Abstract

Abstract

Technology & How It’s Turning Us Into Robots 

By Joanna Augustynowicz

Technology and How It's Turning Us Into Robots begins to underline the effects of computer interactivity amongst college students whom are the most vulnerable to these cultural shifts. As we proceed through time and space, computers begin to introduce themselves as a threat to the lives of students from the way they feel, think and act. Ranging from their academic experiences and information processing, to the way we perceive relationships and connectivity amongst one another. Inevitably, the dependency for computers to suffice for people's every want and need increases it's role in the lives of students who use such devices for information, communication and entertainment. Ironically, computers introduce themselves as a self-defeating mechanism as it disrupts information flow, creates privatization and social disengagement that is followed by anxiety and agitation when withdrawn from such devices. In this article, these issues are brought to light focusing on college students that invest their money into an education that they are presumably not receiving due to the increased availability of computer usage. Concluding that computers not only provide students with an endless database of opportunity, but interrupts their daily lives while decreasing the quality of education.

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.

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.

Research Blog #8 Interview

Interviewer: Joanna Augustynowicz

Interviewee: Nicole Sozzi, 22, Central New Jersey,
Current student at Rutgers University,
Instragram followers: 1,601
Twitter followers: 790
Facebook: 546

1. What do you primarily use your phone and computer for?

Texting, emails, and social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat)

2. Do you use your phone and computer while in school? And if so, what do you find yourself using it for?

Computer: mostly notes, homework, or design related stuff. Occasional social media browsing

Phone: See #1

3. When you see students in class using their computer and phone, what are they using it for?

Pretty much the same as what I use mine for.

4. Have you ever used your phone/computer in class for things that didn't pertain to school? And if so, how often?

Yes, but not often. Most of my classes have strict guidelines with mobile devices or computers.

5. Do you feel that your computer and cell phone help you in class, or do you feel that it serves as a distraction?

Both

6. Can you go a day without using your cell phone or computer? If you couldn't, how would that make you feel?

I could, but I would probably be very fidgety and might feel disconnected (literally).

7. Do you feel discontent and anxious when you are unable to check your email or social media?

Probably only for a fixed amount of time, then I’d get over it. I’m pretty close to deleted most social media.

8. Has there ever been times that you felt that social media is bombarding your life?

Not really

9. How often do you check your social media and what do you primarily use it for?

Multiple times a day, when I’m bored

10. How many of your "friends" on social media do you actually know or interact with on a personal level? (a percentage is fine)

FB: all

Twitter: 75%

Instagram: 25%

LinkedIn: all

Snapchat: all

Research Blog #7 Your Case

Technology & Education

In my essay called "Technology, Education & Self-Defeat" I begin to underline the effects of technology and its overall affect on a student's life. In a nutshell, technology has taken a strong tole on the emotional, social and physical aspects of a young person's life, particularly students who grew up during this cultural shift during the 80's and 90's. During a time of privatization when self-interest is placed above the collective, people are finding it easier to isolate them self from reality into a world of fantasy where interaction is no longer necessary. People begin to seek more out of their computers beyond communication and entertainment and the computer transpires into an interactive object that provides them with the connection that they seek. In result, a dependency is formed and when withdrawn people feel anxious and agitated. Through this dependency, students' also become more absorbed into their computer screens causing them to pay less of their attention towards their education and physical health. In result, GPAs drop and their health declines. With the informational influx of technology, the culture of college changes. Students are less engaged with one another and more dependent of their computers to do their academic work disrupting the learning process with false information. In exchange for their infatuation with their computers, students' are also spending less time exercising and doing physical activities that keep their bodies healthy and strong.

Research Blog #6

Literature Review # 4

Paul Mihailidis

Mihailidis, Paul. "The Civic-social Media Disconnect: Exploring Perceptions of Social Media for Engagement in the Daily Life of College Students." Taylor & Francis Online, n.d. Web. 08 

Summary: This article examines social networking and how it manipulates engagement and behavior within young people who are the most susceptible to this technology. Through his analysis and survey he draws conclusions about how social media affects their lives in society and on a personal level. Although students are using the internet for different outlets such as sports and news, they are generally using it for entertainment and socialization. 

Paul Mihalidis is a professor at Emerson College who focuses his work on engagement in civic life and how media affects young people. He is also the director at Salzburg Academy on Media & Global Change, and has published numerous articles on his subjects of interest that include digital media engagement and how it is shaping the lives of young people.


Quotes:"Perceptions can help embrace the complex ecosystem for engagement that incorporate new media but also allow for cultural, social, political, and commercial attitudes to be included in new understandings of engagement in contemporary society. As the results of this study show, students' limited perceptions and negative attitudes toward the efficacy of social networks for daily civic life challenges assumptions of new media as a transformational tool for civic engagement, specifically in the context of young people's information and communication habits in daily life."

"The first research question asked about college students' use of social media for daily information and communication needs, and was explored using a survey instrument that assessed social media use across six categories: news, politics, relationships, privacy, leisure, and education. The survey results, not surprisingly, show a clear migration of information consumption and communication behaviors to social networks."

"Not surprisingly, social networks are the central facilitators for daily communication with peers, family, and acquaintances. When asked about the effect of social media on friendships, 39% of the sample reported feeling closer to their friends because of social media, while 26% of the sample felt that they had ‘more friends’ because of social media. Less than 3% saw social media as taking away from time with friends or making friends"

Key Term: social networks, communication, students, college, communication, engagement, disconnect, citizens, peers, information, socialization

Value: This article was an important read because through his surveys, the reader better understands what young people are doing with their tools and how in result is making them feel. It focuses on attitudes and feelings while incorporating aspects of statistical information. By understanding how students are utilizing their tools, we are able to understand the efficiency of these same tools.