Running: Technology with my family 1

Aiveen Walker

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Technology with my family

Technology
2
Over the years, the development of technology has allowed my access to and my

knowledge of my family to grow. Most of my family lives in Ireland, and for most of my life

updating technology has been the only way I have contact with them. After talking to my mom,

she told me that in her earlier years of living in America she would have a designated day, once a

week that she would call home. She did this because to do it everyday was simply too expensive.

With the development of certain apps and services such as Whatsapp and Facebook, international

calls are free and reliable. Now that I have access to these services, my family and I are able to

communicate instantaneously. Before these developments, we utilized the up-and-coming notion

at the time; emails. My mom used to tell my sister and I how grateful we should be that we could

write our grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles, and hear back by the end of the day.

As my life progressed, the access to my family through media platforms has improved

with the advancements in technology. As new apps such as Snapchat and Instagram gained

popularity, I have been able to talk to my cousins in real time, making them feel more like

immediate family rather than the people I see once every couple of years. While writing this

prompt I was encouraged to reach out and ask my family how they felt before having the reliable

access to the social media we have now. My grandmother said to me, “When your mom first

went away to the States, the anxiety I felt was overwhelming. Not knowing what was happening

in real time was a real stress source for me. All the new things take that stress away.” Not only

does the new advances allow for easier communication but also allows me to be involved in life

events such as birthday parties, weddings, engagements, holidays, or just random nights via

FaceTime. Without the technological growth we possess today, the relationships I have with my

abroad family wouldn’t be as strong or might not even there at all.