Kyle Howard
English
Dr. Ellis
iExamen
iExamen
I would
like to start off my iExamen by stating that I chose a Saturday in order to
practice my self-observation. I want to start off with this fact because I tend
to wake up later on weekends and I thought I would have fewer interactions with
people than on a weekday. I was wrong. Prior to starting my self-observation I
promised myself I would not change the way I talked or communicated with
people.
With all that being said I was
rather surprised with how I communicate to different people. It seemed for me
that I was more excited to see people that I had recently met or knew from a
class or some other social spot. It probably doesn’t apply to everybody but
when walking I would give those people a more enthusiastic “hello” or a
brighter smile. Why did I feel like I wanted these people to feel that I am
happier to see them than my close friends? Maybe I was trying to impress them
and make friends out of them too. It is obvious that each different people will
get different conversations or even different forms of communications. Going
along with this idea of familiarity I made the observation that my daily phone
conversation with my parents is actually quite nerve-wracking. I don’t want
them to think I’m slacking in my classes or “goofing off” too much; and my
parents are not even strict. I guess this is just a bizarre pressure that I put
on myself. It may also depend on the
location of the people. I realized that I was having more laid back texting and
face-to-face conversations when I was in my dorm room then when I was walking
to lunch or at practice. I attribute this to not being in a comfort zone of a
warm bedroom rather than a crowded cafeteria or a frigid turf field. I was
surprised to find out that location and familiarity changes the way I
communicate with my peers.
Finally my technology free hour was
oddly difficult for myself. It wasn’t that I wanted to check Facebook or
Twitter to see what everybody else was up to but I was anxious to see if
anybody had tried to text me or call me (Nobody had). It was a mind game that I
was playing with myself and I realized how dependent I was on using my cell
phone. I tried so many things to fill that hour like reading the newspaper or
going for a run. The newspaper only reminded me how much technology there is in
the world and going for a run with no music felt like I was standing still.
When I eventually returned to my cell phone I was thoroughly disappointed in
myself that it was so tough to be without. I thought it would be so simple to
disconnect for an hour but I guess it just goes to show that everybody uses
technology in one way or another. During the hour I only communicated with my
roommate but according to him I seemed a little frantic.” The hour must have
gotten the best of me but I am actually considering doing the technology free
hour again just to see how another round goes.
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