hen I get back to my apartment after a long day of classes, activities and navigating Elizabethtown College’s gigantic campus, I usually do several of the same things out of habit. I greet my wonderful roommates with an elongated “Yo,” which would contain too many “o”s if written as spoken. I drop my backpack onto the floor of my room in the exact same spot — I can already see an indent forming in the carpet. I nab a can of ginger ale from the fridge, assuming that my roommates didn’t already guzzle down my staple beverage, which I halfheartedly pretend not to be annoyed about. And then I plop down at my desk chair and turn on my laptop, hearing the familiar hum as I eagerly transfix my gaze to the computer screen.
While I usually do some combination of the aforementioned activities upon returning to my roost each night, I make my way over to my computer every time without fail. Studies show that 99 percent of Etown students have their own laptop. Studies also show that I make up random studies to prove a point, but bear with me. Besides a pencil or pen, a student’s most-used possession is probably his or her laptop — already mentioned. A device that knows so much use also represents the very person who uses it. The bumper stickers on your car and the trinkets dangling from the mirror represent you. The style, store brand and smell of your clothes represent you. Plot twist: Your computer says a lot about you, too.
Before turning on your laptop or even lifting the lid, one can glean plenty of information about your computer and you. Let’s start from the beginning. What model is your computer? Do you have a Windows computer because most other people seem to have one? Do you have a Mac and love to tell people why your computer is better than theirs? Or are you the ultra-resourceful type who built your own hard drive? Surprisingly, this simple preference reveals a piece of your character.
Some people go the extra mile, decorating their computers with stickers and emblems to add even more character to them. Depending on the person, just from looking at his or her laptop cover, you can determine his or her favorite band, sports team or book series. Some emblazon their laptops with inspirational quotes, because laptop covers are where most people look for wisdom, of course. I have seen several laptops with individual words on them, like “love” and “peace,” as if to say, “Putting a sticker on my laptop is helping me promote this moral quality.” But there’s nothing wrong with a little creative license. Just be prepared for people to make assumptions about what they see.
Upon starting up your computer, you must enter a password to access the vault of treasures that is your laptop. Even your password says something about you. Is it the same password you use for everything else? Uniformity must be important to you. Is your password a bunch of garbled nonsense that no one can figure out? Maybe you’re suspicious of people. Is it the name of your pet cat? Well, aren’t you sentimental? Is your password simply “password?” I guess your brain is just there for decoration, then.
Your background image is possibly the most telling element of your computer discussed thus far. What kind of image awaits you when your desktop finally appears onscreen? A picture of your significant other is a popular choice — it shows that you care. A group picture of your friends makes a fine backdrop as well. An image of your favorite cartoon could lead to an, “Oh, I love that show, too!” or an “Oh… you watch that show?” depending on the person. If you find images distracting, the default background works acceptably. Or, if you’re like me, you just pick one of the default backgrounds that comes with your computer. The lighthouse on the rocks looks right at home on my screen. More than Natalie Portman, at least, for the short time that she was my background picture. Those were the days.
Some people’s backgrounds, however, are more obstructed than others. Say hello to your good old desktop icons! The organization and number of icons, believe it or not, may say some things about your work style. Do you have a select few icons neatly organized into columns? You’re probably quite organized in general. Are dozens of icons splattered all over your screen, many of which you may never click on again? I’d hazard a guess that your room is in a similar state.
The list goes on and on: What Internet browser do you use? How bright is your screen setting? How much memory do you have open? All of these things say something about you, but who the heck cares? Everything you say, do and own has your nametag on it. Oftentimes, people will judge you for those things; pick out the minutest details or smallest circumstances to bash you for. People love to make assumptions, and we all know what happens when we “assume.”
But what do the people who actually know you have to say about you? What do you have to say about yourself? These are the things that define who you are. Don’t let anyone else say othewise. Your computer — or anything you own — can never speak to your character. Inanimate objects aren’t very talkative, anyway.
