The Ultimate Utility of Nonutility

Summary: The author of this article, Lisa Colleta, is writing about the importance of liberal arts education in the face of its decline in popularity. It has become more and more common to view such an education as antiquated and impractical, and even should be obsolete. Colleta argues that it greatly enhances individuals ability to think critically and creatively, thus making them better workers and people as a whole.

Reaction: I am actually in a unique position to react to this article because I attended a liberal arts school for three years, and now I am attending Rowan in a program with a far more vocational, practical basis. I think you can definitely get by in life and be happy without studying classic authors, learning a foreign language, or writing thesis papers. However, expanding ones horizons can only be beneficial and a better understanding of the world as a whole and well as respect for differences is crucial to improving the conditions of our world.

As someone who was exposed to many ideas, I did adopt very liberal, accepting views regarding various schools of thought, cultures, and historical events. And though I believe I became a more “well-rounded” person, it did not prepare me very well for the challenges I would face in daily life. Yes, reading, or attempting to read Thomas Hobbes’s Leviathan was intellectually beneficially, I was still rendered useless when trying to understand/deal with health insurance claims or understand human anatomy and physiology to be able to explain a medical problem to a doctor. Admittedly though, most of my peers at my previous are able to do these things.

Tie-in to Carr, Cascio

The main connection that I see here with Colleta’s article and the other two is the worth of a cultivated mind. Carr definitely recognizes that human minds are changing and is unsettled by this. He also describes how people generally, including intellectuals, are becoming highly superficial in their thinking. He laments this turn of events and fears the potential consequences of the turn. He doesn’t really put forth a detailed argument for a deeply thinking mind, but focuses more on how we are getting away from deep thought and his concern about it, thus validating the worth of reflective thinking much in the same way that Colletta does in her article.

Cascio writes that are minds are changing, but that the may ultimately change for the better. He stresses that despite being somewhat overwhelmed by our the current onslaught of information and distraction, we are only at the beginning stages of our mental transformation and will most likely adapt. He also champions the idea that having computers augment or perhaps even replace an individual’s intelligence is fantastic and that technology will be powerful enough to think for us and solve our problems. Colleta and I disagree with Cascio here because we see the value of an individual coming to his or her own conclusions about the world through deep thinking, not just operating on algorithms. A profound education is essential to making us better people and deciding how best to use the technological tools at our disposal.

Teaching the iGeneration

Summary:

Larry D. Rosen's article "Teaching the iGeneration" talks about the increasing use of media and technology with current and younger generations. It points out that there is a large difference in media/tech use, mainly separated by which generation someone was born in. Baby Boomers spend the least amount of time per day with media/tech use, while every generation after theirs seems to use media/tech anywhere from 2.5 to 3 times more hours per day. Rosen also describes young children being able to use smartphones or hook up bluetooth devices that older or unfamiliar individuals cannot, and that it seems people who grow up into technology have already integrated it into their lives. Rosen goes on saying that since technology becoming a part of everything, schools and the society need to conform to facilitate these changes.

Reaction:

I thought that this article had similar views on technology as my other source, Get Smarter by Jamais Cascio. Rosen makes some very good points about technology already having an effect on younger people and that they are already growing up into technology, as opposed to current generations that only recently saw technology's rise. Seeing very younger children being able to navigate a smartphone better than an adult helps shed some light on where the future is taking us, and that instead of fighting it, we should accept technology and find ways to counter the negative effects Carr states.

Tie-in with Carr:

Rosen and Cascio are opposites to Carr's view on technology. Having more support from either sides only helps in making a clearly decision as to what technology is really doing to us. Carr points out the negative impacts, and for the most part he may be correct. But Cascio and Rosen talk about how to cope with those detrimental effects of technology, and that rather than seeing all the mistakes and downfalls, there is opportunity. This article helped clear up and support my argument that technology doesn't have as bad a reputation as Carr says.

Get Smarter

Summary:

The article "Get Smarter" written by Jamais Cascio has a different opinion in contrast to Carr's article about Google. Cascio seems to be in favor of accepting technology into our lives, and believes it is not reducing people's cognitive capacity, but allowing us to think differently. He states that we are getting "smarter" in terms of becoming quicker and more efficient in terms of thinking with today's high levels of technology use. He describes people in terms of adapting to changes. For example, he uses the printing press, telegraph, and radio to describe the effect it had on people, claiming that it "increased our functional memory and our ability to share insights and knowledge across time and space." The rise of current technology and media access is analogous to the aforementioned inventions that revolutionized communication and media.

Cascio continues to elaborate on the potential technology has to offer. By embracing newer tech, solving a vast array of problems is possible. He also talks about the economic applications of embracing technology as it develops.

Reaction:

For the most part I agree with the Cascio's article. A similar article showed collected data of different generations starting back from the Baby Boomers and showed an increasing trend of media usage per day. Soon enough everyone will be using technology and that simply is the way our future is heading. Granted, there are several drawbacks and negative impacts technology reliance, but increased tech use is somewhat recent due to the fact that there is a great difference in opinions and traditional views between generations before the millennium.

Tie-in with Carr:

Cascio's article is supportive of what Carr is trying to discourage: the increased use of technology and the effect it has on people. Both articles are great material and have relevant opinions. Carr seems to be in favor of more traditional approaches and sees heavy technology use as a hindrance, slowly draining our mental abilities. While Carr does make a good point that it seems more and more people find it more difficult to sit down and just read a long article/book, Cascio points out that doing so would either be impractical, or is not needed. Cascio's article helps see both sides of the argument that involve Carr and Cascio. Knowing the benefits and risks of using technology so widely within our lives becomes clearly.

