late-night musings and bittersweet nostalgia

In the 21st century, technology has been substantially on the rise. When the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the world in 2020, lockdowns and strict quarantine implementations were instituted to ensure safety and protect the people from the spread of the deadly disease. Physical distancing, wearing of face masks, and mass vaccinations were also implemented to further secure the health of the population. Because of these, people were locked indoors, even strictly for quite some time. Along with this was a drastic shift in consumer behavior. Business transactions were shifting from the traditional brick-and-mortar mode towards the digital world. As the markets get more competitive each passing day, businesses had to adapt online for most of them to stay afloat. One interesting field in terms of business operations is marketing. And if I were to choose one field in information technology to pursue as my career, I’d choose to either be a social media marketing specialist or a web analytics e...

   Over the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has had serious and far-reaching impacts on the different sectors of society. The pandemic is not merely a health issue - it is also a social and economic disease that continues to plague society. The pandemic led to the closure of businesses and schools, worker layoffs, worsening the poverty situation of the majority of the populace, and deaths of more than six million people globally. E xactly one year ago today, we held our last traditional face-to-face class. What we thought would just be a 2 to 3-day disruption turned into two years of online classes. Nobody was completely prepared for what was ahead and coping with the new normal was difficult – especially during the first few weeks. While there were quarantine protocols strictly implemented to ensure the safety of the people, it’s still a two-sided coin, especially when the government has no concrete and tireless implementation of containing and effectively managing the ...

Du ring the past few decades, the world has witnessed rapid technological advancements such as the development of the internet, the rise of social media, and the manufacturing of super-powerful computers that fit the grasp of one’s hand. The information revolution, as propelled by ICT, enables people to communicate massive amounts of data from one part of the world to another in just a split-second of time. Today, the technological experience has become more personal towards the individual level. Although access to such technologies remains a question of privilege, especially in third-world countries, its influence is felt by different sectors of the community whether directly or indirectly. However, while technology has afforded us an opportunity for a more convenient and open-access life, it has posed its equal share of detrimental effects on the environment and human life. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), 50 million tons of e-waste are produced annually,...

The first time I laid my hands on a computer was in 2009. I was around seven years old then. I've lived with my grandparents and my mother’s siblings for most of my life. Back then, my uncle and aunt had no families of their own yet, so they were like my older siblings. And until now, I can still vividly remember the day they brought home  our  first computer set. I was very thrilled! Trying my best to remain calm as they started with the unboxing, I couldn't help but feel giddy and impatient. One by one, they took out the computer components  –  from the monitor to the system unit, up to the speakers, keyboard, and mouse. Everything smelled new - and I've always loved the smell of plastic.  They had me distracted and busy with the bubble wrap as they set up the computer in my uncle's room. The monitor was white, looking heavy and bulky. I think it was a CRT monitor, its sides having linear-patterned holes. And since my uncle loved playing games, the first thing...