Connection is important. We can connect in numerous ways. Technology is a sufficient way to connect with loved ones and even the world. It also serves as a way to disconnect from the world around us. Personally, I use it for both; connecting with friends and family, disconnecting from reality, taking a break from studying or homework, communicating with advisors and professors, and so on. Even though technology can help me calm down and relax, it’s not beneficial to rely on it all of the time. It’d be better to stick to using technology as a means to stay connected with our loved ones who are far away from us or for work or school related things.
Moreover, the use of my phone or computer sometimes correlates with the urge to disconnect and be in my own little world, away from the one in my brain. When I feel like I need a break from my life because I’m overwhelmed, I grab my phone and earbuds and put on my favorite music to relax. Sometimes it might call for a comfort show to help feel more at home, so Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Paramount+, etc., it is; it feels like a great way to unwind and just be with myself. However, heavily relying on technology to feel better might just be what is making it worse. Being too reliant on phones and simply technology as a whole can be detrimental to social skills and worsen anxiety. I know that if I spent less time on my phone, I could benefit. That could allow me to have less anxiety about simple things, be more social, more talkative with friends, family, professors, etc., and just get out of my shell! Everyone should start putting themselves in real life situations and be around actual human beings. Real human connection is more important than technology distracting us.
In addition to this, it seems as though we can’t escape the use of technology. Because, it helps us stay in touch, “connected” with each other. Yes, phones, computers, and tablets can serve as a major distraction, except technology can be extremely valuable when considering connecting with loved ones who are far away. It is still possible to have meaningful conversations with them this way. My phone allows me to connect with my loved ones, read, and write, all at my fingertips. For example, the internet allowed me to meet one of my friends. She’s a wonderful author and I’m glad to be able to say an even more wonderful person, woman, human being. Alex is someone I am so very grateful to have in my life. Even if it is mostly through technology of some sort. From discovering her and reading her books starting as an eighth grader to meeting her in person for the second time this past August at a book convention, technology is to thank for that. Being able to connect with her and the group chat of ARC readers (those who receive Advanced Reader Copies of a book to proofread for grammar or spelling mistakes before publication) is all thanks to the internet bringing us together. I also go to Alex for advice sometimes. If I ever need help or to talk about something, she is someone who is good to talk to. And we have fun and meaningful conversations while texting in the ARC group chat. Another example, at the beginning of the semester (and throughout), I was on the phone with one of my best friends from back home. We were calling to connect with one another, crying about being dropped off at college. Our conversation jumped from one thing to the next, and talking with her made me feel better. Throughout my time at college, I’ve used phone calls to connect with friends and family. I feel as though I’ve been able to get closer to one of my friends in a way. We never had time to hang out when we were at school together, but weirdly enough, the space between us has made it seem like that never mattered. We can still talk to each other, and our phone calls and texts allow us to connect. I’ve been friends with her for so long, I’m extremely grateful to be able to connect with her in this way.
In the end, real connections can be continued through the use of technology. They can start that way as well. But what really matters is if conversations can also be held in real life, in person. Conversations over the phone or text or in a group chat are perfectly okay. Those conversations are always okay when they keep us connected until the next time we really see someone.
I like to think I have an affinity for technology. But, with the current fast-paced development of it, deep down I’m a little unsure of that. The only reason I believe I’m “good at using technology” is because I grew up with it. But who’s to say it won’t outrun me someday? Who’s to say I won’t be able to keep up with it? The only real evidence I have right now is how my relationship with technology has changed over the years. There were some distinct periods of my life where I had very different relationships with technology: before I was old enough to use it myself, the time when I was learning how to use basic technology, and the time where I am now-I’ve got the basics down and I’m starting to use other newer, more complex technology. And, based on this experience, I think I can say that while I do get frustrated sometimes, I believe I will be able to keep up with it.
It is natural to say that I “grew up with technology,” and I also believe that is correct. People before me, like my grandparents, didn’t experience a tech boom in their childhoods like I did when I was a kid. Not only did I grow up with technology, I also grew up with it constantly changing-before I could even use it myself. I watched as it constantly changed around me. The small, blocky, heavy TV was replaced with a much larger, much thinner TV when I was around three years old. My parents’ phones switched from flip phones to flat phones that were all screen before I could get my own. Maybe all this watching had already given me a head start-If technology, especially its changes, were something I grew up with as a normal part of my life, perhaps it wouldn’t cause me as much anxiety as it could for others who didn’t experience this. My grandparents had to interact with all that change right when it started, and at a time when their brains were making connections a little slower, while I was able to just sit back and watch for a while.
But, then I had to finally enter the technological scene, and again, this was done slowly. When I started elementary school, we had a computer lab where we would go once a week and do some sort of activity. This probably started around 2nd grade. We were given set instructions of what buttons to click to get to a specific place, then freedom within that website to give us a nice introduction into how to use technology. At home, I started using the television myself and was taught how to make calls on a landline. In 3rd grade I was given my first piece of technology meant just for my use-a Chromebook that stayed at school when I went home. We took a week just to explore Google Drive, and the exploration of the computer as a whole lasted probably two years. We all slowly got the hang of navigating these devices independently and were soon on our own for many of our assignments. I can’t imagine what it would be like if I didn’t start learning how to use technology at that slow pace when I was younger. I think it was essential to my ability to use technology now. If I had to learn everything as fast as possible after spending my whole life without technology, I think frustration might win out and I would stop using it pretty much all together, which would hinder my life and career.
Late elementary and into middle school was when I started getting my own non-school related technology. It started with an iPod in fifth grade, a phone in 6th, then an iPad, and so on and so forth. Each new device would come with its own unique settings, features and feeling, so it would always take me some time to get used to them. Even now, there is still a learning curve when I get any form of new technology-even just an app I’m not familiar with. Recently I got a new computer for school. I had been using the same computer for pretty much my whole life before this, so it absolutely took some time for me to figure out. I’m not totally sure I have yet. But along with this computer came a lot of apps that I haven’t used yet, like Word, Compass and Bright Space. At first I felt overwhelmed because it seemed like too much, but then, like everything else, I got used to it. I know how to use my other resources to help me figure out how this new technology works. This frustration happens often these days with new technology used in classes, but I often remind myself that this is a small thing to be worried about.
Yes, I grew up with technology. It was integrated into my childhood as no generation before me experienced. It was fast changing, growing similar to the pace I was. The slow introduction of this technology really allowed me to build my knowledge concerning technology. While I may not know everything, I know enough to apply it to other situations, but it still frustrates me from time to time. I know more than my grandparents, but I’m not tech obsessed. I meet my technological match more often than I care to admit. But, when I put all of this into perspective, I realize I’m doing pretty well for myself.
For my generation, we haven’t really known a life without technology. From a young age, most things were instant. And this has become increasingly more true. I didn’t have to wait for the operator to connect me with my family or friend. I just clicked their name or face in the phone. Now I can just tell Siri who I want to call, and she does it for me. The same changes can be said for tv. As a kid we still had ad breaks throughout the episode, and just had to find something on that looked interesting. Now we pay for “instant” tv, you watch only what you want, with no ads. While I love not having to wait, I think patience is something we could all benefit from learning. The technology of phones, computers, and more were supposed to help and connect us, but we are more disconnect and losing basic human skills.
The best way to explain my relationship with technology is to start at the beginning. As long as I remember, we had some form of a phone, computer and tv. To me that’s how you got in touch with someone. You didn’t just show up to someone’s house, you called or texted first. When I was first born, up until about age two, we lived with my grandparents. My mom videotaped everything and saved all the CDs. Now that both grandparents have passed I am very grateful to be able to go back and watch not only baby me, but also seeing and hearing my grandparents voices. It’s allowed me to still have a connection with them even after they passed. With that being said, I was obsessed with watching myself on the screen. Maybe a mirror would have had the same effect, but I loved that I could instantly see myself and rewatch the videos.
Another part of technology that I have used quite frequently is spell check. I’ve never been an amazing speller. Before spell choak became a huge thing, I would ask my mom how to spell certain words. With me and my brother having a difficult time spelling, she said she always felt like she was in a spelling bee. With that though I feel I learned how to spell much better with her telling me how to spell than I have with spell check, just respelling the word for me. Half the time I don’t even notice that it changes the word. I liked to think that this is helping but now I’m starting to believe it’s making me worse off.
Social media has also come with technology and phones. It has become a big part of the world, along with many peoples lives. Most people have some form of Social media: TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, etc. While some started as just an internet browser, they have turned into phone apps with constant notifications. Many young adults my age check their phones for Snapchat on Instagram, seeing how many people have viewed on liked their stories or posts. Although both can be used to keep up to date on friends and families lives, it has also come with an addiction, Instead of enjoying a conversation in front of you, we get caught up in our phones. It’s a constant battle between the phone and human interaction. Social media allows you to just show the parts you want other people to see. I learned this at a very young age, people only post what they want you to believe. But this take reality that everyone is perfect is slowly getting baked into society. The belief that even one should be perfect, leading to stress and not feeling good enough. With all of this being said, my relationship with technology is complicated. I see the good and potential it has, but I also see the negative effects it can have on humans. I’m glad I can keep in touch with my boyfriend while we go to college three hours away. But I do believe we have an addiction to always being on said phone or computer. I also believe that we have let it takeover basic human functions with AI, spell check, and so much more. Technology isn’t going away, so as humans we have to find a balance so we can get the most out of technology while not letting it take over.
