It’s said that as the use of technology grows, the world becomes smaller. As school once again resumes for students across the country, the ever-changing topic of technology and connectivity comes into the spotlight, impacting high school students in a big way.

As a student journalist, I’ve had to gather my fair share of sources for everything from opinion articles to trending topics. A big part of the term “student journalist” is the word student, meaning that I’ve also written dozens of essays and created countless presentations for classes.

I would spend hours researching, usually via the internet, but I noticed an interesting trend. No matter what assignment I was working on, I would always turn to news sources for the facts.

I could learn about things that happened halfway across the world in mere minutes, and that fascinated me. The connection that we have as students of the 21st century is something that not only improves my schoolwork, but makes me a better journalist.

Technology is often seen as something negative in an academic setting, but when put to the right uses, it can be incredibly useful. Besides using the internet for research, students can now use it for everything from finding tutors to completing assignments from home. They can supplement classroom lessons if they need to, making learning more individualized than ever.

According to a 2015 study from the National Center for Education Statistics, 94 percent of children ages three to 18 have a computer at home, and 61 percent of the same age group have internet access. The connectivity of technological advances presents endless opportunities for students of the 21st century.

Personally, one of the many things I love about journalism is its function as a record of current events. One day, the stories current journalists write may be used as a glimpse back through history. Our history will be one of innovation and advancements.

The internet has no doubt revolutionized the way we receive news, but it has also changed the way we create the stories consumers read. If I’m writing a story about a tournament a club participated in, it takes me mere seconds to find official rankings online whereas it could have taken hours without this source. One quick search grants an entire list of potential contacts for a story with emails included. Contacting people for interviews can be as simple as sending a message to set up a time. It truly has never been easier for journalists to find resources.

All of this comes together as we prepare for a new school year. New staff writers research names and facts while editors browse page design ideas and infographic examples. Before long, hundreds of students will be looking up terms for study guides and researching essay topics.

The internet has become ingrained in our society, but with it, there is a new ease to everyday tasks for students and journalists alike. As a combination of the two, it has become an invaluable resource for me. Technology isn’t going away, and while it presents its fair share of problems, the good things about it will guide the students and journalists of tomorrow into a brighter future of convenience and informity.