The Machine

The machine, no not Big Brother, but a computer in general. This is NOT a Mac v. PC debate, but a article on how the computer eases our life.

Back before the computer, if we wanted to do math, we would use a slide rule, or plug in for complex formulas. This was time consuming and slow for technological advancements. Well, if a scientist had to use big numbers and knew he couldn't be wrong, it was very strenious. In the 1950s, when the first computers the size of rooms got invented, technology boomed. Even though they were just room-size calculators, now we could do big calculations and not worry about human error.
What would kids do if they had to use a typewriter for a 20 page senior thesis. One mistake would mean typing the entire page again. What if they had to take notes for a class, and when they were reviewing their notes, they couldn't read their writing, or doubted something they wrote down. With the computer, we can now take notes with easy to read type and check our information online.
In the pinoeer stages of the internet, there was no Wikipedia, or Youtube, or Chat Roulette. In the early days, two universities could "email" documents or new discoveries or reports to each other. The new internet made it possible for data to be transmitted from one computer to another, which meant that science could speed up once again.
Hou about all of you gamers? In the past, you would have to be with each other to play games. Now, you can play over the internet with webcams transmitting your face, microphones your voice, and still get the same game experience. The same applies to meetings. Services such as, "Go To Meeting," have saved tons of money for businesses. Instead of having to pay for airfare, food, and hotels, you can now transmit your screen, voice, and face to people around the world.

These features of the computer just scrape the tip of the iceberg about how the computer has made our lives better. Yes, times were simpler and there was more family, but now I get more time with my friends. To most teens now and back then, their social life is a very important part of defining them, and now with Facebook, we can communicate with many friends. Now, our social lives are bigger and better than they have ever been in human history.

Cyberbullying

I don't understand, why do people go out of their ways to harm others. I mean c'mon! The fact that people will put on Facebook, "The Smut List," drives me crazy. I understand that human teenage psychology today says that I have to be more influential on the general public of my school than anyone else. It is a quest for power, and people will harm others, even drive them to suicide for that week or month of power in the school. Then, they get arrested and their future of no success gets mapped out. But these bullies don't care or understand. They think that the one crumb of power is sufficient for their entire life.
My name is Hunter Willis and I am a geek, nerd, and the future of success. I go through thick and thin periods of bullying about my intelligence and political/technological preferences. I used to care, but now that I see myself as being more successful as the sports jocks that bully everyone else for power in Middle School. I have a successful life ahead of me in the technology field while many of my unintelligent peers are banking on the fact that they will be pro sports stars.
Back to the original topic, I have been cyberbullied. Not badly though, but some of my Facebook "friends" have made comments about political topics or technological topics that I find disgusting, but I ignore it. My parents don't know even thought they should. When they read this, they will figure this out, and they will probably ask me if I want to report this to the school. Nope! I have depression, and take many medicines to take care of it, but I still get depressed. Like my dad says, "The medicine wont fix your problems, only you can." He's right. Now that I am ignoring my peers, or responding in a calm way, I feel happier and less attached to their need to take control of me.
Cyber bullying is a big problem, and can get worse, but if everyone wouldn't just go crying to their parents about, "Johnny said I was stupid on Facebook," the world would be a better place. If you are that sensitive to people saying you are an idiot, or stupid, or bad, why even have a Facebook profile. We as humans have to learn that it is our nature to say mean things about each other. When it is words like stupid, or idiot, IGNORE IT! When people post things like, "The Smut List," make a big deal out of it. Not every instance of the word stupid means suicide. We as humans have to tough-it-up when it comes to cyber bullying.