Comm. & New Media, as many have already mentioned, forced me to examine technologies I use on a daily basis but often took for granted. I never really thought about how these new technologies affected me personally, or my relationships with others.

From cell phones to blogging, this class was especially relevant and really resonated with me because these are things I use every day. In thinking about our class discussions I realized my cell phone, especially, is something that really is an extension of myself. If I forget my phone at home I feel lost, and almost empty for the day. It is an embodiment of who I am-from the ringtones, pictures, and phonebook full of friends-and I don’t feel right without it.

Also, our study of social networking sites really made me think about my expression of identity. In one of the previous posts someone wrote that Facebook is a billboard that advertises ourselves. I completely agree! But I also have to remember the discussions we’ve had about impression management and wonder if these representations of ourselves are really for us or, instead, meant for the public. If we’re playing for the audience our identity representations aren’t always wholly accurate-but rather what we want others to see.

Now, in my use of these communication tools I am so conscious of the things we’ve talked about I’ve began to change how I use them. Now, for example, I try (key word-TRY!) not to talk on a cell phone when I’m in public places. This is mainly because now when I feel I’m in a public place I want to be present and not off in my own world talking on a cell phone. This class almost made me feel guilty about how I was using these things in the past! I want to have that small talk and I do not want to be the girl in the corner, isolated, because I can’t break away from a probably meaningless conversation in the first place.