While generally adept at modern technology, we GenXers and Baby Boomers at DST admit we really weren’t raised on the stuff (unless you count the first-generation Atari!). So we turn to our college correspondent, Rachel, to provide a front-line report on how completely technology is ingrained 24/7 into the lives of her contemporaries. Here’s Rachel’s first in a series of posts educating us old fogies on Technology and the Gen Y set.

I can remember my first cell phone in all its bulky glory. It was 2000 and cell phones were still very much a novelty in the world of high school students. Calls were made in emergency situations only, and airtime was kept to a strict minimum.

Now my cell phone fits easily in the palm of my hand. Honestly, it rarely leaves the palm of my hand. Weighing in around six ounces, my cell phone is my lifeline. When I’m not talking with friends or family, I’m text messaging them. While I do technically have a landline, I never use it. In fact, I don’t even know the number.

Landlines aren’t the only thing being replaced by cell phones in my apartment, though. My roommate I wake up every morning to the alarm clock feature on her cell phone. For those who don’t live in such close quarters, cell phones have a built-in courtesy feature. I can call friends at any hour of the day or night, because I don’t have to worry about waking others in the house. Nothing allows us to be accessible at any hour of the day like cell phones do, but they aren’t solely responsible for the communication revolution experienced by my generation.

Instant messaging, while less personal than a phone call, certainly has its merits. It’s far more efficient than phone calls because you can talk to any number of people at once. You can easily share pictures or music with friends via instant messenger, and it’s free so you don’t have to worry about going over your minutes. Instant messaging has evolved with internet access. With the growing popularity of high-speed Internet, people don’t have to worry about tying up their phone line or having their connection dropped. This means that people can be online all the time, and they are.

My friends will leave instant messenger on for days, and they’ll just put up an away message when they aren’t at their computer. I like away messages because they allow me to know what’s going on in my friend’s lives without even talking to them. By reading their away messages, I can know who’s in class, where people are meeting for dinner, and often even who is out together. The most extreme instant messengers, though, are the ones who take it to the next level by making it portable. Most cell phones now are equipped with the instant messaging feature so that you can receive instant messages anywhere you go. Nothing is more ingrained in our social network than instant messenger.

Cell phones and instant messenger are two of the most prevalent ways technology is ingrained in the daily lives of my generation. Everywhere I turn, technology is getting newer, smaller, better, and faster. Since we became accustomed to technology at such a young age, I’m sure my generation will always rely very heavily on it for all functions of daily life.