Prompt 5

The part of the film that resonated the most with me was the fact that most people from Luisa's school had not touched a computer until they entered high school.  Obviously the fact that this film was made in the 90s was part of the reason for this.  But even so, hearing Luisa talk about how scarce computers were in her neighborhood really drove home the thought that the digital divide is just getting greater and greater.  My high school experience was quite unlike hers because I went to a high school in the new millennium, which by design would have more access to technology.  But also, my high school was in a middle-class to upper middle-class neighborhood.  We had many more resources and a lot more access to technology than Luisa's school did.  

My high school had numerous computer labs and a full time technician and computer consultant.  Our computer consultant would give us lessons on how to use computer programs to give us skills for later in life.  All written assignments that we did had to be turned in typed or the teacher would not accept it.  We took typing classes in elementary school and had to be proficient in typing by the end of the year.  From the video, I felt like Luisa's school did not have nearly as many opportunities as I was able to enjoy.  The fact that most people in her school had not even touched computers until high school, if then, is a striking contrast.  

However, even though she didn't have the kind of resources I had, she still was able to succeed in her field.  She knew more about computers than I did.  And the fact that she had to work harder for her computer and her computer skills, taking herself away from gang life and from the social life that surrounded her school, made her appreciate the technology more than I ever did.  Growing up around constant technology made me take it for granted.  Computers were not a rare and special thing for me.  For Luisa, however, computers posed a very interesting  and new challenge she equated with entry into the "real world."  The fact that she had to work for her computer made her appreciate technology more.  

Even though Luisa grew up in a more or less technologically devoid environment, she still managed to add computers to her life and build a career out of it (even though she failed her Photoshop exam).