Review Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and explain how each level relates to your experiences with technology. Give specific examples of how your digital experiences relate to each level of need.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs entails the idea that individuals have necessities, existing on a hierarchical level, and as each necessity is fulfilled then the next necessity becomes the focus. The necessities are broken into groups and then into subgroups as follows: Basic needs (physiological needs & safety needs), Psychological needs (belongingness and love needs & esteem needs), and Self-fulfillment needs (self-actualization).
At the basic needs level, my physiological needs such as food, water, and warmth are all (for the most part) met through online means. I wouldn’t be able to have water or warmth without the portal in which I pay the bills for those utilities; money is needed to pay the bill through the portal, but the fact that it is accessed via the internet makes it a monthly digital experience. As for food, I usually have it delivered for the vast majority of my meals through online means; I could go into a physical store and get it, eliminating that digital experience, but I prefer to use the internet to do it because it tends to be more convenient for me as of right now. My safety needs are met the same way, via the internet. The antivirus program I use, adblockers, browser plugins, etc., are all things I wouldn’t be able to utilize without internet access, and I use them every day.
At the psychological needs level, I don’t tend to use/need technology to engage with friends/family (outside of gaming) on a personal level unless necessary. But when it comes to the need for/of prestige and feeling of accomplishment, that one is almost entirely met by the technology I use as well as the internet. I work full-time from home, so my entire job is on the internet, and I would not be able to do it without technology; the better I get with technology and the more I learn about technology, the more it tends to the needs aforementioned because it will almost always increase my level of performance.
Lastly, at the self-fulfillment needs level, my self-actualization needs such as achieving my full potential (including creative activities) is met pretty much entirely through technological means as well. I do school online using technology to try and be the best I can be and do what I want to do. Regarding creative activities, I could not meet this need without technology, at all. I like recording and making videos, and I would not be able to record those videos without software downloaded from the internet or without my PC; and I would not be able to edit those videos or add my imagination/utilize my imagination for the video (photoshopping images, adding other features, etc.) without the internet, technology, or the software I bought and downloaded from the internet.
In conclusion, the majority of my needs are fulfilled through the usage of technology in conjunction with the internet.