Crackberry

 Hello my name is Tiffany and I'm a sophmore majoring in English at Bryn Mawr. The type of technology that has affected an aspect of my development would most definitely be my personal mobile phone, my beloved Blackberry.

I was extremely reluctant to buy a smartphone because there is social stigma attached to smartphone users - the zombie like texting fiends who walk into doors and fall into fountains. No really, youtube "woman falls in mall fountain." Smartphone users are typically horrible listeners because their attention is constantly glued to their phones. So the next time you have news to tell a friend be sure they're not on BBM or you might get a "No way! LOL" response when you tell them about your dog of nine years that just passed away.

However, if not abused, they can be quite helpful.

My Blackberry allows me to:

Listen to music on a whim: I love music and prefer to have it on almost all the time. It soothes me and takes my mind off of my daily responsibilities. Whether I'm trying to energize myself on my way to class or blast some Katy Perry while I shower, my phone doubles as both mp3 player and speakers.

Promptly answer e-mails. I have tons of responsibilities on a daily basis and running to a computer whenever I need to reply to an e-mail right away can be both inconvenient and annoying.

Access the internet at all times. There are just some times when all you need to rectify a bad situation is the internet. The peace of mind of being able to make sure I don't overdraw my account, or being able to change a bus trip on a whim, is priceless.

Be more organized. As soon as I know of an event I'll put the details in my calendar and set a thirty minute reminder. That way I make sure to keep all appointments and never double book. I also make laundry lists and random notes on my phone's Memo Pad at least every other day. This has helped me considerably as I can be known for being scatterbrained and forgetful.

Keep in touch with friends and family. I'm from Boston, which is six hours away, and I often get home sick. I can make phone calls and text while doing multiple other other things on my phone. I'm always connected to everyone at home and can always call or text whenever a friend or family member needs to talk or whenever I need to complain about how hard school is.

Every person's relationship with their phone is different, but I can say that mine is quite healthy. At least, so far.