Family and Technology

   My family uses technology regularly. My sister and I do use technology more than my parents. Also we know more about technology than them. So I do see a generation gap. For example my parents each have their own gps system in their cars but neither really know how to use them, so if we go on a trip somewhere I am in charge of putting in our destination and making sure it takes us there. But we all use technology, we each have our own laptops, cell phones, and ipods. In the morning at breakfast my mom and sister eat at the table each with their laptops. After dinner you are likely to find the entire family on the computer. I don't believe our family uses technology as much as the Campbells, we do spend time together regularly without feeling the need to use technology.

Short Writing Assignment #2

    “Hooked on Technology and Paying a Price” by Matt Richtel, is an article that deals with the effect technology has on people. Richtel quotes Nora Volkow saying ‘the technology is rewiring our brains.’ (15) Volkow is referring to the effect of digital stimulation. “The stimulation provokes excitement.. that researchers say can be addictive. In its absence, people feel bored.” (15) Also people are unable to focus in their regular life and have become forgetful. This is the effect digital stimulation has on people.

    Richtel uses the Campbell family to illustrate the effects digital stimulation has on their family. Mr. Campbell “ forgets things like dinner plans, and he has trouble focusing on his family.” (15) Their son Connor “recently received his first C’s, which his family blames on distraction from his gadgets.” (16) Their daughter Lily when using her laptop is consumed by it. According to Mrs. Campbell ‘when she’s on it, you can holler her name all day and she won’t hear.’ (20) Mrs. Campbell while attempting to bake cookies was distracted by her phone twice which resulted in her burning her first and second batch of cookies. The Campbell family is just an example of what can happen to all of us when we get too attached to technology. Richtel uses this family as an example because they are an average family and are relatable. If it can happen to them this can happen to the readers as well.

    Multitasking is when one works on multiple tasks at the same time. It is done to be more efficient. This is in fact a myth. Multitasking is not more efficient. Tests show that the brain has trouble processing two streams and can not simultaneously make decisions about them (17). Multitaskers are less efficient than non-multitaskers when performing the same task (18). According to researchers “multitaskers seem more sensitive than non-multitaskers to incoming information.” (18) None of this information was new to me. Because I already knew this about multitasking my thinking about it did not change. However if I had not previously known this my thinking would have changed.

Get Smarter Response

   The article " Get Smarter" written by Jamais Cascio, deals with human intelligence and technology. Cascio suggests that humans are becoming smarter with the increasing complexity of technology. The points he brings up are interesting.

   Cascio refers to intelligence augmentation as "You+." This deals with improving the way people think. This change is what he refers to as a technological evolution. This evolution is about adapting to "the immense amount of knowledge we've created." (33)  I am fine with the idea of "You+," in fact I believe that humans already are evolved and still evolving into more intelligent beings. And that we are adapting to the amounts of knowledge we already have. Cascio talks about "You+" like it is something of the future but I believe it has already started.

   The idea that a drug or genetic modification could create smarter people does not seem that far fetched to me. I like the idea that human intelligence could be improved. However the idea of artificial intelligence scares me. Especially the part where the artificial intelligence becomes smarter and more advanced than the humans that created it. I do believe that this will not happen for a while, but I do think it could happen in the future. Overall I enjoyed the article and topic it covered.

Is Google Making Us Stupid?

   From the reading I most remember the article "Is Google Making us Stupid" by Nicholas Carr. I found the topic to be interesting and thought provoking.  I myself spend several hours every day on the internet, so I could relate to the topic. I had not considered before the effect the internet had on the way people think. I agree that it probably has changed the people think and function. Overall I really liked what Carr had to say and I would like to know more about whether the brains functioning has changed and if so how much.

Short Writing Assignment #1

   

    Writing is something I do for different reasons.  There are two main reasons I write, because I have to or because I want to. In school there are many times I have to write for assignments. Then there are other times I write simply because I want to. The reason I write determines whether the experience is good or bad.

    Writing because I have to typically means the experience is bad. In school I always find that writing for standardized tests are the worst. The writing topic is something I do not care about. If I do not care about the topic I am assigned to write about, I will not want to write anything on it. I do not enjoy writing about a topic I dislike because it feels forced and unnatural. I find it difficult to come up with things to write, or form an opinion in my writing, when I could not care less. This writing is usually boring and while I do not mind writing for school, to enjoy it I have to like what I am writing about.

      Writing personal things for myself is the best writing experience. I keep a journal where I write whatever I want. If I feel like writing I will. I find writing to be a good outlet to express feelings, ideas, and opinions. When I have a problem I find writing about it helps me to solve it. Something about putting everything in writing helps me to find a solution. I find writing to be freeing as well. If I am upset about something writing about it always makes me feel better. The most important reason writing is such a good experience is because I write for myself. I do not worry about what I have said or what other people will think. Therefore when I write I have little inhibition. I find that writing is very beneficial to myself.

    Out of the two experiences the best one affected me much more than the worst. Writing for school especially for the standardized tests never means anything to me. The writing I do is not important or meaningful to me. Also typically I do not feel like it is helpful in any way.In contrast my personal writing is extremely important to me and is very meaningful. I hope to have many more positive writing experiences and to improve my writing.