Literature Review #5

Cathy Davidson

Citation:

Davidson, Cathy. "The Three Biggest Myths About Distracted Youth." Speakeasy RSS. Wall Street Journal, 11 Oct. 2011. Web. 15 Nov. 2014. <http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/10/11/the-three-biggest-myths-about-distracted-youth/>.

In the article, "Three Biggest Myths About Distracted Youth", Cathy counter argues the stigma against young people who are distracted by technology and in result can't memorize anything, can't read for long and cause accidents because of multitasking. Through her research she discovered that these stigmas are indeed incorrect bringing to light the truth behind this revelation against young people who are codependent on their cellphones and computers.

Cathy Davidson is an author and professor at the University of New York where she is the Director of Future Initiatives. Along with publishing 18 books, she has worked for Duke University as an English Professor where she later recieved a chair position as John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute Professor in 2006. She works as a leader and author who finds great interests for technology, digital age, learning, cognition and collaboration and in doing so has conducted research in those fields that she expresses in her online articles and books.

Key Terms: technology, distraction, memorization, cognition, multitasking, information, computers, cellphones, reading,

Quotes:

"If there is a social currency in remembering something, people (even young people) continue to remember it.   The issues here are interest, ease, and utility—not compromised neuronal capacity."

"The Scholastic Association estimates that fifteen-year-olds today read more books a year (outside of school) than their parents do—and more books per year than their parents did when they were 15."

"The single greatest predictor of traffic fatalities among young people (besides substance abuse) is the presence of other young people."


This article was valuable because it counter argues my position against young people and the disadvantages of technology as it plays as a distraction in their personal, emotional and academic lives. She underlines stigmas that are strongly associated and looked down upon amongst young people. She brings to light these stigmas and explains that they are false through her research and expertise in the subject. It is interesting to hear her arguments because although some may be true, it only takes a glimpse on a certain percentage of the population.