Lilyan blood
My relationship with technology I feel is a lot different than most because I have never liked it and I feel like it makes my life harder than easier. There is just so much behind technology with apps and how to work and navigate technology it’s just very stressful. I feel as technology has not really affected me with having a conversation with others but I can tell with the younger generations it has affected them alot and it will be very hard to teach them just how to have a simple conversation and to look them in the eye when you talk to them. Technology has affected the way I write because they didn’t really teach us how to write in cursive in elementary school so I sometimes can’t even understand the cards I get from my grandma and it’s all because they said everything will just be typed. Which is very sad.Another way it has affected me on writing is everything has to be typed now so we don’t write as much so we don’t get to work on our handwriting skills, so my handwriting isn’t as good as it can be. The way technology has affected my thinking is because there are so many events and stuff on the web but half the time you don’t even know what is true vs false. So you have to find a relatable and credible source and sometimes it looks real but it’s not. Or people just post themselves happy and doing all these things but they dont post them sad and bored. So it makes you think you have a sad life. But you don’t everyone has their ups and downs ,but most people don’t see that. Technology isn’t great for someone who is struggling with mental health or just in general and I feel like we need to make awareness that everyone has bad and good days. Not everyone’s life is perfect. Social media is very bad for your mental health because people can post very negative things about you and then you don’t feel the best about yourself. Technology and phones are also a very big distraction because if someone texts while you are driving you will most likely look at it , and you won’t see the person crossing the road so you will hit them. I feel like technology has a very big impact on us with it being a distraction. Also when you are just going about your day if you feel a buzz or something come from your phone most people will check it right then and there to see who texted them. This is very much a distraction. Also this goes with being present. If you’re always checking your phone then whatever you’re doing and where you are you wont be hundred percent present because your mind is thinking about that buzz from your phone. People talk a lot nowadays but a lot of what they are talking about is what is on their phone. So it’s almost like people are trying to make a connection with feds on instagram or whatever they’re watching on their phones. It’s kinda a wired connection to the internet as the wilderness but it’s true. Because there’s so much stuff but you don’t know what stiff is the right stuff. Which could mean true or false. Technology is such a wild place because yes it could be a simple thing but it’s not, there are so many steps to it. Same with the apps. There is so much coding that is involved with that and it’s so hard to figure out everything. Technology is such a confusing thing for me. It’s almost like being in an airplane. I hate it so much because I don’t understand the concept of this huge thing just being up and in the air flying. So with technology I don’t understand coding so I hate that I don’t know how it works. It’s very hard for me to do something and be a part of something that I didn’t understand. Also I feel like people think their phones are a part of who they are but they aren’t. Even including myself everytime my parents took away my phone in highschool i would feel lost because I don’t have anything to check or do when I am feeling”bored”. I think us humans always like to do something so we go on our phone at a red light because we can’t handle waiting until the 30s. But we like our phone because it is something easy to do. Technology was a resource now it’s a drug.
Cassie Sanger
11/7/24
Technology is a huge part of our everyday lives now. It’s evolving at a fast pace, and we can’t keep up as of right now. We are struggling to find a healthy balance and are seeing negative effects on how we read, write, think, and conversate. It allows us to connect with many people and gain opportunities we wouldn’t have without it, but we can’t continue to overconsume “fake news” and an overload of media. We take info in short clips at a fast pace, supplying us with an overload of information. Along with info we also take in all sorts of views and opinions which may change our thinking into more or a social media standard way. I have my positive and negative attitudes towards it. Without technology we wouldn’t be where we are in the world today on a positive aspect but as for human potential, we need to fix the arising problems.
In the world now mostly everything is digital, almost everybody, every day is digitally writing. It allows us to quickly get in contact with people, expand networking opportunities, and can be a helpful resource. So no, I don’t think technology is evil, but I do think we need to find a healthy balance. It allows us to have several resources available to us like online books, textbooks for school, and audiobooks. I have found these options to be cheaper for students and very helpful. I love to write on a computer as it’s easier to fix mistakes without it looking messy. I also feel it prolongs the amount of time I can write an essay as my hand gets less tired. With the use of technology, it allows me to find better words to enhance my vocabulary in my writings. It’s amazing how everyone and anyone now has the chance to deep dive into any topic they want to expand their knowledge or just have access to the internet. One of my favorite positives to technology is the access for me to talk to my friends and family. I call at least one of my friends from home daily and I’m very thankful for the ability to do so easily with the advancement of technology. Although, the downsides to technology since we live in a digitized world, allowing us to connect with people anytime but is taking away from real life conversations. Conversation is so important as it gives us a sense of meaning to life. Imagine a life where you never talked to someone face-to-face. This would cause us to be missing important skills of socials cues, empathy and connection. Conversations are vital to our existence, but we are losing our motivation to want to talk in person. We find our phones as an escape route and are starting to have shallow thinking because over the phone because it’s “not rude” to answer someone right away like you would be expected to in person. It’s evolving fast and while doing so it’s affecting how we think, write, read, and conversate. Since it’s so fast paced, we have begun to read differently causing us to think differently. We are now provided with short clips of information receiving all different ideas and opinions at a fast pace. Social media is changing our thinking as we become accustomed to social media standards.
Technology has many downsides as it takes away from our human potential. Our human potential to push ourselves to our fullest, depending on our standard. But as social media is in our lives now people tend to lose their own standards and stick to the societal standards. In our society basically everyone is connected to the internet in some way and for most it’s their cell phones. Within our cell phones we have the web and various other media, therefore it can cause a disconnection with people talking in real life. The disconnect will show in people when they don’t know how to hold a conversation because they are so used to just texting and being virtual. It can be shown in many ways and unfortunately, we are still trying to figure out a balance. Although it can in some ways or circumstances help grow connections it can also take away the depth of that connection. Our society is beginning to choose media over people. It’s easy to find comfort and acceptance online so we shy away from in person interactions. Without being face-to-face you can’t see the body language which usually expresses more than words. Face to face conversations are vital for us to learn empathy, grow deeper connections, and give us a reason to live. By talking with someone in person for a couple hours you can learn a lot about them, about similarities you guys’ share, and maybe similar experiences you both went through. Being vulnerable connects people. By having these conversations, you can also learn a lot about yourself. Maybe they will spark an interest you didn’t know you had or have a different opinion that you agree with. This is also where empathy comes in and when you have these deeper level conversations you can be empathic with someone. As a society some of us still aren’t seeing the effects of technology and how it’s negatively impacting us. In some ways it’s taking away from our creative minds and our motivation. The younger generations are getting hit harder with this, but since we are overconsuming media, and our brains are neuroplastic, we are adapting to the internet as teens and adults as well. This isn’t good for us because we are overusing our brains with the overload of information. We wake up in the morning and use our phones, maybe some of us don’t think so but this is bad for our brains. We are constantly chipping away at our brain’s functions and changing the way it works and how we think, read, write and conversate.
Technology provides humanity with a sense of connection as well as a sense of disconnection. Technology connects us by opening up communication to people all over the world. We can chat over text, share photos, or even talk face to face through facetime. We are able to read on a screen rather than a piece of paper, and type instead of writing on paper. It also gives us access to the internet where there’s endless information and resources. But it also disconnects us by the way it distracts us and takes us away from reality. It takes away from our ability to converse and think. While technology may have many benefits, there are also downsides.
Technology can make humans feel very disconnected in many ways. For example, in person communication skills are depleting because it’s so easy to converse behind a screen. In the past, everyone would be forced to talk in person. This makes us learn how to converse. But now that we don’t have to talk in person, we aren’t developing those necessary skills. Another reason technology is negative is because we don’t think critically anymore. The internet is always at our fingertips to answer any questions we may have. Social media is another negative trait of technology. It is one of the largest ways we communicate but it can have a very negative impact. When people post pictures of fun events it can make others feel as though they are missing out which leads to feelings of loneliness and insecurity. In reality, these people posting about their ‘amazing’ lives are just as lonely. They just only show the best parts of their lives. You may have all these friends on social media, but each of those relationships are lacking true personal connection.
As someone who grew up in a time when technology and social media is a huge thing, I feel all these effects. I never need to worry about spelling because spell check worries about it for me. I didn’t need to worry about talking to my roommates on move in day because we had already been talking on social media for months. If I have a question, I don’t need to think, I just need to type it into google. Technology has influenced my life in so many ways.
But technology is not just all bad. It gives us a way to stay in touch with anyone no matter how far you are. A friend moving away does not have to mean you can’t be friends anymore. You can still text, call, facetime, and share photos. Technology is also very beneficial in spreading important information. For example, we are able to be warned about things such as weather and natural disasters days in advance so that we can prepare. Technology has also made a huge impact on the advancements of medicine. There are so many different ways to test for conditions, and for the care team to communicate effectively and efficiently. Social media also has aspects that connect us. It allows us to share photos, comments, ideas, etc. We can share parts of our lives and see other people posting about their lives which makes us feel more connected and updates with each other. Social media can be used for good. It’s used to spread awareness, raise money for an important cause, and support others who use social media to reach out for help. Technology is a key component with how we connect with others at this day in age.
Technology can seem really great and appear to be keeping us more connected than ever. But, the truth is, it’s disconnecting us more than is connecting us. While it’s very beneficial and useful to us, there are also many negatives that it brings. We must always be conscious of the way it disconnects us.
I have a love hate relationship with technology. On one hand it gives us the ability to foster relationships we wouldn’t have been able to otherwise, but it also gives us the opportunity to waste our time doom scrolling. As well as altering the ways we think, read, and write. Ultimately changing the way we are in conversation with others. Technology has a place in terms of being useful for building connections and with those you may not see in person, and that’s your only option for communicating. But it can also make the conversations you are having with those who are around you more shallow and less meaningful, than if you were to have the same conversation in person. Also seeing people on social media living your dream life can be disheartening. Making you feel like you might be doing something wrong in yours, when you see all the people doing all the things you want to be doing. In the sense of reading, writing, and thinking I believe that technology has greatly impacted all three. Technology has made it easier to access content to read whether that’s books, articles, or other similar forms of content. With this though also came audiobooks, and other programs for things to be read right to you. I think these can be useful in some situations but also can poorly impact our reading skills. If we didn’t physically read at all and completely relied on them all the time we would likely end up living with people who have no reading comprehension skills. I think that writing is one of the major things that has been impacted by advances in technology. The ease of using programs like chat gpt to write something for you has made people not want to put in the effort at all, even if it means risking punishment for being caught. Just the thought of there being a program that can do it all for you has made people less inclined to do their own thinking themselves. On that mote technology can also make people, including myself, just google their questions and take the first AI generated answer that pops up on their screens. Rather than sitting with their questions and really thinking about what it means to them. Instead of gaining thoughts about the topic and concluding an answer that might mean something more to them, they are going to get the same answer as everyone else with the same questions. Technology has also made us more prone to distraction. I know ive fallen victim to the endless ads, tabs, and other links you can be brought to just with the click of a button. Focus doesn’t come as naturally as it used to when all these things are available for me at any time. But at the same time we’ve learned that distraction doesn’t always have to be a bad thing. Sometimes it exposes us to new information that can be helpful to fuel our creativity, which I think is equally as important as focusing. I will say that while I dont think distraction is inherently bad it isn’t always something we want. Sometimes it’s frustrating to be trying to focus and the distractions are preventing that. Technology’s impact on our reading, writing and thinking has definitely been a big one. Not necessarily bad or good though. I think all changes come with benefits and drawbacks. Its just something we as people will have to learn to get through or work around. We’re always continuing to learn to live in this ever changing world so I don’t see how we wouldn’t be able to learn from this like we have other times.
