To Be or Not To Be Stupid - Essay Example

To Be or Not To Be Stupid? Every day hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people, of all ages, races, and genders get up out of bed and immediately check their voicemails, text messages, emails, Instagram, MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter, even before they completely open their eyes wide, or have a cup of coffee. Thesis We are all very dependent upon our technology and we invest in it, even when we are in social settings. We have all seen a room full of people not speaking to each other, but every single one completely focused on the phone, iPad, or computer. There are many different opinions that have been expressed concerning the modern convenience of electronic technology and way it is affecting people now, and in the long term. Claudia Wallis in her article, “The Multitasking Generation,”(2006) and Nicholas Carr’s “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”(2008) argue against the way people interact and rely upon the technology physically, emotionally, mentally, and socially in certain unpleasant ways. In his personal life Carr describes a lesser ability to concentrate. He focuses upon the intellectual laziness that access to fast internet answers, the mobile phone and other technology can breed mental laziness. He goes back into history to show how the coming of technology can have negative effects upon the human mind, from the 14th century onwards, though the industrial revolution and on into the modern age, with an ever growing negative impact. Wallis focuses instead more on the social and interpersonal communicational perspective when people are persistently interacting and multitasking with technology, and how that these can have a negative effects; both of these authors are absolutely right. She discusses how children are perpetually interacting with technology and that parents think that this multitasking is a product and a credit to the presence of that technology and their minds. Unfortunately, that is little better than an “old wives tale” that people may tell themselves to justify their children’s excessive technological interactions:- Human beings have always had a capacity to attend to several things at once. Mothers have done it since the hunter-gatherer era--picking berries while suckling an infant, stirring the pot with one eye on the toddler” (Wallis 2006). Many biologists and anthropologists would easily agree that the things that defines humans is their curiosity, the ability to learn and adapt, and the ability to multitask and to process multiple information at once. This did not evolve as a side effect of technological advancement. It is rather the reverse which is true: the technology emerged as a result of our curiosity and ability to multitask. In truth, excessive interaction with technology leads to being anti-social in face-to-face interactions. This belies the communal and communicative nature of our species. The interactions online, and the relationships we make there, are often shallow and superficial, based on the shared likes and dislikes of other things posted on sites, but not necessarily upon real relationships. There is also a misconception that the presence of all this sophisticated technology, which many adults are less familiar with than their children, makes these children seem so knowledgeable and competent on a keyboard as they search through cyberspace. These authors depict this as an illusion and declare that in fact, technology, and our nearly perpetual reliance upon it, could be having the opposite effect. That oppositional effect is exactly what Nicholas Carr is discussing in his article. He asserts that the excessive use of technology is making us too dependent, too reliant upon technology, and this is a danger to future generations. Today any answer that is needed can simply be “Googled”. “Research that once required days in the stacks or periodical rooms of libraries can now be done in minutes.” (Carr 2008). In other words, instead of having to research something, and memorize that knowledge, people can simply ask technology to produce that information they need instantly over and over again. This could limit people’s pursuit of real knowledge. Academics will suffer most because, while the students before may get the right answers, but they may never truly understand the concepts or logistics behind the concepts. This is an era of instant gratification and that is likely to only get worse before it gets better. Essentially, this kind of dependence will lead to reliance on technology for answers, but the loss of deeper and meaningful understanding. But what do we do when that technology goes away? The greatest problem with humanity is its inability to dedicate themselves to moderation and balance of all things in their lives. Humanity seems compelled to do things in extremes, everything becomes a trend, and everyone becomes consumed. That is the greatest issue with technology. Technological devices, as far as modern users are concerned, have, "become extensions of themselves, indispensable social accessories” (Wallis 2006).Technology has become incorporated into every aspect of life, from the computers used in the home security system that turns off your sink when you are not home, and even the toys that are offered to children, robot dinosaurs and dogs. There is nothing wrong with technology. It has its place in our society, and should be used as a tool to improve and benefit lives in a safe and practical ways. It should however, not be relied upon at the expense of real human interaction and communication. Cyberspace is not the same as real life, and should not be used just as a fast and easy way to get answers without depth or dimensions; just correct answers. There is more to understanding humanity than facts and figures. Too much interaction on cyberspace makes people become more two-dimensional than they would otherwise be in their familial and social relationships. There should be a balance with moderation, and a restructuring of the relationship that humanity and individuals have with the technology, and the goals of these advancements. Humanity needs to be reminded that technology is amazing and fascinating, but it is not, and never can be, a substitute for human living, interrelations, and face-to-face communication. Otherwise it will become more and more true that:- As we come to rely on computers to mediate our understanding of the world, it is our own intelligence that flattens. (Carr 2008). Both authors have made clear and concise arguments that make very practical and accurate sense of the phenomena of ever-advancing of technology. As stated, technology may be accurate, less fallible, less emotional, and therefore logical, which makes its presence less troublesome, messy, and problematic than people. Despite this people cannot allow a tool, even the most advanced technology, to become so paramount in their lives that it takes over and becomes the center of their lives. That is a step too far, but this is exactly what appears to be happening, and that is what these two authors were arguing against. Both authors were absolutely right. The multitasking of technology should be balanced with an understanding that technology can do much, but that there are many important things that it can never do including some of those things most relevant to the human experience. Today’s children can teach their :- Parents and teachers about what new technology can do. But its up to grownups to show them what it cant do, and that theres life beyond the screen (Wallis 2006). Also, the dependence on Google to think for us and answer the questions asked of us is lazy and could very well contribute to a generation of people unable to function without their technology. It is necessary to be aware of this danger and to reform and restructure the relationship that people have with technology, not allowing it to ever be an overactive participant in life. Unless this happens the price for the species as a whole may just be too high. References Carr, N., “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”, The Atlantic July 1st,2008, May 23rd 2014, Wallis, C., 2006, “The Multitasking Generation,” Time 22nd March, Read More