One student's daily use of technology being observed

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Posted: 11/25/08

What many students might not realize is how much they interact with technology on a regular basis. Jessica Van Meter recounted her day and each of her encounters with technology in its various forms.

Van Meter's interactions begin as soon as she wakes up.

To get up in the morning, she uses the alarm clock on her cell phone. Sometimes she will then use the microwave to cook a bowl of oatmeal. As she gets ready, she'll turn on the television to watch the Weather Channel. And this all takes place before she has gone to class.

In two of her classes, Introduction to Sociology and Geography of Canada, each of Van Meter's professors will use LCD projectors and/or Power Points to go along with class instruction.

Between classes, she then uses her iPod on a regular basis. Van Meter laughs, joking that they (the ear buds) never leave her ears. Currently her favorite song is "Never Think" by Rob Pattinson.

She also uses her cell phone throughout the day, guessing that she gets or makes an average of three calls a day.

Once classes are finished, Van Meter returns to her room, using a swipe card to get in both her dorm, then the room itself.

During the evening, she uses the TV and computer. Some of her favorite shows include Desperate Housewives and Gossip Girl. Van Meter is also a self-proclaimed Facebook addict; she'll sometimes spend five hours on the social networking site.

"I'm not a tech nut like some people who have everything, but on a scale of one to 10 for how comfortable I am with technology, I'd say a six," she said.

&mdash Glennis Siegfried