaps it is the fact that you can be yourself on Facebook. As long as you don’t post something offensive, no one can stop you from saying what you want. It is also enjoyable to get on Facebook because it requires less intellectual activity than other things we do throughout the day, such as studying or going to work.

Everyone is affected by Facebook in some way, regardless of whether you have a Facebook account or not. Maybe you checked Facebook yesterday, or Facebook was mentioned in the media recently, or maybe your friends talk about it every now and then. Facebook has also changed the way we think about some situations. For example, if you’re hanging out with friends and something funny happens, you might think “This is going on Facebook!” If Facebook didn’t exist, you likely wouldn’t have had that thought.  In addition to this, numerous websites other than Facebook have an option where you can connect with Facebook to share what you’re doing. This is another way Facebook influences our lives.

Facebook has a countless number of positive uses, but you have to be careful what you post. It is no secret that potential employers might look over a person’s Facebook page before hiring that person, and if there is inappropriate content, that person may lose the job opportunity. There is no clear line defining what is appropriate and what isn’t. However, chances are if you have to consider if it is appropriate or not, you probably shouldn’t post it. There is no rule as to how much personal information you should share on Facebook either. I believe it is completely up to the individual to decide how much they want to share.

There is no doubt that Facebook has affected the way we spend our time and how we keep in touch with each other. Although not everyone has a Facebook account, many people have found it useful for communication and entertainment. There are some things that should not be posted on Facebook, but overall it provides us with a way to connect with friends and say whatever comes to our minds.

Smartboards

Smartboards are showing up in schools everywhere, and they are changing the way technology is used in the classroom. For those that aren’t sure, a Smartboard is similar to an interactive computer screen that has been projected onto a board large enough for an entire class to see.

A Smartboard is useful for a wide range of activities. It can function as a whiteboard that a person can write or draw anything on. It can be used to show a Powerpoint or Word document. It can even serve as an easy way to show a picture or diagram to the class. What’s more is that you can write or draw on top of the picture. This is extremely useful when trying to better explain any type of visual, such as a graph or chart. Different colors can even be used to separate the different ideas being shown. Anything that can be done on the computer can be done on a Smartboard. Plus the board itself is interactive, so a teacher can stand up at the board and teach instead of lecturing from behind a computer desk.

On the other hand, no technology is perfect, and the Smartboard is no exception. Often times computers freeze, and when this happens the entire class has to sit and wait for the problem to be fixed. Slow-loading videos can also be a problem, which wastes class time as well. There are instances when I don’t mind wasting class time, but sometimes the more you can get done in class, the less homework you will have that night.

An disadvantage of using a Smartboard instead of a whiteboard involves the fact that Smartboards have to be calibrated in order for writing to show up in the proper spot. Every so often when someone tries to write on a Smartboard, the line will show up in a slightly different spot than where the pen actually touched the board. It can be very difficult to write when this happens. To fix this, the Smartboard must be recalibrated. Not only does this waste more time, it doesn’t always work correctly. This inconvenience would never be a problem on a regular whiteboard.

For the most part, I believe Smartboards have improved the way we gain access to information in the classroom. They do have their faults, but in my opinion the advantages outweigh the drawbacks. Smarboards are just one more way technology has impacted out lives.