Third Source Reaction, Summary and Comparision

• This Is Your Brain On Facebook Summary:
This Is Your Brain On Facebook is an article by Rob Mitchum. It talks about how people have always worried about the latest technology ruining the minds of our society. This has went from comic books to computers. Mitchum also states how the internet is beneficial to society and counters several statements from “Is Google Making us Stupid?” It provides examples and quotes from scientists and other figures.



• Reaction
I though this article was even better then “Get Smarter” in debunking the whole internet is ruining our society idea. It references “Is Google making us stupid?” and provides a lot of professional opinions, studies and facts that disprove Carr’s statements. It went hand in hand with “Get Smarter” too.

• Comparision
“This Is Your Brain On Facebook” is less about the authors opinion and more based on facts and actual studies done. In “Get Smarter” I feel like a huge amount of it is just the author’s opinion. Also this article has much more facts and credible sources to back up its statements and it also takes the opposite view of Carr’s article.

"The Net Effect" Is life on the Internet having a disastrous effect on out children's minds?

Summary: "The Net Effect" by Juan Pablo Conti discusses the negative effect brought on by technology and the Internet focusing specifically on children. He elaborates on the fact that children are being introduced to technology at too young of an age. The child's brain is not yet developed enough to be able to handle the flashing lights and high speed of modern day technology. Parents think they are helping their children with their educational values and social status but in reality they are only causing harm. Conti also discusses how technology and the Internet could have a positive impact on children whose brains are developed enough to handle it. He says that it could improve their multitasking skills and educational values.

Reaction: I really agree with Conti and the way he went about explaining his point-of-view. I strongly believe that children are being introduced to technology and the internet at too young of an age to fully comprehend what they are seeing. I think that parents need to realize that by trying to "help" their children get a head start with their education, they are harming them by introducing it at too young of an age. Technology is also veering young children away from libraries and doing physical research because everything they need can be found on the Internet.

Tie-In: Carr's article talked about the negative and positive impacts of technology and today's society. Conti and Carr both discussed how the Internet and technology have been taking us away from doing real research and reading. Both articles discussed how our generation has turned to the Internet (i.e. google) for anything they might need. Whether you need to look something up, find a new recipe, or research a paper, you can find it all through various forms of technology. Both writers agreed that technology and the Internet are taking away from our social interactions with each other and with the world.

Student 'addiction' to technology 'similar to drug cravings', study finds

Summary: Andrew Hough discusses for a recent study fouund that students are rather addicted to technology so much so they are experiencing withdrawal symptoms. The symptoms are very similar to how a drug addict would feel if they recently had quit. Many folks could admit freely that they are addicted to their modern devices. Students were unable to stop using their gadget for 24 hours.

Reaction: I wasn't surprised when I read the article because I see how people are with their gadgets nowadays. It really has become an addiction for most. I have mentioned a few times now how people can't seem to have an one-on-one with others anymore. They are either on their phones texting or constantly checking their social networking sites. It seems rather alarming that students aren't able to stop using these devices for more 24 hours. I remember in high school I had to go on this Antioch Retreat where phones taken away, we had no computers or TVs. At first it seemed impossible but it wasn't as hard as I would have imagined. I feel the world needs to really learn how to take time away from these things and remember what is most important.

Tie-in: Both Carr and Pope alluded to the fact that technology has become our addiction even if they didn't use those words. Hough's article confirmed it among the student population. However, through reading Carr it is very clear that technology has had a really big impact on the older generation. They have a hard time concentrating on reading long articles and people aren't reading books or newspapers anymore. It just seems that there is a device for almost everything now and it is conventient but some old-fashioned things should have been left alone. Reading a book is one of my favorite passtimes and refuse to use a Kindle or Nook because it takes away from the feel of it. Pope mentioned the fact that we have become more impatient and that is evident in Hough's article if someone can't voluntarily give up technology for a lousy 24 hours.

Matt Adams Third Article: When Gadgets Get In The Way

“When Gadgets Get In the Way” is a New York Times article discussing the effects computers have on schools, particularly the way teachers are combatting the distractions of technology in the classrooms with technology of their own. The article focuses on five methods specific to teachers you have come up with genius ways to get their lectures across. While reading this article, I couldn’t help but think, “I wish I had this teacher.” The methods used are innovative and interesting, improving on methods already used, like using video games. One method involved showing the students old style film strips. The teacher, Nancy Kemp, said that the effectiveness of her method was in the newness of the medium. When students have never seen them before, they get interested watching how it works. It’s not an everyday thing because the newness wears off, but they students are like moths to the flame for the few days she does use it. Another interesting method is used by Professor Eric Hudson. He has teaching assistants walk around and observed everyone to make sure there are no cell phones or computers bringing up email, an uncomfortable but effective atmosphere. The article also mentions that high school teachers can take control over student’s computers to record just where students have been online when they have conferences with parents about their student’s grades or behavior. “When Gadgets get In the Way” does not just blame technology as the sole reason for student distractions. Distractions were around long before cellphones and computers invaded the classrooms, and teachers have always had to cope with them. This article relates to Nicholas Carr’s article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid” by not just citing a cause and effect. The widespread use of technology is creating a society where people have short attention spans and are constantly looking for multiple things to do. It also mentions multiple solutions ordinary people have come up with to combat the distractions of everyday life. Technology has made reaching out to people much easier, but reaching in much harder at the same time. People can send mail and messages instantly, but the amount of relatively useless information can flood out important notices at any time. But just like in every era in history, the most successful people are the ones who can reach out in the most creative ways. Don’t just talk about space. Show them interactive images on the Hubble Telescope. Give a self-programmed game that relates to the class and maybe they’ll miss that vibration in their pocket. Technology may have made being distracted a lot easier, but there have never been more tools to combat those distractions either. Put in a little originality and you’ll be rewarded with increased attention to the lectures and less texting under the desk.