Molly Mazzella

ENG 111
3-18-15
Computers

I.

Introduction to Major Research Paper

A.
This paper is about how important personal
computers and computer technology is in our
everyday lives.
B.
My laptop means so much to me that I feel lost
without it. Computers and computer technology
have allowed me to have this relationship with my
laptop. Computer technology has evolved so much
that it changed our everyday lives. Without
computer technology our society would be totally
different.

II.

Body of Paper
A.
Relationship: I let my laptop influence my
everyday life so much because I depend on it and
because of how much it holds for me.
1.
My relationship with my laptop is one sided
and the needs for my laptop are very minimal.
2.
My laptop holds very important documents and
memories that make me cherish my laptop so much.
a)
Without my laptop I feel lost and
incomplete.
3.
How the memory of my laptop is large and the
battery is long lasting. Also, I talk about what my
laptop looks like and how it feels.

B.
Concept Analysis: Computer technology has
benefited our everyday lives so much by improving
communication, how much easier it is to do research,
and the benefits of writing on computers.
1.
Technology is defined, as many different things
and it will vary depending on the person.

Molly Mazzella
ENG 111
3-18-15
Computers
2.
This essay is about computer technology so it
talks about how technology is used in computers
and for computers. Computer technology has made
our lives easier.
3.
Research is so much easier to do with the
advancements of computer technology.
4.
Communication is also done easier now
because computers allow us to communicate faster
and more efficiently.

C.
Cause/Effect: Our everyday lives would be
completely different if we didnt have computers and
computer technology.
1.
Our computers have advanced so much from
when they first were made. We now have a huge
selection to choose from.
2.
Some people prefer to have tablets rather than
personal computers, laptops.
3.
Education has benefited so much from the
advances in the personal computer.
4.
Online resources have benefited so much from
the new advances in computer technology.

III. Conclusion: I really didnt understand how

much computers and computer technology
influence our everyday lives. This changed my
perspective on how easier my life is because of
these advancements.

Molly Mazzella
ENG 111
3-18-15
Computers

Molly Mazzella
3-18-15
ENG 111
Computers
Computers and computer technology have influenced our lives
so much within the last 60 years. They started off as being used for
business purposes only to now being used on a personal level. Since
computers were invented, computer technology has come along to
make our lives easier. Computers can hold so much useful information
like documents, pictures, videos, and memories. Our lives are easier
because it makes writing and online searching a lot easier. Without
computers our everyday lives would be completely different.
I have been changed by my laptop. My change was because I let
people influence me into buying something so expensive, but
something that was totally worth it. I have changed because I actually
depend on a device to do so many things for me. My laptop holds

Molly Mazzella
ENG 111
3-18-15
Computers
many valuable memories and documents that help me with my
schoolwork and reminds me of home. I let a laptop influence and
change my everyday life.
The relationship that has developed with my laptop is definitely
one-sided and is, since my laptops needs are minimal, an easy
relationship to maintain. I charge the battery every night while I sleep,
and I occasionally wipe down the screen so the fingerprints wipe away.
These are very small requirements that need to be met so I can
continue using my laptop. If all my laptop does is holding my
documents, memories, and allows me to freely use the Internet, do I
consider my relationship with this laptop so important and special?
People probably think that I can just easily replace my laptop, but if I
were to replace it then the memories I have with this laptop will be
gone, and everything that I have saved on this laptop will no longer be
there.
Maybe the meaning behind this laptop is much greater than the
actual laptop itself. Im attached to this laptop because of the
memories that I have made with this laptop, not because it is just any
old laptop. My relationship with this laptop goes deeper than even I
think. This laptop reminds me of the Face time dates that I had with
my old boyfriend during my first semester of college. Although at
times, I do not want to remember those dates, I still cherish my laptop

