Research Blog #9 Counter Argument

Article Title: The Three Biggest Myths About Distracted Youth 

URL: http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/10/11/the-three-biggest-myths-about-distracted-youth/

In the article, The Three Biggest Myths About Distracted Youth, published by the Wall Street Journal underlines the myths and troubles about our distracted youth that are heavily absorbed by their cell phones and computers. The authors' first arguments begins to explain that although students are indeed consumed by technology, they are not incapable of remembering and memorizing much, however she does not explain that what students are memorizing is generally useless and out of context. In result of high internet use and information availability, students no longer depend on their memory because their Iphones can serve them purpose in any crisis. However the author counter argues this by still suggesting that young people are still capable or using their memory. "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," she says. However what is the use of memorization if young people are generally remembering what they want to such as song lyrics and and basketball stats. What she does not mention, is the lack of ability to memorize what is needed. There is also the factor of abundant information bombarding students' brains leading to the incapability to decipher accurate information from false. In conclusion, although young people still maintain their ability to memorize, they lose the capability to decipher what to memorize in context of value and usefulness.