QDW

Mary Biviens

WIFYS

Dr. Shannon Mortimore- Smith

2/19/2015

The Dumbest Generation

Mark Bauerlien, author of the article ‘The Dumbest Generation’, tends to believe that nowadays we people grow up not attempting to actually seek knowledge. That technology has a way with making us lazy, “tinkering our brains, remapping the neural circuitry, and reprogramming our memory”. It once took us days to find research on a topic and now the internet is designed to help you find material in a matter of minutes. Bauerlein acknowledges that “the much-ballyhooed advantages of this brave new world have not only failed to materialize—they’ve actually made us dumber”.

A media theorist called Marchall McLuhan also agrees that technology has a way of shaping our minds making it harder to comprehend and store information through our own thoughts. The effect that the net has on us is the way they distribute it. Our minds decide to trust the information given to us and we report from that unknowingly. Maryanne Wolf, a developmental psychologists at Tufts University also tells about how, “Our ability to interpret text, to make the rich mental connections that form when we read deeply and without distraction, remains largely disengaged”. In making this comment, Wolf is basically saying that we fell off of trying to gain knowledge because of the use of technology is more compelling and allows us to think less.

In a study from the University College London have observed a research program. Scholars have examined the behavior of visitors using two research sites that provided “access to journal articles, eBooks, and other sources of written information”. They report that the people using the sites have found a development a form of skimming activity. Through the process in which the visitors had to find research they would typically read at least one or two pages of an article or bounce out on to a different without ever going back to the article to actually read it

My overall opinion towards these statements are that we are vulnerable towards the use of technology because they make our lives easier and entertaining. We have forgot about the importance of actually gaining new material by going a further mile to learn something new. With relying on spellcheck we don’t know how to spell. We cut ourselves off from the world not because we found Dan earlier way of going by things. We’ve became lazy but we need to turn that attitude around if we want to remain successful.

Mary Biviens

WIFYS

Dr. Shannon Mortimore- Smith

2/19/2015

Ecology of the Mind

            In the article Ecology of the Mind, the author Kalle Lasn states “In the last couple generations, we have largely abandoned the natural world, immersing ourselves in virtual realms”. I assumed what the author is trying to say is that we do not embrace the world how we should. Instead we are blinded by the walls of everlasting technology. Our obsession with technology has obstructed our ability to engage in the natural world because using it effects our brains to the new material that keeps continuing.

            I agree with Lasn’s argument because I see this every day. I, myself is even involved. I feel the need to go for a run while playing music, studying while watching TV. and surfing the media if I am with family and friends. My example speaks for mostly everyone in this generation. It is like we do not recognize silence anymore. We’ve basically gained to depend on it.

“Other’s say that heavy internet use leads to addictions and depression and that the digital revolution may be rewiring our brains in unhealthy ways”. The advantage American child between the ages of 8-18 spends about seven and a half hours a day using some sort of electronic device. We are too busy having fun with technology that we don’t decide to randomly pick up a book and read something that could be interesting or healthy for our brains. Humanity is slowing but surely shifting and we are suffering from the uncontrollable epidemic of our new nature.

The way I see it technology was an opportunity rather than a curse that I have never began to realize until now. The development through technology became better and tempting to have. It causes people to want and want, that is what we are used to now. Wanting the will to be aware and joined into the media. This creates stress if not being involved but it also creates stress if you still happened to be. The breakdown of community, the insecurity of social roles, the stresses of modernity and globalization are all the main causes of how you may gain addictions or depressions.

The last quote of Ecology of the Mind that I decide to discuss about is “In a cleaner, quieter mental environment, we may find our mood calming and depression lifting”. Before technology was a general aspect in life, there were less arguments, divorces, and etc.. The less we become involved in technology the less we create more problems for ourselves. Technology has a way to control our minds and leaves us lost to think for ourselves. If we just leave it alone for a moment we are able to think bolder and wiser.

I think this quote relates to me because when I am trying to do work or an assignment, it is hard for me to discuss deeper thoughts because I am more focused on finishing my work just to watch Netflix. The distractions leaves my mind unclear. Quieter mental environment basically means that you shouldn’t have any thoughts but important or meaningful ones. Something that could help you improve on yourself rather than harming your brain by something you think is not harmful to it.

If Lasn and Bauerlein were both in a room discussing about this topic, I believe the main point they would talk about among this discussion would be that they both feel that technology has controlled our generation. That it will be a never ending cycle unless we find ways to not engage in the media or net all the time. Lasn might disagree that we’ve become dumb rather just rewired in our brains. If we develop to try into further knowledge and development, we could be smarter than we think in preparing for the near future.

Mary Biviens

WIFYS

Dr. Shannon Mortimore- Smith

2/23/2015

Connected but Alone

Sometimes when I am walking down the street and I see someone who I wish not to talk to, I’ll slide my headphones in my ears and listen to music. That way the person will not make an attempt to gain my attention. I catch myself doing that all the time, using my phone as an escape to avoid communication. It seems to work all the time for me. In making this comment I feel not only me but all of us lack true communication skills nowadays because of the use in technology.

“We’re getting used to being alone together” Sherry Turkle tells. What she proclaims here is that this new generation often uses our devices to escape from the real world. We do not surely notice it but sometimes of course we often catch ourselves doing it. Over the years technology has gotten more smart and creative. We are able to send out emails and talk to our friends on social media but some of us has a difficult time making eye contact. The problem with that so is because we have gotten so used to communicate through all types of resources with technology we find it harder to discuss face to face.

I could often agree with this issue because I find it hard to talk in person too. Talking face to face requires me to focus on eye contact, hold my body language properly to stay engaged, also face-to-face conversation deals with a lot of unsystematic speaking which is not my best tendency. We lose our communication skills the more we decide to involve ourselves in technology. I guess the real reason we decide to do this is because face-to-face conversation requires more work and effort whereas using devices to contact someone by email does not. It is so much easier to put thoughts together typing or writing someone.

We usually go to our technology for comfort. When we are alone, we watch movies. When we get bored, we play electronic games. If we’re going through emotions, we’ll put up a status on Facebook or tweet about it on Twitter. Turkle says “That feeling that no one is listening to me wants us to spend more time with machines”.

Machines all have types of sources that could benefit and entertain us rather than people can. We look up directions/ locations, we shop, we watch TV, we search information, we play music, and most importantly it gives us the opportunity to stay in contact with others. But do we? Yes, but not as we should. We have become indolent to talking to people and along the way we lost how to communicate. Our technology can provide solutions to us and that is why we turn to it.

When Turkle acknowledges that “Technology appears to us most where we are most vulnerable” she emphasizes that “We are designing technology that will give us the illusion of companionship without the demand of friendship. We turn to technology to help us feel connected in ways we can comfortably control”. During her research with the use of technology she has discovered that a woman was comfortable using a robot for her amity. She noticed that the woman had felt feelings and comfort with the robot even though we humans take on those types of traits.

I feel that we have all lost one another because of the needs we want every day. It is not hard to tell that everyone in our generation depends on themselves and isolate themselves from others and I feel the reason here is technology. Because we distance ourselves, it is difficult for us to want to help others and care for them. What we only care about is our needs and the needs that we want has a way on expanding more brilliant than before. When our needs make us lazy in doing things, such as SIRI (iPhone Navigator) finding us a nearby café, everything we do becomes being lazy and that’s all that we soon to know. The effort we had once before is not there anymore because technology is raising us.