How the Internet Affects My Lifestyle
Kay Makishi (USA)When my best friend was living and volunteering in Uganda, we spoke only once
every few months (when she had a stable Internet connection). The last time I was athome with my parents and sisters in Pennsylvania was over a year ago. My boyfriend
and I have been together for two years nine months and two years one month of it has
been long distance. The Internet greatly affects relationships with my friends, family,boyfriend and consequently my lifestyle.
Friends
Regardless of where my friends live, I can stay connected with them through theInternet. Last week, thanks to Facebook, I found out that my Peruvian friend whom I
met studying abroad in Japan just started a new job and that my American high schoolclassmate recently got engaged. I responded with a “congratulations” to both in less than
three seconds. Mailing a letter would probably have taken three weeks. Not only doesInternet and social media make communicating easier and quicker, various aspects suchas sending or sharing pictures, emoticons, and games allow for more casual interaction
with others. This promotes a more frequent and personal style of communication than ispossible with plain text emails or letters. In my case, it allows me to stay close to myfriends who live far away.
FamilyMy sister’s first son and my first nephew, Caleb, was born last year while I was inJapan. It costs me over 15 hours and 1,500 US dollars to go back home. In lieu of not
being in Pennsylvania, I video chat with my family whenever everyone gathers together
such as for Christmas. Every time, my sister brings my nephew in front of the computer
while saying, “Caleb, say ‘hi Aunt Kay!’” I can see Caleb’s smiles. I wave, and he stares
back looking confused but reaching out his tiny arms toward the screen, attempting totouch my face, acknowledging my presence. In these moments, I appreciate how I am
able to spend real ‘time’ with my family despite the distance.
Significant Other
My boyfriend and I met in Okinawa. Now, he lives in Tokyo and I live in Fukuoka
due to our jobs. To be honest, I don’t think our relationship would have lasted this long
if it weren’t for the Internet. We use Skype, Facetime, or Google Hangouts to talk witheach other almost every day. Even if we’re not actually talking, we often leave ourcomputer screens on while going about our individual routines. For example, I might behanging up laundry and my boyfriend cooking dinner while we are talking about how
our days went at work. Of course, the Internet isn’t perfect. It gets frustrating when
there is a bad connection and I can’t hear his voice clearly or his image gets distorted.
Naturally, I’d prefer to spend time with my boyfriend in person, but the Internet helps
us to have mobility to pursue our dreams and goals while sustaining our relationshipthrough consistent communication.
Conclusion
The Internet allows me to stay connected with my friends, family, boyfriend, andconsequently supports my lifestyle. A few decades ago, being a female in my mid-20s, I
probably would have had to choose between starting a career or a family. This is not mycase. Instead, I feel entitled to be able to successfully pursue and manage both. My
confidence in my ability to work toward my professional and life goals stems from theopportunities and flexibility the Internet presents such as working from home. According
to Forrester Research, 34 million US adults telecommuted occasionally in 2009 and that
number was predicted to increase to 63 million by 2016. My sister, having a full time job,
also telecommutes spending only 20 hours a week in the office while working from homeand taking care of Caleb the rest of the time. In the future, I foresee myself in a similar
predicament circumstances while my husband and I have equally balanced
responsibilities inside and outside the home responsibilities. To this end, the Internetempowers both women and men serving as a tool for gender equality.