Is technology too much of a good thing?
Jesse Whitehouse
Issue date: 11/12/09 Section: Opinion
Have you ever noticed how many ads for the latest gadgets are geared toward the college crowd?
Cell providers run commercials featuring sharply dressed young adults hanging with their friends while showing off their new phones. Apple's ever-popular iPhone spots pit a middle-aged dude in a cheap suit against young "Accepted" star Justin Long. Even McDonald's is pushing to have us compete in online Monopoly.
Why are these companies targeting the college scene?
Maybe it's because we're already hooked on what they're selling. Most traditional college students have a Facebook page, a cell phone and an affinity for spending time with a Nintendo Wii.
Nowadays, we rely more and more on the Internet for communication, entertainment and homework, and we're willing to shell out the cash to pay for it.
So, are we addicted? Some people are; and I imagine there are more on college campuses than elsewhere. Everywhere you look, in class or out, someone is texting, chatting, gabbing or gaming while the most recent changes are promptly posted on Facebook.
Yet, the problem isn't just that technology wastes our time; it also rewires our brains. When we read on the Internet, there's always another link to lead us somewhere new. So we read a paragraph or two, click the next hyperlink, and like snapping our fingers, we're off to something completely different.
Unfortunately, when we train our minds to function that way, it makes reading longer passages difficult because we can't pay attention.
Even worse, TV ads herald a whole new generation of technological learning aids. Simply plop your kids before a TV with a game controller and they'll learn how to read, no parental involvement necessary.
Sure, all this technology is useful. But the extent to which we rely on it is becoming ridiculous. It is possible to have too much of a good thing. When technology becomes a handicap not only for us but for our kids, it's time to say "enough."
Cell providers run commercials featuring sharply dressed young adults hanging with their friends while showing off their new phones. Apple's ever-popular iPhone spots pit a middle-aged dude in a cheap suit against young "Accepted" star Justin Long. Even McDonald's is pushing to have us compete in online Monopoly.
Why are these companies targeting the college scene?
Maybe it's because we're already hooked on what they're selling. Most traditional college students have a Facebook page, a cell phone and an affinity for spending time with a Nintendo Wii.
Nowadays, we rely more and more on the Internet for communication, entertainment and homework, and we're willing to shell out the cash to pay for it.
So, are we addicted? Some people are; and I imagine there are more on college campuses than elsewhere. Everywhere you look, in class or out, someone is texting, chatting, gabbing or gaming while the most recent changes are promptly posted on Facebook.
Yet, the problem isn't just that technology wastes our time; it also rewires our brains. When we read on the Internet, there's always another link to lead us somewhere new. So we read a paragraph or two, click the next hyperlink, and like snapping our fingers, we're off to something completely different.
Unfortunately, when we train our minds to function that way, it makes reading longer passages difficult because we can't pay attention.
Even worse, TV ads herald a whole new generation of technological learning aids. Simply plop your kids before a TV with a game controller and they'll learn how to read, no parental involvement necessary.
Sure, all this technology is useful. But the extent to which we rely on it is becoming ridiculous. It is possible to have too much of a good thing. When technology becomes a handicap not only for us but for our kids, it's time to say "enough."
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
sunny burhan
posted 11/21/09 @ 11:01 AM CST
good job. do you know why it is a negative effect though?
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