What is a conversation? It’s definition has a lot of different meanings. Whether it be a simple hello, how are you, a quick texting session between you and your friend with a little thought or even proper sentence structure, or even a much larger discussion about any given topic at hand, A conversation is essentially an exchange of words written or spoken between two or more people that allows both parties to express their needs, wants, opinions, or any other number of themes.
It is all too easy to simply have a conversation and not put thought or energy into it. Social media, in my opinion, is largely responsible for the disconnect between what is said aloud in the written word. Social media causes a lot of self-doubt and negativity in our youth today. Many of the posts that we don’t put much thought into force our peers to compare their lives to ours. Many of our exchanges today are done in this common section of a social media platform or through a brief text message, though these technological advances have allowed us to form many valuable connections between people and many different social climates. It seems as though genuine human connection has become outdated. Many of our day-to-day interactions have become automated; something as simple as ordering a coffee can be done virtually eliminating the common exchange of pleasantries. Contact list, delivery, and/or pick-up have become common phrases in our society. Automations have largely become a part of our daily lives; even unknowingly, those things are more accessible than ever before. I would argue that it can be scary at times when you get into your car or your phone will prompt you with navigation to where it believes you want to go by learning your behaviors and routines. These features have been crafted to provide a better experience, but I fear that we have become far too reliant on this technology.
Most recently, when I went to get a haircut, the barber was consistently checking her phone throughout the appointment. As she would get a notification, she would instantly tend to her phone, often interrupting the conversation we were having. It is this unconscious reliance on technology that has truly impacted the way we communicate with one another. Even this morning. There was a man on the phone in front of me in the café. He never took out his AirPods when he spoke to the cashier and even ignored her when she told him to have a nice day. We are very privileged to have access to such beneficial technology, but at what cost? What happened to the genuine human connection that happens in the small interactions?
I think that the technology that we have has truly negatively affected the ways in which we interact with one another, the way that we have conversations, and even the way that we think and act.
Technology and the Internet have drastically changed the ways in which we conduct ourselves through learning, social experiences, communication, and how we behave. Technology has begun to reach its branches into almost every aspect of our daily lives. There is no escape from the suffocating graph technology holds on our lives. It seems as though we are in an ever-tightening straight jacket. The Internet, in all of its accessibility, has negatively impacted the way we think, our ability to learn, and how we entertain ourselves and the conversations that we have with one another.
With the introduction of such advanced artificial intelligence, we are becoming more and more dependent. It seems as though for any problem or question that arises in life, a simple Google search can help you to solve it. Well, this is so useful and beneficial for productivity. We must realize the impact that it is having on our ability to think deeply and retain information. We spread our knowledge wide and then not complete in-depth research or write reports because it is already at our fingertips. Math problems, chemistry questions, and philosophical ideologies that used to take hours can now be found in all of three seconds with a quick search or help from an artificial assistant. We would be foolish to think that this will not come back to haunt us in one way or another.
Technology and specifically our mobile devices have extended from so many creations joined into one. What used to be our maps, dictionaries, radios, televisions, phones, letters, and so much more can now be done instantly without barely lifting a finger. How could something that provides so much utility information and entertainment not act as a distraction when it is always in your pocket? Never before in history have we evolved so drastically in such a short amount of time we’ve been forced to adapt to a new way of life, and I fear that the consequences could be far greater than we can imagine someday.
The conversations that we engage in are superficial and lack the enthusiasm and authenticity that they once possessed. We communicate heavily through the written word. My generation often does not use punctuation, work tone into their replies, capitalize, or even formulate a response that possesses any critical thinking towing, which can be very easily misinterpreted. I know that I’m currently being ignored because when you send a text, you know that the person saw it. For many people, this can induce social anxiety and feelings of self-consciousness. As we are constantly on our phones, the depth of conversation has not been the same since we have been able to hide behind our devices. Human connection may never be the same again. We present ourselves in an unsophisticated manner over the Internet, and if we keep doing this, we will not be able to sustain true connection.
Technology could very easily be the downfall of the next generation when AI can solve any problem. We no longer need to think there will be severely less educated adults because they never had to put in the work. We will not be able to civilly communicate with each other and only make rude comments over a post online. Our youth will become depressed, feeling trapped and constantly compared. Misinformation will spread like wildfire because no one will know how to think for themselves. Oh wait… Need I say more?
Technology can both help us be present and connect with their surroundings and it can also be a distraction and a point of disconnection. For me, technology has made a more positive impact in my life than a negative one. While being present and being distracted seem like opposites, in my case they intertwined. Being able to listen to music on a device improves my focus and can help me stay in the moment. When I need a break or to decompress I have certain apps and/or games that can bring a sense of calm. Technology can be an escape when you need a break from the chaos of the world. The only issue is getting too sucked in and not coming back to the present moment. From an academic viewpoint a lot of technology is used to enhance our learning. Calculators, google apps, brightspace, microsoft apps, calendars, emails and websites are all examples of ways that technology betters our education. On the other hand, notifications, texts, social media, entertainment, games and communication on our devices can cause disturbances and setbacks in our learning. The negatives don’t necessarily outweigh the positives of technology. I think that it is all about how an individual manages their use and time on their various devices. Similar to technology, education and the methods that are used are constantly evolving. Devices can also be extremely useful supports for those who need them. Whether it is a closed captioning device, text-to-speech app, audiobook, audio recorder, smartpen, health monitor, remote control device or a myriad of other devices they all can significantly benefit a persons success.
On the other hand, technology can be very distracting sometimes especially for some people. Whether a phone screen is lighting up or you hear a ding sound come with a semi automatic reflex to turn around. With technology becoming more tailored to people it makes it easier to get distracted because it makes them want to go back to their devices and see what else the apps are correctly showing them. Another common activity if you choose to categorize it that way is doom scrolling. People often will doom scroll and get so sucked into it that they haven’t realized how long they have been going for. A tendency that I recognize that I have is I will go down rabbit holes, not literal ones outdoors but the ones on the internet. Whether it is something I am learning more about or something that I am new to I will continue scrolling through videos to learn more about the topic. I am also able to create assignments like this one using technology, while I am unable to use one of my hands. This ties in well with my next point which is the way you use technology also matters. Are you using it as a shortcut or as a free pass or are you using it to further your education. At some point or another most people have pulled out their phone to calculate a math problem they didn’t feel like spending the time to solve mentally. There are also people who are looking for “the easy way out” of things that require more effort than they believe is worth putting in and use artificial intelligence to do the work for them. Then there are those who use their technology to learn, research and gain access to educational programs/softwares. I would like to say I only fall into the third category, and I also should hold myself accountable and say that sometimes I do fall into the first category. The person pulling out their phone to use the calculator app is me on most occasions, math is not my strong suit and I tend to get impatient with myself. Especially when I am going to double check that it is correct with the calculator on my phone, why bother even doing the math. It isn’t necessarily the best mindset to have and I also now know that it is something I can improve.
Another aspect of whether technology is helpful is an individuals comfort in using the devices. Typically older generations tend to have an increased difficulty learning and remembering how to use the devices and the different programs that come with them. It has been found that with the younger generations, that they are more well versed in how to operate the device and use the thousands of different apps and softwares. For some people, they grew up with technology and have never known any different. For others technology is a completely new concept and way of life. Some generations grew up with rotary phones or landlines and others with ipads, ipod touch, and smartphones. If you ask children born up until 2008 to pretend to call someone on the phone they will do the banana phone hand sign, however if you ask someone born after that year they will put their palm of their hand to their ear mimicking a smartphone. Just like how rotary phones are rarely used, the same thing will eventually happen to smartphones . I think that similar to rotary lines, smartphones will eventually become outdated. What comes next that will replace smartphones is unknown but with the rapid rate in which technology is advancing there will no doubt be a new and improved alternative for a phone. It could be in the form of ray bans glasses.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a helpful tool if utilized appropriately, yet it may also hamper your learning experience. AI is a method that can assist in generating bullet points and subjects, yet it also has the potential to detract from the overall learning experience. It is currently more straightforward to do your research; however, throughout the next several years, people will begin to employ artificial intelligence to conduct their research. Because of this, you will not be as clever because you will not have to do your study, but the process will be a lot easier. As a result, students will find it more challenging to learn in school since they can type in a question and get an answer in a split second. AI has the potential to make it harder for young people to learn. However, they must know the subject matter or how to write because they only utilize AI. When Google and the calculator were being developed, it was predicted that it would take more than ten years to evaluate whether or not artificial intelligence would benefit the field of education. AI will always be more intelligent than your brain, but because of its inherent bias, it has a lot of drawbacks that you should be aware of. Because AI is merely logical, the problem also originates from its ethical aspect. This is because there are instances when the decision that is the most logical is different from the one that is the most ethical. Data used to train AI systems may include biases that aren’t relevant in today’s environment.