Molly Mazzella
ENG 111
3-18-15
Computers
because it allowed me to communicate with my boyfriend. It provided
me with a tool that allowed me to get closer with my friends and family
while I was away at college. This laptop has many memories that are
both good and bad, but I would not want to trade it in for the world.
My laptop doesnt ask for much but it does return so much useful
things to me. Its long battery life allows me to carry my laptop around
with me all day without having to worry about finding an outlet plug to
recharge the battery. The amount of memory it has allows me to save
all of the necessary work without worrying about writing everything
down in different notebooks. My laptop isnt heavy so I can carry my
books around and my laptop without hurting my back or having my
hands full. It is an energy efficient and environmentally friendly
device. When I plug my laptop in to charge, it has very low power
consumption. Since my laptop has very low power consumption, it
could be considered ecofriendly.
Made from aluminum, my laptop could be considered ecofriendly
since it can be recycled and reused once it has reached its long,
productive life. Also, it is made without toxic substances, such as
mercury and arsenic. It has teal case on it that protects it from any
outside damage. The keyboard has a silicon cover that is pink so it can
be protected from and damage that may happen (like if I happen to
spill something). Its shape is rectangle with curved edges, thin, and

Molly Mazzella
ENG 111
3-18-15
Computers
lightweight. It fits in most laptop carriers and backpacks, so it is easy
to travel with. My laptop is my protective sleeve that is in my
backpack a lot.
However, when I do not bring my computer to class or with me to
study, I feel lost and cannot concentrate directly on my homework. If I
try to do homework on another computer I just dont feel right. This
could be from having all of the websites I use saved as bookmarks on
my laptop, or just because I feel comfortable typing on my keyboard.
The little clicking sound that the keyboard makes every time I type
something is very calming to my ears. The squishy feeling of the
keyboard cover is cold and soft under my fingertips.
It bothers me, at times, when my roommates and other friends
ask how much time I actually spend on my laptop. They say that how
much I depend on my laptop is strange and unnecessary. I stop
worrying about their opinions when I scroll through all of the memories
that are located on my laptop. Every picture I have allows me to go
back to the wonderful times that I have had with my friends and my
day instantly gets a little better. Since my laptop holds many old
memories and allows me to search the web, I can often find myself off
topic and not working on my homework. For instance, I might be on a
social media site chatting with a friend or searching funny dog photos
instead of writing this essay or reading the required chapters for class.

Molly Mazzella
ENG 111
3-18-15
Computers
My laptop really just suggests that I might have a problem with
checking social media and how much I really do procrastinate when
doing homework. But, I am human and everyone depends on
something in his or her life. I feel secure when I know that all of my
documents, memories, and homework assignments are saved on my
laptop. No matter where I am, if I have my laptop, and access to the
Internet, I can do my homework and look back at memories. My laptop
fulfills a need in my life, maybe not a huge need, but it provides me
with a sense of security and sanity. Without my laptop, I would be lost
so I cherish my relationship that I have with this laptop. This laptop
definitely has so much to offer one of the major things can be the
advancement in technology. Without technology, specifically computer
technology, this paper would not be able to be typed out. This is just
one of the many examples of what computer technology has done for
our lives.
Technology is defined as the purposeful application of
information in the design, production, and utilization of goods and
services, and in the organization of human activities, according to the
business dictionary. People all around the world are constantly using
technology throughout the day. Technology ranges from the computer
I am typing this essay on to the springs in the mattress that I sleep on,
so basically it can be used in just about anything. Since technology can

Molly Mazzella
ENG 111
3-18-15
Computers
be so many different things, it has different forms. In this essay we will
just focus on computer technology as a whole. Computer technology
has benefited our everyday lives so much. Some benefits are the
improvement in communication, how much easier it is to do research,
and the benefits of being able to do writing on computers.
The definition of technology will vary depending on people.
Instead of doing a survey asking what technology means to people,
some online research was done and some chat rooms were checked
out to see what it meant to different people. On yahoo answers, T-R3X
said that technology is something that man made for use of himself
not to do things with your hands anymore. He said that it made life
way easier; an example is computers because you can basically do
anything on computers. Derek said that commercial technology makes
life more convenient, while military technology made warfare more
deadly. Also, he said that the average person would say that
technology has made everyday life easier. Many of other people said
that technology is a huge influence to their everyday life. For the
purpose of this essay, we will consider technology as medicine, online
tools, and machines such as cars.
Some ways that technology is used on computers is for writing,
research, communication, creating new things, and documenting
memories. Technology has advanced computers so much, that it is so

