On my walks through Collegetown over the past couple of days, I have noticed many parallels and connections between the physical space/layout of the area and the social environment this layout creates and the information technologies that have come to be a staple of the location. I believe that it is a true statement when Graham, in his essay we read for class, says that information technologies are so “woven” into everyday culture and life that we easily ignore and overlook them. For example, as we walk down College Ave, people are always on their cell phones or smart phones. They are texting their friends who are not physically with them as they are walking with other friends. They are surfing the web and looking up their most recent “tag” on Facebook. This is totally normal for our generation, but older generations do not really get the whole “always connected and plugged in” concept. My parents and grandparents, for example, do not like it when I text around them… but when I am with my friends, they don’t mind if I text someone else when we are hanging out.

There is a disconnect between physical space and information technologies in the way that information technologies (ATM machines, Cell phones etc) distract people from the actual moment they are physically living in. On the other hand though, information technologies help people with everyday things, whether it be communicating with people, withdrawing money quickly, or paying for a parking spot in a “pay lot”. These types of information technologies help people’s lives run smoother and more quickly. All of the new information technologies come with some good and some not so good aspects. There are always posters all over Collegetown that say on the bottom something like “Check out our Facebook page for more information” or “Check us out on MySpace”. These social networks, which now can be reached on smart phones anywhere in the world at any given moment, are always available no matter what the physical environment.

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