What we call “artificial intelligence” is an exciting new development with the potential to change how we do things; examples are how we study, conduct business, and complete projects. While AI does have specific valuable applications, it also has some drawbacks. While artificial intelligence can be a great benefit, it can also end up being harmful by changing the way people learn and diminishing the value of hands-on experience. All the benefits that come with artificial intelligence have to be weighed against the pitfalls, since there is a very good chance that this will most likely be integrated into our daily lives, including the classroom. That’s something that has to be taken into account.
It is possible to provide an artificial intelligence tool with a general concept, and it will then provide you with a detailed plan that is based on a great deal of facts. This allows for the work to be completed more quickly and provides individuals with additional time to work on other activities that may be more important. Generating visuals and engaging in critical thinking are two examples of typical approaches to teaching that could be deemed useless by the implementation of artificial intelligence. When asked to do so, artificial intelligence can hinder the development of essential skills. For students to be able to build a plan from the beginning, they need to understand a great deal about the topic. In addition to this, it illustrates how various concepts are interconnected and teaches you how to organize things in a logical manner. Students may miss out on the potential to learn if they rely too heavily on artificial intelligence (AI) because they will not be able to think for themselves but will instead rely on technology to do the tasks. The application of artificial intelligence in research necessitates a high level of critical thinking, extensive reading, and the integration of knowledge from various sources. Artificial intelligence systems that can summarize a large amount of data and highlight essential points are fantastic for saving time.
On the other hand, there is a risk that AI could decrease in one’s intelligence. If you want to ensure that you have a complete understanding of a topic, researching it is necessary. For somebody to complete the process, it is essential to search for accurate information from several sources, assess their credibility, and gather all of the information. If artificial intelligence were to perform these kinds of duties, it may have a negative impact on the things that encourage critical thinking..
Even to this day, we do not have a complete understanding of all the effects that can be brought about by the application of AI. If people utilize artificial intelligence to complete their schoolwork more quickly, it is possible that they will lose interest in learning anything that is taught in school. Students who are constantly on the move may find that the ability of artificial intelligence to quickly deliver answers, generate essays, or solve complicated math problems, quite useful. On the other hand, relying on artificial intelligence could potentially put an individual’s learning in danger. If individuals rely on artificial intelligence to complete their work, this may cause them to have difficulty comprehending and remembering relevant information over the long run. As artificial intelligence is more widely used in the future, it is likely that individuals will no longer understand how to solve problems, think creatively, or think for themselves.
Artificial intelligence is distinct from earlier technology, such as Google and calculators. It is clear from this that technology’s role in education has evolved over time. When people first saw computers, they were afraid that children would not be able to be taught fundamental mathematical concepts. There was a concern that people would become less knowledgeable as a result of having easy access to information on Google. In today’s educational system, they are critical. The students are able to quickly retrieve facts and perform math even though they still require basic skills. It could take up to ten years before we will have a partial understanding of how artificial intelligence will affect the educational system. AI is able to assist you in arranging information, doing daily tasks, and studying right now. On the other hand, just like with search engines and computers, we will need to figure out how artificial intelligence can assist individuals in learning without taking away essential skills such as critical thinking and the ability to solve problems. The built-in prejudice that is present in artificial intelligence is going to be the primary obstacle that must be tackled . Although artificial intelligence can play around with information and make conclusions that seem smarter than humans, it is only as good as its data. There are occasions when artificial intelligence will employ old data, which may contain opinions that are no longer relevant. Because of this prejudice, artificial intelligence may produce results that are not reliable. Despite the fact that AI is capable of producing pure logic, it is unable to take into account the human element, which may have ethical repercussions. While artificial intelligence demonstrates how intelligent it can be, it also comes with ethical and prejudiced concerns that need to be addressed before it can be depended upon.
A person’s relationship with technology and learning can affect many things. If struggling with any work your first instinct is to just look up the answer or look up something that will help you get to the answer. I tend to sometimes do that and use Google or a search engine to help me get to the answer I need to have. Now sometimes using technology can be very helpful and other times it may lead you in the wrong way. AI or artificial intelligence is also a option for people to use when needing help to get answer. The only problem with using AI is it gives you a way more intelligent and in depth answer than many people can give on their own. Using AI will cause you to read, write and think differently than you normally do because of the way AI is more intelligent than a human. Technology as a whole may change the way you read, write and think because it shows and gives you things that you did not already know. When doing work by yourself it would more than likely be less in depth work than if you were to use technology of any kind. The technology gives you items to use that you may not have already have or known of. With technology providing much tools that can help you get answers the other side of technology may do just the opposite of that. Distraction is the big word. There are many distractions on technology. Your phone is the biggest, it is very easy to pick up your phone and take a break and become distracted from what you were doing and trying to learn. Technology as a whole has a great amount of power in impacting your ability to think, write, read, etc. either in a good way or a negative way, but that is your choice.
The idea of what is a conversation is also a topic that has been affected by technology. What even is a conversation? Well people view a conversation in many different ways. When you think about talking to someone you probably think of talking to someone face to face in real life. Others may think of it as talking to someone on the phone. Whether that be on a phone call or texting someone, or even interacting through social media. The way people have or are able to have conversations with people have been greatly impacted and have changed from the way technology changes us. The ability to think has been affected because with being able to talk to someone you need to be able to think correctly. With being able to talk on the internet now, that has slowed our abilities to think fast. When you can talk to someone face to face in real life you develop the skill to think quickly. When talking to someone through text or even social media you can take some time to think of what to say. Although that may not seem like a good thing, in reality it is not because it causes people to be slow and not have a good conversation with someone face to face.
In whole our abilities to read, think and even write have a complicated relationship with technology. There are some positives that come with it. Such as the internet has the ability to help us write better than someone can on their own. There are plenty of websites that help correct writing, and grammar. Also there are ways you can get feedback on what to change to make your writing better than you knew you could. Though that is a positive some people use the internet to simply just do the writing for them. Which leads to people not being able to write in a way we should be. They take the easy way to have the internet do everything for them. The same effects are made on our ability to think. Being on the internet and using technology is a good thing, but being on it too much is not. Which is what happens to most people, they spend too much time on the internet. It simply rots your brain, It causes people to think differently, and will slow their brain down. With all of that technology will continue to grow and affect our ability to read, write and think. We just need to find ways to work with it to help us grow as well.
Julia Collings
November 7, 2024
Virtually everything has pros and cons, but the duality of digital technology is something that many people struggle with. Most of us have a very love-hate relationship with it as we struggle to find balance with it in our lives. Digital technology can be very helpful and the internet has a wide variety of useful resources, but it can be damaging to our physical and mental well-being, and even to our education and ability to think for ourselves. While I do not believe this affects me in any major way, I have come across many peers in my classes and such that refuse to even try to learn or retain information because they “can always just look it up.” I have found that these people tend to be disconnected from reality, even as they think they are more connected through their phones. People like this are no longer learning about the world or paying attention to the things around them because the internet will always have the answers they seek or because TikTok is more interesting than a book or looking at the car window or even socializing with people around. This disconnect is felt most heavily on the interpersonal level as many struggle to process other people’s emotions, find perspective, and converse. And this could be because of how much time we spend online and what we do online or it could be because of the misconstrued “truths” social media feeds us. Social media gives us these falsified expectations of how relationships (of any kind) should look and feel and progress. Because of this, we fail to remember that we are individuals who think, feel, and process differently than the next person and how that impacts each relationship. Relationships are personal and progress on their own timelines, oftentimes very differently for different individuals and not in the certain, set ways social media presents us with. On that same topic, social media can give us false expectations of what someone will be like as we only post what we want the world to see. Most of us only present the world with the “high points” of our lives – when we are at our best and our happiest. The problem is we see someone’s online account and make assumptions about them. The other problem occurs when we begin to compare ourselves and our lives to someone else’s without truly knowing them. It can make us feel alone, unloved, unworthy, not enough. “Why can’t I be more like them?” This way of thinking is flawed. The person you might be comparing yourself to might be thinking the very same way. Because of this, our mental health suffers and we hide behind our screens for a sense of safety and security. When we do this, we hide ourselves from the real world, and with that, from genuine connections. How could you have a genuine connection with someone while hiding who you are? On the flip side, digital technology and social media allow us the opportunity to meet and stay in touch with those who do not live near us. Without this tool, I would hardly be able to see my cousins in Arizona. Sure, I could send them letters and photos through the mail, but it isn’t the same as a Facetime call where I get to talk to them in real time face-to-face. It allows me to stay in touch with my friends from back home while I’m in a different state for college. I am not oblivious to the fact that digital technology greatly improves my life in many ways, however, I know that growing up with social media and the whole world at your fingertips can be quite dangerous and damaging for anyone, but especially a kid. Our minds are malleable and if we don’t know how to navigate the digital world, it can leave us lost in it – lost in an endless stream of information, bad news, and Instagram posts. So one might argue that the problem is technology, but I think it’s really just that we are struggling as a species to adapt to the ever-changing digital world. Yes, I went on and on about the negatives of digital technology, the internet, and social media, but I encourage you to go back and think about it for yourself. I think you’ll find that there is another side to the story, one that we hardly hear. That story being the idea that if we were to figure out how to use these technologies effectively, possibly through moderation, we wouldn’t have the problems we currently do. If we chose to not only show the world the high points of our lives and instead were honest about who we are and how we feel to our friends on social media, maybe we wouldn’t have as many people with crippling feelings of unworthiness and self-loathing. Maybe we would feel better knowing that people see the real us and like us anyway. Our connections would develop to be stronger and more genuine, both online and in person. Maybe we wouldn’t be going into relationships with certain expectations in mind. Maybe we would be able to empathize with others better and be more likely to put down our phones and socialize with those around us. Maybe the technological epidemic we fear isn’t quite the crisis situation we are making it out to be. Maybe it is just a call to adapt.
