In elementary school I remember one of the weekly electives we had to take on top of gym, art, and music, was my personal favorite, computer lab day. The only website I remember using religiously even though I did not understand how to use it to its full potential is KidPix. KidPix is a software for children to learn the basics of graphic design.
At the time it was simply a tool for me to draw funny stuff to print out and give to my mom. My first ever print was a portrait of a melting snowman. I was about five at the time. I am now twenty one and know a whole lot more about graphic design. Softwares I use now are Illustrator, After Effects, Affinity design, and Premiere Pro.
By the time I was nine, I began involving myself on the internet with kid games such as Club Penguin and Poptropica. I went to a daycare that had a computer lab, with five bulky computers bolted into those privacy desks.
We had to sign up on a sheet to have access. Sometimes the waitlist was so long, I had to wait until the next week or until my mom took me to the library computers. I remember gathering around a single computer in the cramped hot room just to watch ‘scary youtube videos.’
I did not have internet access at my house until middle school, when it was then required to have a personal computer for homework. I think this is where my internet usage took a turn for the worse. I feel like the internet is no longer a mysterious place I have to discover, it feels more like a sinkhole of information that can become overwhelming.
I spend a lot of time on streaming sites such as Hulu, Netflix, HBOmax, Disney+, and of course, Youtube. I enjoy watching docuseries, binging entire shows, and movies.