Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a five-tier theory created by Abraham Maslow in 1943. The hierarchy of needs theorizes that there are five stages of human needs that motivate how we behave and as we successfully achieve one stage, we ascend to the next stage and so forth until we reach the fifth and final stage. The five stages are: Physiological Needs (the need for food, water, warmth, and rest), Safety Needs (the need to feel safe and secure), Social/Belongingness and Love Needs (the need to have intimate relationships and friends), Esteem Needs (the need to feel accomplished and respected, have prestige), and Self-Actualization Needs (the feeling of self-fulfillment, reaching your full-potential, accepting of yourself fully with flaws and all, being able to accept others for who they are, and being able to help others reach the fifth stage). When tying these stages to the digital experience on a personal level, the first stage, is the physiological needs, even though technology is not a need in comparison to food and water, we are in an information age where information is at our fingertips. We as a whole, have become heavily dependent on our smartphones for many uses and the device itself has been a part of us. I do not recall a day when I have not checked my phone shortly after waking up, throughout the day, or before going to bed. Once that need is fulfilled, the safety need with technology would be to have insurance that our respective accesses and transactions done through our devices are secure and protected from unauthorized users. If I was purchasing on Amazon, I feel confident with their service that no one else will gain access to my account and make unauthorized purchases that I have to pay for. On my end of that protection, I have to ensure that my devices have authentication features active in case my device is misplaced. Once that need is fulfilled, the social/belongingness and love need with technology would be, especially during covid, the access to social media, and video conferencing communication. Having friends to interact with on Facebook via direct messaging, liking/loving each other’s pictures and videos, and communicating with family members in different parts of the country, makes and keeps a sense of belonging intact. Once that need is fulfilled, the esteem need would be having a sense that your friends are your true friends on social media and that they want you to be happy and successful just like you want for them. Also, with smartwatches and my Samsung health app, filling in my heart (600 calories, 30 minutes of exercise, 12 hours of movement) daily, getting 10k steps daily, and getting a good sleep score all are things that help me fill accomplished. Once all four of those stages are fulfilled, the self-actualization need would be the last stage. I believe at this stage, people take breaks from social media and “unplug” for a time, to sit back, observe and appreciate the things around them in person instead of through screens, take trips, experience trips hands-on, not documenting each moment online, but living in the moment. I do not think I am at that level personally, but that is my interpretation of that need.