12 thoughts on “JOURNAL # 21”
Connection is important. We can connect in numerous ways. Technology is a sufficient way to connect with loved ones and even the world. It also serves as a way to disconnect from the world around us. Personally, I use it for both; connecting with friends and family, disconnecting from reality, taking a break from studying or homework, communicating with advisors and professors, and so on. Even though technology can help me calm down and relax, it’s not beneficial to rely on it all of the time. It’d be better to stick to using technology as a means to stay connected with our loved ones who are far away from us or for work or school related things.
Moreover, the use of my phone or computer sometimes correlates with the urge to disconnect and be in my own little world, away from the one in my brain. When I feel like I need a break from my life because I’m overwhelmed, I grab my phone and earbuds and put on my favorite music to relax. Sometimes it might call for a comfort show to help feel more at home, so Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Paramount+, etc., it is; it feels like a great way to unwind and just be with myself. However, heavily relying on technology to feel better might just be what is making it worse. Being too reliant on phones and simply technology as a whole can be detrimental to social skills and worsen anxiety. I know that if I spent less time on my phone, I could benefit. That could allow me to have less anxiety about simple things, be more social, more talkative with friends, family, professors, etc., and just get out of my shell! Everyone should start putting themselves in real life situations and be around actual human beings. Real human connection is more important than technology distracting us.
In addition to this, it seems as though we can’t escape the use of technology. Because, it helps us stay in touch, “connected” with each other. Yes, phones, computers, and tablets can serve as a major distraction, except technology can be extremely valuable when considering connecting with loved ones who are far away. It is still possible to have meaningful conversations with them this way. My phone allows me to connect with my loved ones, read, and write, all at my fingertips. For example, the internet allowed me to meet one of my friends. She’s a wonderful author and I’m glad to be able to say an even more wonderful person, woman, human being. Alex is someone I am so very grateful to have in my life. Even if it is mostly through technology of some sort. From discovering her and reading her books starting as an eighth grader to meeting her in person for the second time this past August at a book convention, technology is to thank for that. Being able to connect with her and the group chat of ARC readers (those who receive Advanced Reader Copies of a book to proofread for grammar or spelling mistakes before publication) is all thanks to the internet bringing us together. I also go to Alex for advice sometimes. If I ever need help or to talk about something, she is someone who is good to talk to. And we have fun and meaningful conversations while texting in the ARC group chat. Another example, at the beginning of the semester (and throughout), I was on the phone with one of my best friends from back home. We were calling to connect with one another, crying about being dropped off at college. Our conversation jumped from one thing to the next, and talking with her made me feel better. Throughout my time at college, I’ve used phone calls to connect with friends and family. I feel as though I’ve been able to get closer to one of my friends in a way. We never had time to hang out when we were at school together, but weirdly enough, the space between us has made it seem like that never mattered. We can still talk to each other, and our phone calls and texts allow us to connect. I’ve been friends with her for so long, I’m extremely grateful to be able to connect with her in this way.
In the end, real connections can be continued through the use of technology. They can start that way as well. But what really matters is if conversations can also be held in real life, in person. Conversations over the phone or text or in a group chat are perfectly okay. Those conversations are always okay when they keep us connected until the next time we really see someone.
Celia Caron, 11/7/2024
I like to think I have an affinity for technology. But, with the current fast-paced development of it, deep down I’m a little unsure of that. The only reason I believe I’m “good at using technology” is because I grew up with it. But who’s to say it won’t outrun me someday? Who’s to say I won’t be able to keep up with it? The only real evidence I have right now is how my relationship with technology has changed over the years. There were some distinct periods of my life where I had very different relationships with technology: before I was old enough to use it myself, the time when I was learning how to use basic technology, and the time where I am now-I’ve got the basics down and I’m starting to use other newer, more complex technology. And, based on this experience, I think I can say that while I do get frustrated sometimes, I believe I will be able to keep up with it.
It is natural to say that I “grew up with technology,” and I also believe that is correct. People before me, like my grandparents, didn’t experience a tech boom in their childhoods like I did when I was a kid. Not only did I grow up with technology, I also grew up with it constantly changing-before I could even use it myself. I watched as it constantly changed around me. The small, blocky, heavy TV was replaced with a much larger, much thinner TV when I was around three years old. My parents’ phones switched from flip phones to flat phones that were all screen before I could get my own. Maybe all this watching had already given me a head start-If technology, especially its changes, were something I grew up with as a normal part of my life, perhaps it wouldn’t cause me as much anxiety as it could for others who didn’t experience this. My grandparents had to interact with all that change right when it started, and at a time when their brains were making connections a little slower, while I was able to just sit back and watch for a while.
But, then I had to finally enter the technological scene, and again, this was done slowly. When I started elementary school, we had a computer lab where we would go once a week and do some sort of activity. This probably started around 2nd grade. We were given set instructions of what buttons to click to get to a specific place, then freedom within that website to give us a nice introduction into how to use technology. At home, I started using the television myself and was taught how to make calls on a landline. In 3rd grade I was given my first piece of technology meant just for my use-a Chromebook that stayed at school when I went home. We took a week just to explore Google Drive, and the exploration of the computer as a whole lasted probably two years. We all slowly got the hang of navigating these devices independently and were soon on our own for many of our assignments. I can’t imagine what it would be like if I didn’t start learning how to use technology at that slow pace when I was younger. I think it was essential to my ability to use technology now. If I had to learn everything as fast as possible after spending my whole life without technology, I think frustration might win out and I would stop using it pretty much all together, which would hinder my life and career.
Late elementary and into middle school was when I started getting my own non-school related technology. It started with an iPod in fifth grade, a phone in 6th, then an iPad, and so on and so forth. Each new device would come with its own unique settings, features and feeling, so it would always take me some time to get used to them. Even now, there is still a learning curve when I get any form of new technology-even just an app I’m not familiar with. Recently I got a new computer for school. I had been using the same computer for pretty much my whole life before this, so it absolutely took some time for me to figure out. I’m not totally sure I have yet. But along with this computer came a lot of apps that I haven’t used yet, like Word, Compass and Bright Space. At first I felt overwhelmed because it seemed like too much, but then, like everything else, I got used to it. I know how to use my other resources to help me figure out how this new technology works. This frustration happens often these days with new technology used in classes, but I often remind myself that this is a small thing to be worried about.
Yes, I grew up with technology. It was integrated into my childhood as no generation before me experienced. It was fast changing, growing similar to the pace I was. The slow introduction of this technology really allowed me to build my knowledge concerning technology. While I may not know everything, I know enough to apply it to other situations, but it still frustrates me from time to time. I know more than my grandparents, but I’m not tech obsessed. I meet my technological match more often than I care to admit. But, when I put all of this into perspective, I realize I’m doing pretty well for myself.
Alicia Burr
November 5th, 2024
For my generation, we haven’t really known a life without technology. From a young age, most things were instant. And this has become increasingly more true. I didn’t have to wait for the operator to connect me with my family or friend. I just clicked their name or face in the phone. Now I can just tell Siri who I want to call, and she does it for me. The same changes can be said for tv. As a kid we still had ad breaks throughout the episode, and just had to find something on that looked interesting. Now we pay for “instant” tv, you watch only what you want, with no ads. While I love not having to wait, I think patience is something we could all benefit from learning. The technology of phones, computers, and more were supposed to help and connect us, but we are more disconnect and losing basic human skills.
The best way to explain my relationship with technology is to start at the beginning. As long as I remember, we had some form of a phone, computer and tv. To me that’s how you got in touch with someone. You didn’t just show up to someone’s house, you called or texted first. When I was first born, up until about age two, we lived with my grandparents. My mom videotaped everything and saved all the CDs. Now that both grandparents have passed I am very grateful to be able to go back and watch not only baby me, but also seeing and hearing my grandparents voices. It’s allowed me to still have a connection with them even after they passed. With that being said, I was obsessed with watching myself on the screen. Maybe a mirror would have had the same effect, but I loved that I could instantly see myself and rewatch the videos.
Another part of technology that I have used quite frequently is spell check. I’ve never been an amazing speller. Before spell choak became a huge thing, I would ask my mom how to spell certain words. With me and my brother having a difficult time spelling, she said she always felt like she was in a spelling bee. With that though I feel I learned how to spell much better with her telling me how to spell than I have with spell check, just respelling the word for me. Half the time I don’t even notice that it changes the word. I liked to think that this is helping but now I’m starting to believe it’s making me worse off.
Social media has also come with technology and phones. It has become a big part of the world, along with many peoples lives. Most people have some form of Social media: TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, etc. While some started as just an internet browser, they have turned into phone apps with constant notifications. Many young adults my age check their phones for Snapchat on Instagram, seeing how many people have viewed on liked their stories or posts. Although both can be used to keep up to date on friends and families lives, it has also come with an addiction, Instead of enjoying a conversation in front of you, we get caught up in our phones. It’s a constant battle between the phone and human interaction. Social media allows you to just show the parts you want other people to see. I learned this at a very young age, people only post what they want you to believe. But this take reality that everyone is perfect is slowly getting baked into society. The belief that even one should be perfect, leading to stress and not feeling good enough. With all of this being said, my relationship with technology is complicated. I see the good and potential it has, but I also see the negative effects it can have on humans. I’m glad I can keep in touch with my boyfriend while we go to college three hours away. But I do believe we have an addiction to always being on said phone or computer. I also believe that we have let it takeover basic human functions with AI, spell check, and so much more. Technology isn’t going away, so as humans we have to find a balance so we can get the most out of technology while not letting it take over.
