Information overload

In the last lesson, we were bought to the topic about information overload.

I think the problem is really inevitable in this information era. People nowadays depend so much on information technology in their lives. Today, even  primary school students need to access to the computer for their homework and to update the latest school news!

I still remember I was already 13 when I first got a computer at home.. and I was so silly that I asked one of my schoolmate the following question:

 Me 'Could you please teach me how to surf the Internet?' ( I am sure she felt odd about my question.)
 My classmate 'well....no problem. Actually I don't know what should I teach you, what you need to do is only click on the 'Internet' icon..'

The new generation  is really different. Many children are really good at using computer and different IT stuffs in such a young age. I was shocked when one of my tutorial student showed me her Iphone4. I wondered if they really need such an advanced mobile phone... 

I couldn't understand why someone could spend more than 12 hours a day in front of their computer browsing the Internet and playing online games!  Every time when I finished an assignment and clicked on the 'summit' button, I just want to escape from the computer for a few days. It's never easy to do an assignment(research essays!!) especially in the starting phrase, when we need to search for  the information we need from a large pool of data  How time consuming it is!

I think another trouble  that many of us encounter comes from our emails.

To save my time dealing with my emails, I have my own way to do so. Its not rare for people to have more than one email accounts and so do I. Other than the CityU mail, I also have Yahoomail and Hotmail. The Yahoomail is only for official use ( school stuffs, banking, contact with close friends etc.)
and the Hotmail is like a mixed pool for mails like Facebook alerts, cosmetic membership news and other less important  stuffs. I check with my Yahoomail at least a few times a week but only about 1-2 times a month for the Hotmail. How about you guys? Do you have a better way to do so?

To make my media and digital life more comfortable, my next step is to rearrange different files on my super messy desktop!

About my digital and media life...

About my 'digital and media life' (actually this term sounds a bit odd..),
so let’s just begin at how I make use of the media and digital stuffs around me.

I think the most frequent media that I am in touch with is the Internet. 

Although I am not an addict in the Internet, I spend some time on it everyday. 

Here are the sites which I check in everyday:

1) Yahoo: it’s the homepage of my Internet, I will browse on the daily news ( I am quite lazy in reading newspaper so the yahoo news at least enable me to know the big and hot topics of the day) and also check my yahoo mail.

2) Facebook: I just don’t know why … it becomes my habit to do so (a habit which I want to quit!). If I am bored I will just automatically click to Facebook as there are always things to amuse me (e.g. funny videos and post shared by my Facebook friends).

3) YouTube: it’s a good place to look for interesting videos and old songs!

4) Google: I like using its searching engine more than yahoo’s.

Other than browsing the Internet, I sometimes also log on MSN to chat with friends who are not in HK.
( For my friends who are in HK, I highly recommend them to call me directly as I don’t like chatting on the Internet at all and I always give a very slow reply =P.)

Three months ago, I bought something which has enriched my digital and media life :
IPhone
Other than the communicative function as a phone, my iPhone is also:

• My alarm clock

• My music player

• My camera ( There are some great apps which enable me to take some good pictures!)

• My map ( it’s important as I get lost easily)

• My shopping guide ( I like the H&M and Zara apps so much as they show me the newest clothing on shelf, this save much of my time as I don’t need to go there until I find something I am interested in.)

• My restaurant guide…

I can check the weather forcast before planning what to do and where to go.

I can check mail and reply mail even though I am out.

I can play different mini games while I am travelling on the MTR or waiting for someone

(here are some of my favourite games!)

 

I can...

I can say, I really can’t get rid of my iPhone now!!

In this course, I hope I can get to explore more interesting topics about the digital and media world that we are in. And of course, I hope all of us can enjoy this course together as well. =]