THE INTERNET (POST 3)

Today's post is about the Internet, and how you use it. Mention: How and why you use it, how often, what role does it play in your life? How has it affected your life? What do you think of this? And anything else you want to say. Write at least 180 words.

I remember first reading about the Internet in the mid 90s. It sounded like a curious and distant thing. I didn't use it, need it, and I knew nobody who had anything to do with it--at least they didn't mention it to me. My life was fine. I didn't feel like something was missing.

I came to Chile in 2000, and my relationship with the Internet started. I got a job here as an academic coordinator/teacher, and this included a computer in an office. My contact to the Internet started. A co-worker said something about my email address, and I said "What's email?" Very quickly I started an email account, and started using the Internet a bit. It wasn't to hard for me since I knew how to type and use typewritters. The change to a computer keyboard and mouse was simple. The idea behind clicking on an icon was not hard.

Besides email, as time went on, I started reading the news on the Internet, and doing some kinds of research mostly for work. Habitually I was visiting news sites, Wikipedia, and search engines such as google for specific concepts and information. My use of the Internet is still pretty much the same. I see it as a big library/info center. I still basically visit those sites along with Google Docs, sharing documents with people.

Over the years, my focus has shifted a bit. I think I depend on email a little less, I've been using Whatsapp since 2016 for messages and contact. I still read the news, but for the last 12 years I also see videos; I've started seeing streaming (Netflix)--so less TV.

I think slowly but surely, the Internet has become an integral part of my life: it has entered and taken over the communication, entertainment, and information area. I suppose I use it a lot, and it has become an integral part of my life. I'd probably miss its convenience a lot if it disappeared. On the other hand I'm not a user of certain aspects: Social Media (except Whatsapp), no games, no online communities. Maybe, I'm typical of my generation. One thing that intrigues me is figuring out that my experience of this thing is Chilean. My memory of the USA is pre-Internet.