Lilyan blood
My relationship with technology I feel is a lot different than most because I have never liked it and I feel like it makes my life harder than easier. There is just so much behind technology with apps and how to work and navigate technology it’s just very stressful. I feel as technology has not really affected me with having a conversation with others but I can tell with the younger generations it has affected them alot and it will be very hard to teach them just how to have a simple conversation and to look them in the eye when you talk to them. Technology has affected the way I write because they didn’t really teach us how to write in cursive in elementary school so I sometimes can’t even understand the cards I get from my grandma and it’s all because they said everything will just be typed. Which is very sad.Another way it has affected me on writing is everything has to be typed now so we don’t write as much so we don’t get to work on our handwriting skills, so my handwriting isn’t as good as it can be. The way technology has affected my thinking is because there are so many events and stuff on the web but half the time you don’t even know what is true vs false. So you have to find a relatable and credible source and sometimes it looks real but it’s not. Or people just post themselves happy and doing all these things but they dont post them sad and bored. So it makes you think you have a sad life. But you don’t everyone has their ups and downs ,but most people don’t see that. Technology isn’t great for someone who is struggling with mental health or just in general and I feel like we need to make awareness that everyone has bad and good days. Not everyone’s life is perfect. Social media is very bad for your mental health because people can post very negative things about you and then you don’t feel the best about yourself. Technology and phones are also a very big distraction because if someone texts while you are driving you will most likely look at it , and you won’t see the person crossing the road so you will hit them. I feel like technology has a very big impact on us with it being a distraction. Also when you are just going about your day if you feel a buzz or something come from your phone most people will check it right then and there to see who texted them. This is very much a distraction. Also this goes with being present. If you’re always checking your phone then whatever you’re doing and where you are you wont be hundred percent present because your mind is thinking about that buzz from your phone. People talk a lot nowadays but a lot of what they are talking about is what is on their phone. So it’s almost like people are trying to make a connection with feds on instagram or whatever they’re watching on their phones. It’s kinda a wired connection to the internet as the wilderness but it’s true. Because there’s so much stuff but you don’t know what stiff is the right stuff. Which could mean true or false. Technology is such a wild place because yes it could be a simple thing but it’s not, there are so many steps to it. Same with the apps. There is so much coding that is involved with that and it’s so hard to figure out everything. Technology is such a confusing thing for me. It’s almost like being in an airplane. I hate it so much because I don’t understand the concept of this huge thing just being up and in the air flying. So with technology I don’t understand coding so I hate that I don’t know how it works. It’s very hard for me to do something and be a part of something that I didn’t understand. Also I feel like people think their phones are a part of who they are but they aren’t. Even including myself everytime my parents took away my phone in highschool i would feel lost because I don’t have anything to check or do when I am feeling”bored”. I think us humans always like to do something so we go on our phone at a red light because we can’t handle waiting until the 30s. But we like our phone because it is something easy to do. Technology was a resource now it’s a drug.
Cassie Sanger
11/7/24
Technology is a huge part of our everyday lives now. It’s evolving at a fast pace, and we can’t keep up as of right now. We are struggling to find a healthy balance and are seeing negative effects on how we read, write, think, and conversate. It allows us to connect with many people and gain opportunities we wouldn’t have without it, but we can’t continue to overconsume “fake news” and an overload of media. We take info in short clips at a fast pace, supplying us with an overload of information. Along with info we also take in all sorts of views and opinions which may change our thinking into more or a social media standard way. I have my positive and negative attitudes towards it. Without technology we wouldn’t be where we are in the world today on a positive aspect but as for human potential, we need to fix the arising problems.
In the world now mostly everything is digital, almost everybody, every day is digitally writing. It allows us to quickly get in contact with people, expand networking opportunities, and can be a helpful resource. So no, I don’t think technology is evil, but I do think we need to find a healthy balance. It allows us to have several resources available to us like online books, textbooks for school, and audiobooks. I have found these options to be cheaper for students and very helpful. I love to write on a computer as it’s easier to fix mistakes without it looking messy. I also feel it prolongs the amount of time I can write an essay as my hand gets less tired. With the use of technology, it allows me to find better words to enhance my vocabulary in my writings. It’s amazing how everyone and anyone now has the chance to deep dive into any topic they want to expand their knowledge or just have access to the internet. One of my favorite positives to technology is the access for me to talk to my friends and family. I call at least one of my friends from home daily and I’m very thankful for the ability to do so easily with the advancement of technology. Although, the downsides to technology since we live in a digitized world, allowing us to connect with people anytime but is taking away from real life conversations. Conversation is so important as it gives us a sense of meaning to life. Imagine a life where you never talked to someone face-to-face. This would cause us to be missing important skills of socials cues, empathy and connection. Conversations are vital to our existence, but we are losing our motivation to want to talk in person. We find our phones as an escape route and are starting to have shallow thinking because over the phone because it’s “not rude” to answer someone right away like you would be expected to in person. It’s evolving fast and while doing so it’s affecting how we think, write, read, and conversate. Since it’s so fast paced, we have begun to read differently causing us to think differently. We are now provided with short clips of information receiving all different ideas and opinions at a fast pace. Social media is changing our thinking as we become accustomed to social media standards.
Technology has many downsides as it takes away from our human potential. Our human potential to push ourselves to our fullest, depending on our standard. But as social media is in our lives now people tend to lose their own standards and stick to the societal standards. In our society basically everyone is connected to the internet in some way and for most it’s their cell phones. Within our cell phones we have the web and various other media, therefore it can cause a disconnection with people talking in real life. The disconnect will show in people when they don’t know how to hold a conversation because they are so used to just texting and being virtual. It can be shown in many ways and unfortunately, we are still trying to figure out a balance. Although it can in some ways or circumstances help grow connections it can also take away the depth of that connection. Our society is beginning to choose media over people. It’s easy to find comfort and acceptance online so we shy away from in person interactions. Without being face-to-face you can’t see the body language which usually expresses more than words. Face to face conversations are vital for us to learn empathy, grow deeper connections, and give us a reason to live. By talking with someone in person for a couple hours you can learn a lot about them, about similarities you guys’ share, and maybe similar experiences you both went through. Being vulnerable connects people. By having these conversations, you can also learn a lot about yourself. Maybe they will spark an interest you didn’t know you had or have a different opinion that you agree with. This is also where empathy comes in and when you have these deeper level conversations you can be empathic with someone. As a society some of us still aren’t seeing the effects of technology and how it’s negatively impacting us. In some ways it’s taking away from our creative minds and our motivation. The younger generations are getting hit harder with this, but since we are overconsuming media, and our brains are neuroplastic, we are adapting to the internet as teens and adults as well. This isn’t good for us because we are overusing our brains with the overload of information. We wake up in the morning and use our phones, maybe some of us don’t think so but this is bad for our brains. We are constantly chipping away at our brain’s functions and changing the way it works and how we think, read, write and conversate.
Malayna Hawxwell
11/7/24
Technology provides humanity with a sense of connection as well as a sense of disconnection. Technology connects us by opening up communication to people all over the world. We can chat over text, share photos, or even talk face to face through facetime. We are able to read on a screen rather than a piece of paper, and type instead of writing on paper. It also gives us access to the internet where there’s endless information and resources. But it also disconnects us by the way it distracts us and takes us away from reality. It takes away from our ability to converse and think. While technology may have many benefits, there are also downsides.
Technology can make humans feel very disconnected in many ways. For example, in person communication skills are depleting because it’s so easy to converse behind a screen. In the past, everyone would be forced to talk in person. This makes us learn how to converse. But now that we don’t have to talk in person, we aren’t developing those necessary skills. Another reason technology is negative is because we don’t think critically anymore. The internet is always at our fingertips to answer any questions we may have. Social media is another negative trait of technology. It is one of the largest ways we communicate but it can have a very negative impact. When people post pictures of fun events it can make others feel as though they are missing out which leads to feelings of loneliness and insecurity. In reality, these people posting about their ‘amazing’ lives are just as lonely. They just only show the best parts of their lives. You may have all these friends on social media, but each of those relationships are lacking true personal connection.
As someone who grew up in a time when technology and social media is a huge thing, I feel all these effects. I never need to worry about spelling because spell check worries about it for me. I didn’t need to worry about talking to my roommates on move in day because we had already been talking on social media for months. If I have a question, I don’t need to think, I just need to type it into google. Technology has influenced my life in so many ways.
But technology is not just all bad. It gives us a way to stay in touch with anyone no matter how far you are. A friend moving away does not have to mean you can’t be friends anymore. You can still text, call, facetime, and share photos. Technology is also very beneficial in spreading important information. For example, we are able to be warned about things such as weather and natural disasters days in advance so that we can prepare. Technology has also made a huge impact on the advancements of medicine. There are so many different ways to test for conditions, and for the care team to communicate effectively and efficiently. Social media also has aspects that connect us. It allows us to share photos, comments, ideas, etc. We can share parts of our lives and see other people posting about their lives which makes us feel more connected and updates with each other. Social media can be used for good. It’s used to spread awareness, raise money for an important cause, and support others who use social media to reach out for help. Technology is a key component with how we connect with others at this day in age.
Technology can seem really great and appear to be keeping us more connected than ever. But, the truth is, it’s disconnecting us more than is connecting us. While it’s very beneficial and useful to us, there are also many negatives that it brings. We must always be conscious of the way it disconnects us.
Cassandra Charron
November 7 2024
I have a love hate relationship with technology. On one hand it gives us the ability to foster relationships we wouldn’t have been able to otherwise, but it also gives us the opportunity to waste our time doom scrolling. As well as altering the ways we think, read, and write. Ultimately changing the way we are in conversation with others. Technology has a place in terms of being useful for building connections and with those you may not see in person, and that’s your only option for communicating. But it can also make the conversations you are having with those who are around you more shallow and less meaningful, than if you were to have the same conversation in person. Also seeing people on social media living your dream life can be disheartening. Making you feel like you might be doing something wrong in yours, when you see all the people doing all the things you want to be doing. In the sense of reading, writing, and thinking I believe that technology has greatly impacted all three. Technology has made it easier to access content to read whether that’s books, articles, or other similar forms of content. With this though also came audiobooks, and other programs for things to be read right to you. I think these can be useful in some situations but also can poorly impact our reading skills. If we didn’t physically read at all and completely relied on them all the time we would likely end up living with people who have no reading comprehension skills. I think that writing is one of the major things that has been impacted by advances in technology. The ease of using programs like chat gpt to write something for you has made people not want to put in the effort at all, even if it means risking punishment for being caught. Just the thought of there being a program that can do it all for you has made people less inclined to do their own thinking themselves. On that mote technology can also make people, including myself, just google their questions and take the first AI generated answer that pops up on their screens. Rather than sitting with their questions and really thinking about what it means to them. Instead of gaining thoughts about the topic and concluding an answer that might mean something more to them, they are going to get the same answer as everyone else with the same questions. Technology has also made us more prone to distraction. I know ive fallen victim to the endless ads, tabs, and other links you can be brought to just with the click of a button. Focus doesn’t come as naturally as it used to when all these things are available for me at any time. But at the same time we’ve learned that distraction doesn’t always have to be a bad thing. Sometimes it exposes us to new information that can be helpful to fuel our creativity, which I think is equally as important as focusing. I will say that while I dont think distraction is inherently bad it isn’t always something we want. Sometimes it’s frustrating to be trying to focus and the distractions are preventing that. Technology’s impact on our reading, writing and thinking has definitely been a big one. Not necessarily bad or good though. I think all changes come with benefits and drawbacks. Its just something we as people will have to learn to get through or work around. We’re always continuing to learn to live in this ever changing world so I don’t see how we wouldn’t be able to learn from this like we have other times.