Molly Mazzella
ENG 111
3-18-15
Computers
much easier to just sit down at a computer to write an essay than it is
to actually write down on a pad of paper. The advances in technology
has made it easy to correct mistakes, reorganize the contents of the
writing in the paper, to change and improve the format and
appearance of the document, to create outlines, to check spelling and
grammar mistakes, and to insert graphic elements. Before computer
technology, to find grammar mistakes and spelling mistakes you would
have to go back and look up how to spell each word to properly fit into
your paper. But now spell check will catch many of your spelling and
grammar mistakes. Another thing that was very difficult to do before
computer technology was reorganizing your papers format and the
content of your paper. To do this you would have to go back and
rewrite everything, but now all you have to do is copy and paste your
content to change it up.
Another major thing that the advances in technology have
benefited by creating computers is doing research. The Internet has
allowed us to look up facts, statistics, and other information by just
typing something in on Google. So many research databases are now
found online which makes doing research so much easier. Before
computer technology and the Internet, research had to be done in the
library, which meant that to you had to dig through many books to find
what you are looking for. What used to take hours to complete, now

Molly Mazzella
ENG 111
3-18-15
Computers
can take just a few minutes. If the database you are using doesnt
have what you are looking for you can always search a different
database or just simply use Google. If the library didnt have what you
were looking for back in the day, then you would have to drive to
another library and spend even more time searching. Research and
data definitely benefited greatly from our new technological advances.
The final thing that technology has improved by creating
computers is by allowing us to communicate way easier. Before the
technology advances, communication could take days between people.
Long-distance communication can now occur because of computer and
communication advances. Computer technology has greatly benefited
the long-distance communication world. Now, we can use our
computers and send out an email and have a reply within minutes.
According to Zachary Fenell, mass communication has been invented
to get certain information out to a lot of different people all at once. If
computer technology did not exist, then mass communication would be
impossible. Fenell also said that computer-mediated can be socially
beneficial. For someone that is socially awkward, computer-mediated
communication like chat rooms can create a somewhat fulfilling social
life. Fenells example of this is someone who fails at personal
relationships because they do not think before they speak. If this
person uses computer-mediated communication, then they can reread

Molly Mazzella
ENG 111
3-18-15
Computers
what they say before they make continuous awkward moments.
Technology has advanced many of different things, but the biggest
influence has been in computers.
Technology really has no limits. All of the amazing things that it
has to offer and it still continues to grow. Depending on the person
and the situation, technology has many different meanings. Computer
technology has benefited our lives so much in such a short amount of
time. Reorganizing your paper and doing the research are done in a
much simpler way because of the benefits of computer technology.
Communication can now be done faster and more efficiently. Hopefully
one day, technology will continue to evolve and more people will not
take advantage of the wonders that come along with technology.
Personal computers are used so much in everyday life that it
would be really difficult to imagine life without them. They have
developed so much in such a short time that people dont really
appreciate everything that computers can do. Computer technology
has advanced so much that tablets, IPads, laptops, and desktops can
basically do the same task. One thing that computer technology has
greatly benefited is the classroom. Education has definitely taken
advantage of all the new opportunities that came along with the
advances in computer technology. Our everyday life would be
completely different if the development of the personal computer did

Molly Mazzella
ENG 111
3-18-15
Computers
not happen. Computer technology is a part of our everyday life
whether you like it or not.
Back in 1957 when the first personal computer was announced,
there was only one certain brand and one type of computer. Now, we
have a huge selection to choose from when selecting a new personal
computer. When looking for a new personal computer, the consumer
must consider if they want a desktop or a laptop. After they make that
decision, they then have to go through all the different brands and
select the style and size they want. One thing someone may consider
is if they want a computer with Microsoft programming, or an apple
computer with OSX. There are hundreds of choices in just picking a
personal computer and each choice is important. In the article
Consumer involvement with personal computer technology: A multisample analysis Latour, Hanna, Miller, and Pitts said that the
consumer involvement with personal computer technology is thought
to play a role in brand choices and attribute evaluation, information
seeking and response to advertisements. This means that as personal
computers advance, the consumers pays more attention to the brand,
the information that is offered with each computer, and how the
computer brand advertises compared to the other brands out there.
This just shows that it really is important that we now have a huge
selection when deciding on our personal computers.

