My parents gave me additional reading every night, which was on the Leappad, and was done everyday when I finished my homework. I would read the passage until I felt confident enough to be able to give them a summary and read it back to them when they got home. I asked my parents why they gave me a phone at such a young age and their answer was to keep me safe. If they could have, they said they would have never given me a phone so early, but it was the only way they could assure my safety while away at work. My parents did not give me the phone to play games and talk to my friends, it was only to keep me safe and know where I was at all times because of their work schedule. .
Technology was mainly used to assist with my school work and receive all the extra assistance I could have in order to succeed in the classroom, up until I was given my first smart phone. January of my sophomore year of high school was when my parents bought me my first smartphone with unlimited data, texting, and minutes. Before the smart phone change, I had a simple flip phone that was only used to call and had a set number of text messages I could send each month. Along with the new phone, I set up new social networking sites such a Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr. Before having a smart phone I always focused and interacted with my teachers by asking questions and staying after for extra help, but when I first received my new phone I was using it throughout the school day with no stop and when I got home it was no different. I was so consumed in my phone that nothing else really mattered anymore because anything I wanted was at the touch of my finger. My junior year, my high school decided to buy an iPad for every student that attended the school and we would check them out at the beginning of the year and return them at the end of the year. Talking to my peers was always a struggle and I had a speech problem that I had to overcome as a child, but all the physical interactions I could avoid by asking questions online, which just worsened my speech problem again.