Nolan Sibley
November 7, 2024
What is a conversation? It’s definition has a lot of different meanings. Whether it be a simple hello, how are you, a quick texting session between you and your friend with a little thought or even proper sentence structure, or even a much larger discussion about any given topic at hand, A conversation is essentially an exchange of words written or spoken between two or more people that allows both parties to express their needs, wants, opinions, or any other number of themes.
It is all too easy to simply have a conversation and not put thought or energy into it. Social media, in my opinion, is largely responsible for the disconnect between what is said aloud in the written word. Social media causes a lot of self-doubt and negativity in our youth today. Many of the posts that we don’t put much thought into force our peers to compare their lives to ours. Many of our exchanges today are done in this common section of a social media platform or through a brief text message, though these technological advances have allowed us to form many valuable connections between people and many different social climates. It seems as though genuine human connection has become outdated. Many of our day-to-day interactions have become automated; something as simple as ordering a coffee can be done virtually eliminating the common exchange of pleasantries. Contact list, delivery, and/or pick-up have become common phrases in our society. Automations have largely become a part of our daily lives; even unknowingly, those things are more accessible than ever before. I would argue that it can be scary at times when you get into your car or your phone will prompt you with navigation to where it believes you want to go by learning your behaviors and routines. These features have been crafted to provide a better experience, but I fear that we have become far too reliant on this technology.
Most recently, when I went to get a haircut, the barber was consistently checking her phone throughout the appointment. As she would get a notification, she would instantly tend to her phone, often interrupting the conversation we were having. It is this unconscious reliance on technology that has truly impacted the way we communicate with one another. Even this morning. There was a man on the phone in front of me in the café. He never took out his AirPods when he spoke to the cashier and even ignored her when she told him to have a nice day. We are very privileged to have access to such beneficial technology, but at what cost? What happened to the genuine human connection that happens in the small interactions?
I think that the technology that we have has truly negatively affected the ways in which we interact with one another, the way that we have conversations, and even the way that we think and act.
Technology and the Internet have drastically changed the ways in which we conduct ourselves through learning, social experiences, communication, and how we behave. Technology has begun to reach its branches into almost every aspect of our daily lives. There is no escape from the suffocating graph technology holds on our lives. It seems as though we are in an ever-tightening straight jacket. The Internet, in all of its accessibility, has negatively impacted the way we think, our ability to learn, and how we entertain ourselves and the conversations that we have with one another.
With the introduction of such advanced artificial intelligence, we are becoming more and more dependent. It seems as though for any problem or question that arises in life, a simple Google search can help you to solve it. Well, this is so useful and beneficial for productivity. We must realize the impact that it is having on our ability to think deeply and retain information. We spread our knowledge wide and then not complete in-depth research or write reports because it is already at our fingertips. Math problems, chemistry questions, and philosophical ideologies that used to take hours can now be found in all of three seconds with a quick search or help from an artificial assistant. We would be foolish to think that this will not come back to haunt us in one way or another.
Technology and specifically our mobile devices have extended from so many creations joined into one. What used to be our maps, dictionaries, radios, televisions, phones, letters, and so much more can now be done instantly without barely lifting a finger. How could something that provides so much utility information and entertainment not act as a distraction when it is always in your pocket? Never before in history have we evolved so drastically in such a short amount of time we’ve been forced to adapt to a new way of life, and I fear that the consequences could be far greater than we can imagine someday.
The conversations that we engage in are superficial and lack the enthusiasm and authenticity that they once possessed. We communicate heavily through the written word. My generation often does not use punctuation, work tone into their replies, capitalize, or even formulate a response that possesses any critical thinking towing, which can be very easily misinterpreted. I know that I’m currently being ignored because when you send a text, you know that the person saw it. For many people, this can induce social anxiety and feelings of self-consciousness. As we are constantly on our phones, the depth of conversation has not been the same since we have been able to hide behind our devices. Human connection may never be the same again. We present ourselves in an unsophisticated manner over the Internet, and if we keep doing this, we will not be able to sustain true connection.
Technology could very easily be the downfall of the next generation when AI can solve any problem. We no longer need to think there will be severely less educated adults because they never had to put in the work. We will not be able to civilly communicate with each other and only make rude comments over a post online. Our youth will become depressed, feeling trapped and constantly compared. Misinformation will spread like wildfire because no one will know how to think for themselves. Oh wait… Need I say more?
Emily Scheff
5 November 2024
Technology can both help us be present and connect with their surroundings and it can also be a distraction and a point of disconnection. For me, technology has made a more positive impact in my life than a negative one. While being present and being distracted seem like opposites, in my case they intertwined. Being able to listen to music on a device improves my focus and can help me stay in the moment. When I need a break or to decompress I have certain apps and/or games that can bring a sense of calm. Technology can be an escape when you need a break from the chaos of the world. The only issue is getting too sucked in and not coming back to the present moment. From an academic viewpoint a lot of technology is used to enhance our learning. Calculators, google apps, brightspace, microsoft apps, calendars, emails and websites are all examples of ways that technology betters our education. On the other hand, notifications, texts, social media, entertainment, games and communication on our devices can cause disturbances and setbacks in our learning. The negatives don’t necessarily outweigh the positives of technology. I think that it is all about how an individual manages their use and time on their various devices. Similar to technology, education and the methods that are used are constantly evolving. Devices can also be extremely useful supports for those who need them. Whether it is a closed captioning device, text-to-speech app, audiobook, audio recorder, smartpen, health monitor, remote control device or a myriad of other devices they all can significantly benefit a persons success.
On the other hand, technology can be very distracting sometimes especially for some people. Whether a phone screen is lighting up or you hear a ding sound come with a semi automatic reflex to turn around. With technology becoming more tailored to people it makes it easier to get distracted because it makes them want to go back to their devices and see what else the apps are correctly showing them. Another common activity if you choose to categorize it that way is doom scrolling. People often will doom scroll and get so sucked into it that they haven’t realized how long they have been going for. A tendency that I recognize that I have is I will go down rabbit holes, not literal ones outdoors but the ones on the internet. Whether it is something I am learning more about or something that I am new to I will continue scrolling through videos to learn more about the topic. I am also able to create assignments like this one using technology, while I am unable to use one of my hands. This ties in well with my next point which is the way you use technology also matters. Are you using it as a shortcut or as a free pass or are you using it to further your education. At some point or another most people have pulled out their phone to calculate a math problem they didn’t feel like spending the time to solve mentally. There are also people who are looking for “the easy way out” of things that require more effort than they believe is worth putting in and use artificial intelligence to do the work for them. Then there are those who use their technology to learn, research and gain access to educational programs/softwares. I would like to say I only fall into the third category, and I also should hold myself accountable and say that sometimes I do fall into the first category. The person pulling out their phone to use the calculator app is me on most occasions, math is not my strong suit and I tend to get impatient with myself. Especially when I am going to double check that it is correct with the calculator on my phone, why bother even doing the math. It isn’t necessarily the best mindset to have and I also now know that it is something I can improve.
Another aspect of whether technology is helpful is an individuals comfort in using the devices. Typically older generations tend to have an increased difficulty learning and remembering how to use the devices and the different programs that come with them. It has been found that with the younger generations, that they are more well versed in how to operate the device and use the thousands of different apps and softwares. For some people, they grew up with technology and have never known any different. For others technology is a completely new concept and way of life. Some generations grew up with rotary phones or landlines and others with ipads, ipod touch, and smartphones. If you ask children born up until 2008 to pretend to call someone on the phone they will do the banana phone hand sign, however if you ask someone born after that year they will put their palm of their hand to their ear mimicking a smartphone. Just like how rotary phones are rarely used, the same thing will eventually happen to smartphones . I think that similar to rotary lines, smartphones will eventually become outdated. What comes next that will replace smartphones is unknown but with the rapid rate in which technology is advancing there will no doubt be a new and improved alternative for a phone. It could be in the form of ray bans glasses.
Grant Isdale
11/7/2024
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a helpful tool if utilized appropriately, yet it may also hamper your learning experience. AI is a method that can assist in generating bullet points and subjects, yet it also has the potential to detract from the overall learning experience. It is currently more straightforward to do your research; however, throughout the next several years, people will begin to employ artificial intelligence to conduct their research. Because of this, you will not be as clever because you will not have to do your study, but the process will be a lot easier. As a result, students will find it more challenging to learn in school since they can type in a question and get an answer in a split second. AI has the potential to make it harder for young people to learn. However, they must know the subject matter or how to write because they only utilize AI. When Google and the calculator were being developed, it was predicted that it would take more than ten years to evaluate whether or not artificial intelligence would benefit the field of education. AI will always be more intelligent than your brain, but because of its inherent bias, it has a lot of drawbacks that you should be aware of. Because AI is merely logical, the problem also originates from its ethical aspect. This is because there are instances when the decision that is the most logical is different from the one that is the most ethical. Data used to train AI systems may include biases that aren’t relevant in today’s environment.
