Unit Reflection Week 12

It was 8.35 am and i had to get to work by 9am. It takes me half an hour which meant i was already going to be late. Should i go back and get it? How am i going to text? What if someone tries to call me? What if i break down on the way, how on earth was i going to contact RAC? *Gasp* I caved in, took the next U-Turn and drove back home to get my mobile phone which i had left on charge and forgot to bring with me when i left the house. Cyborg much? I say, yes. Not a full blown one, but definitely on the right track!:)

Now onto blogs.. I have to say if it was any other unit, it would not have been as interesting. The scope and depth of this unit encourages so many types of discussions and debates, not even a 2 hour tutorial will suffice(it probably would, but you get the drift). This blog allowed for further comments on topics that interested us, as well as reading what others had to say. Like Jonathon, I am also from Singapore and blogs are pretty huge. Most of my friends back home have self-reflective blogs, which is probably why i had a narrow impression of what they were and what they could do. It was only after taking this unit and doing research for my essay that i realised the accessibility and ease of sharing information! I am considering starting my own blog, but not just reflective. Instead, i want it to be something controversial because nothing beats fiesty-ness on the net.

I did frequent our blog but at times had to remind myself to check it out, because being swamped with uni work does not help! The idea of a blog was also particularly relevant to the unit as we explored the relationship between technology and humans throughout the semester. We talked about cyborgs and cybernetics and even considered the horrific possibility that machines might overpower humans! Our increasingly high dependency on technology for our survival does worry me a little, but hey blame it on globalisation. We all have an inherent need to stay connected and be connected everywhere we go(refer to classic example in Para 1). Therefore, i think there is a fine line between our addiction to communication and our need for technology. I guess they complement each other, but which came first? have we always been this hungry to stay connected? or was it after the rise of the internet and new technologies? I'm leaning towards the latter.

This was the first time i have taken a Womens Studies Unit and I am glad i did. It made me think about so many issues I otherwise would not have considered and that in itself was a huge benefit to me. As for the recurring theme of Facebook, it basically was a concept that was close to home where most of us could relate to. The fact that so many things we discussed could be brought back to Facebook shows the all-encompassing nature of it.

Finally, I always looked forward to tutorials, especially with the abundant amount of chocolates! A huge thanks to Tarsh and Allison for making the unit fun and enjoyable and i wish everyone all the best for their upcoming exams!