Week 8: Technology

Natalie trying to decide if she wants to read or use the iPod

Week #8 – Technology Week. What are some of the technological advances that happened during your childhood? What types of technology do you enjoy using today, and which do you avoid?

The most obvious technological advance during my childhood revolved around computers. However, since my knowledge of anything even remotely technical is limited, I don't know if I can even describe in any concise or meaningful way the changes that occurred in computer technology during the 1970s and 1980s.

So, instead, let's talk about technology related to music. Memories related to music played fairly prominantly during my childhood. I have vague early memories of dancing around the family room with a Fleetwood Mac album playing on the record player. I still love the song "Say You Love Me". A little later, probably throughout the 1980's I remember my parents playing albums on a reel to reel player, most often, or maybe just most memorably, Billy Joel, Elton John and Jim Croce. As kids we found the song "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" particularly funny. We referred to it as "the junkyard dog song".

I remember the night that we all went downtown to Sears (back when there were actually department stores downtown) to buy our first CD player. I think that I was in 8th grade. I know that we were one of the first of my friend's families to buy one as they were just starting to become popular. My parents let us pick out a CD to buy and we chose, of all things, the TIFFANY album! My parents also chose one or two but I can't remember what those were (maybe Billy Joel was one?). If anyone remembers(Mom?)leave a comment please!

As for today and technology, I'll stick to the music theme. I'd guess that Ipods/mp3 players are the one of the most popular recent advances related to music. I got an iPod touch for Christmas last year (thanks Lauren) and I love it. Unfortunately my car is too old to have one of the built in iPod adapters so I can't really listen to it while driving but Natalie LOVES to listen to music and watch videos on it. I don't know how I would go grocery shopping with Natalie without it. She's such an addict that when we get in the car together she reaches toward me waiting for me to get it out for her - funny girl!

-Jeanne