Since computer

Molly Mazzella
ENG 111
3-18-15
Computers
technology has advanced so much we dont even need to buy
computers. We can buy laptops, Ipads, and other brands of tablets.
As a result, some people prefer to have Ipads or tablets instead
of computers. Tablets are smaller, lighter, and easier to travel with. In
just 15 years, the tablet went from just being sold by Microsoft, to
being sold by every major computer technology company. When
picking a tablet the consumer has about a hundred different things
that they need to look for. One is the brand and then the size.
Computers and tablets are very similar in many different ways. Some
believe that tablets can do just about anything a computer can do. It is
crazy to think that in just 60 years our computer technology has
advanced so much and changed so much for our lives.
With this in mind, education has benefited so much from the
advances in the personal computer. Students start to learn how to use
computers beginning in elementary school. In the article Computer
Technology: Possibilities and Pitfalls, Bennett and Parise state that
people believe that technology in the classroom can either lead to
isolation and excessive computer dependence or it can show potential
for using technology to enhance multiple learning skills among learners
through technology-based activities. Computers have become almost
as essential in the classroom as pencils, pens and paper. The new
advances with computers allow the teacher to connect new tools such

Molly Mazzella
ENG 111
3-18-15
Computers
as smart boards and projectors to enhance the students learning
abilities. Before computers, the teacher had to write everything on the
board.
Another huge benefit that computers have brought to education
is all of the new online resources. Homework and other very important
assignments can now be done online to save time for both the student
and the professor. Research can now be done online instead of going
to the library and spending a whole bunch of time and a lot of work.
Communication from the teacher to student has also increased so
much from the advances of computer technology. If a student needs
help on a problem but they are no longer around the teacher all they
have to do is email the teacher and wait for the response. Before
email, students would have to wait until the next time they saw the
teacher, which is usually too late because that is when the homework
is usually due. Information and computer technology is so important to
secondary education that more than half of all institutions have a
computer and information technology fee. (Kuh, George) This fee is a
guarantee that personal computers and other computer technology
devices will be accessible at all times. An example is that the students
that go to Saginaw Valley pay a information and technology fee and
have free access to online databases, computers on campus, printers,

Molly Mazzella
ENG 111
3-18-15
Computers
and other online resources. This example shows how important
computer technology is to education.
If personal computers and computer technology did not advance
or if they were never invented, then our everyday lives would be
completely different. Just imagine what this essay would look like
without having my personal computer and without computer
technology because the without these resources this essay would have
to be hand written and turned in by person. No matter what you think
about computer technology, if you think it benefits or hurts our
everyday life, computer technology has done so much to help our
everyday lives and it is here to stay. The amount of choices that is now
available for personal computers and tablets have boomed within the
last 60 years, and will continue grows as long as computer technology
advances. Education has benefited the most from advances in
computer technology. Everyday life is not possible without personal
computers and computer technology.
Just imagine what would happen if we didnt have something that
we were attached to. Life would really be boring. I know that it seems
silly to be attached to my computer but just look at everything that it
has to offer. Computers and computer technology are a wonderful tool
that people use every single day.

Molly Mazzella
ENG 111
3-18-15
Computers

Works Cited
Bennett, Mark, and Marianna Parise. COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY:
Possibilities and
Pitfalls. 5th ed. Vol. 90. Olney: Childhood Education, 2014. 365369. Online Trade Journal. Proquest Database.
Fenell, Zachary. "What Are the Benefits of Communication
Technology?" EHow. Web.
11 Feb. 2015. <http://www.ehow.com/list_5772270_benefitscommunication-technology_.html>.
Kuh, George, and Shouping Hu. The Relationships between Computer
and Information
Technology Use, Selected Learning and Personal Development
Outcomes, and Other College Experiences. 3rd ed. Vol. 42.
Washington: John Hopkins UP, 2001. 317. Print.
Latour, Michael, Joe Hanna, Marc Miller, and Robert Pitts. Consumer
Involvement with
Personal Computer Technology: A Multi-sample Analysis. 2nd ed.
Vol. 20. West Haven: U of New Haven, 2002. 1-11. Online.
Proquest Database.
O'Hara, Shelley. "Using Technology: Ways to Use Computers
(continued)." Using
Technology: Ways to Use Computers. 20 July 2010. Web. 5 Feb.
2015. <http://www.education.com/reference/article/usingtechnology-computer-edcucation/?page=2>.
"Technology." Business Dictionary. Web. 3 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/technology.html>.
"What Does Technology Mean to You?" Yahoo Answers. Web. 2 Feb.
2015.