What we call “artificial intelligence” is an exciting new development with the potential to change how we do things; examples are how we study, conduct business, and complete projects. While AI does have specific valuable applications, it also has some drawbacks. While artificial intelligence can be a great benefit, it can also end up being harmful by changing the way people learn and diminishing the value of hands-on experience. All the benefits that come with artificial intelligence have to be weighed against the pitfalls, since there is a very good chance that this will most likely be integrated into our daily lives, including the classroom. That’s something that has to be taken into account.
It is possible to provide an artificial intelligence tool with a general concept, and it will then provide you with a detailed plan that is based on a great deal of facts. This allows for the work to be completed more quickly and provides individuals with additional time to work on other activities that may be more important. Generating visuals and engaging in critical thinking are two examples of typical approaches to teaching that could be deemed useless by the implementation of artificial intelligence. When asked to do so, artificial intelligence can hinder the development of essential skills. For students to be able to build a plan from the beginning, they need to understand a great deal about the topic. In addition to this, it illustrates how various concepts are interconnected and teaches you how to organize things in a logical manner. Students may miss out on the potential to learn if they rely too heavily on artificial intelligence (AI) because they will not be able to think for themselves but will instead rely on technology to do the tasks. The application of artificial intelligence in research necessitates a high level of critical thinking, extensive reading, and the integration of knowledge from various sources. Artificial intelligence systems that can summarize a large amount of data and highlight essential points are fantastic for saving time.
On the other hand, there is a risk that AI could decrease in one’s intelligence. If you want to ensure that you have a complete understanding of a topic, researching it is necessary. For somebody to complete the process, it is essential to search for accurate information from several sources, assess their credibility, and gather all of the information. If artificial intelligence were to perform these kinds of duties, it may have a negative impact on the things that encourage critical thinking..
Even to this day, we do not have a complete understanding of all the effects that can be brought about by the application of AI. If people utilize artificial intelligence to complete their schoolwork more quickly, it is possible that they will lose interest in learning anything that is taught in school. Students who are constantly on the move may find that the ability of artificial intelligence to quickly deliver answers, generate essays, or solve complicated math problems, quite useful. On the other hand, relying on artificial intelligence could potentially put an individual’s learning in danger. If individuals rely on artificial intelligence to complete their work, this may cause them to have difficulty comprehending and remembering relevant information over the long run. As artificial intelligence is more widely used in the future, it is likely that individuals will no longer understand how to solve problems, think creatively, or think for themselves.
Artificial intelligence is distinct from earlier technology, such as Google and calculators. It is clear from this that technology’s role in education has evolved over time. When people first saw computers, they were afraid that children would not be able to be taught fundamental mathematical concepts. There was a concern that people would become less knowledgeable as a result of having easy access to information on Google. In today’s educational system, they are critical. The students are able to quickly retrieve facts and perform math even though they still require basic skills. It could take up to ten years before we will have a partial understanding of how artificial intelligence will affect the educational system. AI is able to assist you in arranging information, doing daily tasks, and studying right now. On the other hand, just like with search engines and computers, we will need to figure out how artificial intelligence can assist individuals in learning without taking away essential skills such as critical thinking and the ability to solve problems. The built-in prejudice that is present in artificial intelligence is going to be the primary obstacle that must be tackled . Although artificial intelligence can play around with information and make conclusions that seem smarter than humans, it is only as good as its data. There are occasions when artificial intelligence will employ old data, which may contain opinions that are no longer relevant. Because of this prejudice, artificial intelligence may produce results that are not reliable. Despite the fact that AI is capable of producing pure logic, it is unable to take into account the human element, which may have ethical repercussions. While artificial intelligence demonstrates how intelligent it can be, it also comes with ethical and prejudiced concerns that need to be addressed before it can be depended upon.
Cam Kearney
8 November 2024
A person’s relationship with technology and learning can affect many things. If struggling with any work your first instinct is to just look up the answer or look up something that will help you get to the answer. I tend to sometimes do that and use Google or a search engine to help me get to the answer I need to have. Now sometimes using technology can be very helpful and other times it may lead you in the wrong way. AI or artificial intelligence is also a option for people to use when needing help to get answer. The only problem with using AI is it gives you a way more intelligent and in depth answer than many people can give on their own. Using AI will cause you to read, write and think differently than you normally do because of the way AI is more intelligent than a human. Technology as a whole may change the way you read, write and think because it shows and gives you things that you did not already know. When doing work by yourself it would more than likely be less in depth work than if you were to use technology of any kind. The technology gives you items to use that you may not have already have or known of. With technology providing much tools that can help you get answers the other side of technology may do just the opposite of that. Distraction is the big word. There are many distractions on technology. Your phone is the biggest, it is very easy to pick up your phone and take a break and become distracted from what you were doing and trying to learn. Technology as a whole has a great amount of power in impacting your ability to think, write, read, etc. either in a good way or a negative way, but that is your choice.
The idea of what is a conversation is also a topic that has been affected by technology. What even is a conversation? Well people view a conversation in many different ways. When you think about talking to someone you probably think of talking to someone face to face in real life. Others may think of it as talking to someone on the phone. Whether that be on a phone call or texting someone, or even interacting through social media. The way people have or are able to have conversations with people have been greatly impacted and have changed from the way technology changes us. The ability to think has been affected because with being able to talk to someone you need to be able to think correctly. With being able to talk on the internet now, that has slowed our abilities to think fast. When you can talk to someone face to face in real life you develop the skill to think quickly. When talking to someone through text or even social media you can take some time to think of what to say. Although that may not seem like a good thing, in reality it is not because it causes people to be slow and not have a good conversation with someone face to face.
In whole our abilities to read, think and even write have a complicated relationship with technology. There are some positives that come with it. Such as the internet has the ability to help us write better than someone can on their own. There are plenty of websites that help correct writing, and grammar. Also there are ways you can get feedback on what to change to make your writing better than you knew you could. Though that is a positive some people use the internet to simply just do the writing for them. Which leads to people not being able to write in a way we should be. They take the easy way to have the internet do everything for them. The same effects are made on our ability to think. Being on the internet and using technology is a good thing, but being on it too much is not. Which is what happens to most people, they spend too much time on the internet. It simply rots your brain, It causes people to think differently, and will slow their brain down. With all of that technology will continue to grow and affect our ability to read, write and think. We just need to find ways to work with it to help us grow as well.
Julia Collings
November 7, 2024
Virtually everything has pros and cons, but the duality of digital technology is something that many people struggle with. Most of us have a very love-hate relationship with it as we struggle to find balance with it in our lives. Digital technology can be very helpful and the internet has a wide variety of useful resources, but it can be damaging to our physical and mental well-being, and even to our education and ability to think for ourselves. While I do not believe this affects me in any major way, I have come across many peers in my classes and such that refuse to even try to learn or retain information because they “can always just look it up.” I have found that these people tend to be disconnected from reality, even as they think they are more connected through their phones. People like this are no longer learning about the world or paying attention to the things around them because the internet will always have the answers they seek or because TikTok is more interesting than a book or looking at the car window or even socializing with people around. This disconnect is felt most heavily on the interpersonal level as many struggle to process other people’s emotions, find perspective, and converse. And this could be because of how much time we spend online and what we do online or it could be because of the misconstrued “truths” social media feeds us. Social media gives us these falsified expectations of how relationships (of any kind) should look and feel and progress. Because of this, we fail to remember that we are individuals who think, feel, and process differently than the next person and how that impacts each relationship. Relationships are personal and progress on their own timelines, oftentimes very differently for different individuals and not in the certain, set ways social media presents us with. On that same topic, social media can give us false expectations of what someone will be like as we only post what we want the world to see. Most of us only present the world with the “high points” of our lives – when we are at our best and our happiest. The problem is we see someone’s online account and make assumptions about them. The other problem occurs when we begin to compare ourselves and our lives to someone else’s without truly knowing them. It can make us feel alone, unloved, unworthy, not enough. “Why can’t I be more like them?” This way of thinking is flawed. The person you might be comparing yourself to might be thinking the very same way. Because of this, our mental health suffers and we hide behind our screens for a sense of safety and security. When we do this, we hide ourselves from the real world, and with that, from genuine connections. How could you have a genuine connection with someone while hiding who you are? On the flip side, digital technology and social media allow us the opportunity to meet and stay in touch with those who do not live near us. Without this tool, I would hardly be able to see my cousins in Arizona. Sure, I could send them letters and photos through the mail, but it isn’t the same as a Facetime call where I get to talk to them in real time face-to-face. It allows me to stay in touch with my friends from back home while I’m in a different state for college. I am not oblivious to the fact that digital technology greatly improves my life in many ways, however, I know that growing up with social media and the whole world at your fingertips can be quite dangerous and damaging for anyone, but especially a kid. Our minds are malleable and if we don’t know how to navigate the digital world, it can leave us lost in it – lost in an endless stream of information, bad news, and Instagram posts. So one might argue that the problem is technology, but I think it’s really just that we are struggling as a species to adapt to the ever-changing digital world. Yes, I went on and on about the negatives of digital technology, the internet, and social media, but I encourage you to go back and think about it for yourself. I think you’ll find that there is another side to the story, one that we hardly hear. That story being the idea that if we were to figure out how to use these technologies effectively, possibly through moderation, we wouldn’t have the problems we currently do. If we chose to not only show the world the high points of our lives and instead were honest about who we are and how we feel to our friends on social media, maybe we wouldn’t have as many people with crippling feelings of unworthiness and self-loathing. Maybe we would feel better knowing that people see the real us and like us anyway. Our connections would develop to be stronger and more genuine, both online and in person. Maybe we wouldn’t be going into relationships with certain expectations in mind. Maybe we would be able to empathize with others better and be more likely to put down our phones and socialize with those around us. Maybe the technological epidemic we fear isn’t quite the crisis situation we are making it out to be. Maybe it is just a call to adapt.
**I forgot to actually hit post**