Nowhere To Go: Email, Smartphones, and Apps

One of the reasons I worry for children growing up in the internet age is that they are always "on." Through their cellphone, wireless internet, and social networking applications that follow them everywhere, tweens and teens today are in constant contact with their friends or frenemies. This can be positive because they can create supportive networks where teens may feel secure and safe However, I think we all know that teens can be just as caustic as they can be caring. The recent made for TV movie Cyberbully tells a familiar tale of how teens can exploit the digital world to ostracize outsiders. But my post is not only about teens; it's about how everyone is always attached to others and never gets to sign off.

My post focuses on three technologies that have forever changed the way and times people interact. The first was one of the most basic internet technologies: email. However, I am highlighting it here because the way people are expected to use email has changed. Most professionals are given an email account with their job and a method to access this email account at home. For this reason, people are now expected to work outside of the office. Before, people could be reached at home for important matters via the phone or cell phone. Now, people are expected to check in on their email and respond even for unimportant matters.



Smartphones such as the Blackberry, the Iphone, and the Droid are one method that professionals use to check their email even when they are away from a computer. These devices enable people to be in constant contact with their email and the internet (except for areas their internet provider does not cover like subway tunnels). With these devices, people can be required to respond to emails or instant messages instantly. Also, people can access the internet to look up information, download documents, or for pleasure browsing. The internet is mobile and accessible in most places.

My last technological development goes hand in hand with smartphones and tablets (like the previous post mentioned). The development of apps for smartphones has taken websites or programs available on the internet and tailored them specifically for use on a mobile device. For example, facebook can be seen as a regular website through the browser (though very small) or in a simplified, easy to use application. For these social networking sites, these apps have greatly increased users ability to post and view other's posts. Communication on these sites them becomes as instant as a phone call, except that it is available for "friends" to view. In addition, these apps go far beyond social networking sites. Apps consists of games (Angry Birds), learning programs, reading programs (ibooks), and professional devices like Word or Excel. The office of a teenager or a professional is now mobile and open 24/7. For better or worse, we are all available at almost any time or day.