TED ESKİŞEHİR COLLEGE / 9-A
A Hybridized Life
Ekim Can ENES
Technology , since the discovery of the first tools , has been radically altering how humans live their lives . We were able to manipulate the world around us with sticks and stones , we hunted with spears , we tilled the soil , and much , much more . However , the most recent advancements may be different from before in the sheer scale and speed at which they are changing our lives .
With the near-instantaneous communication technologies across the globe becoming more and more advanced every day , a person is no more just a citizen of their nation because they are digital citizens , a part of the global community now . Their problems can become the problem of a person in a faraway country , their employers may be on the other side of the world , their friendships and relationships can be with people from around the world .
Digital citizenship , before it was even defined as a term , had already started to be integrated into different aspects of life . And it only became more prevalent after it was defined and even within the last decade we weren ’ t able to grasp the true scope of it . For most of us , what “ digitalization ” and “ digital citizenship ” meant became clearer during the pandemic , as we relied on the Internet and digital devices for everything . Because of the pandemic , we were truly shown that work could be done over the Internet , that education didn ’ t need to be confined in schools , and that not being physically near didn ’ t mean we couldn ’ t see each other . We found solace in and supported each other ’ s stories from across the globe .
It is through these hard times that we were able to understand that “ digital citizenship ” meant living a “ hybridized life ” that combined our real world with the opportunities the digital world presents .