Hello everyone, I saw the contest post in this community about how technology has impacted our lives, credits to @siz-official for this, so I decided to make an entry as I can relate to this topic on a very fundamental level and have been using different technologies for most of my life.

How technology has impacted my life?

Belonging to generation z, my life has been deeply immersed in technology, I had my first computer in class 5 and phone in 4, and the journey continued to this date, technology has been an innate part of my life. Initially, as I started exploring this realm, the only thing that intrigued me was games, I used to spend 2-3 hours gaming, then I started using Facebook and Youtube that were the emerging technologies of those days. I only watched funny videos on YouTube that were going viral those days. As I continued the usage, my mentality matured itself and I soon realized that I am stuck and just wasting my time. This realization changed my usage patterns. I quitted games for my good because I was not getting something in exchange for my time. It was not until my teenage that I came to know about the good side of technology.
I started regretting my wasted time, so I decided to turn the tables and started consuming stuff that somehow adds value to my life whether it is in terms of knowledge or other skills. I started watching tutorials on graphic designing on YouTube, listening to podcasts that are educational, exploring the intriguing theories of physics, and watching videos on history as I have a keen interest in it. I can say that technology has played a very crucial role in shaping my thought process and adding various skillsets to my life. Being a computer science student, I spend 40% of my day engaging with technology (mobile phones, computers, laptops, VR, smartwatch ). We are living in the age of digital devices, so it's totally up to you how you allow yourself to be impacted by it. There are AI algorithms working on the backend of social media services serving you dopamine so you spend more time scrolling endlessly.

Which technology has changed my life?

As I discussed I used different technologies my entire life, the devices which I used for the most part of my life are my mobile phone and laptop. I wasted a lot of my time in my childhood playing games but as I realized I started very conscious usage of my devices so I can procure skills and benefits out of them. Technology polished my skills and gave me a medium to explore interesting things around the globe. It enhanced my exposure that was limited to only my limited experiences in daily life.

Some notable impacts

• E-learning
• Coding
• Real-world skills
• Leisure time
• productivity and punctuality

What was the benefit I got by using technology?

During the pandemic, we all cut the social outings out of our life and were forced to stay in the house along with technology to accompany us. So I decided to make use of this time nature provided to gain knowledge and skills. used technology for these things mainly:

• E-learning

As my academics started I realize that they are not going to teach me everything, so I quickly started exploring the ways I can learn what I want without bounding my knowledge to the syllabus only. I came across digital learning platforms like Coursera and Udemy and enrolled myself in many courses of my choice. By sticking to my goals I received some certifications worthy enough to add to my resume. I spend few minutes a day learning these things but the compounding effect of these habits is increasing my knowledge.

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• Coding

I wanted to learn to code for many years, so when the pandemic came I had ample time to fulfill my desire. I explored the resources that can help me to learn different new languages and give me enough practice to retain what I learn. The resource I found most helpful is freeCodCamp. It's a free website where you can learn programming.

• Real-world skills

I learned content writing and graphic designing using the technology, these skills allowed me to explore my creative side. Not only I enjoyed doing them but I also earned money writing content for clients online. These skills allowed me to be more confident too.

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• Leisure time

Apart from learning and spending time polishing my skills technology allowed me to spend my leisure time in a more fun way. When I take breaks I watch Netflix or some movies to spend quality time and being happy to the fullest.

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• Productivity and punctuality

I use an app named habit tracker, which tracks my habits and shows me the progress I make and complete statistics, this app has improved my productivity manifold. I also read e-books on my phone that increase my knowledge and introduce me to new ideas. I use the alarm app on my phone to wake me up for prayers. It helped me a lot and made me more punctual gradually.

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All in all, technology made a huge impact on my life and increased my knowledge, and made me more intelligent, punctual, and productive. I invite my three friends to participate in this contest and tell us how technology affected their lives.
@s-m-mubashir
@safia-faiz18
@laiba-azam
Thank You for reading my post.