Thursday, February 4, 2010

The digital age...

It's not often that I watch PBS, but yesterday I watched the "Frontline" program "Growing Up Digital" and it scared the hell out of me. Two journalists researched the effect of digitalization on kids, and the results were shocking--and also slightly amusing. The youth (included were MIT students in their 20s down to 8th graders) were wholly confident in their abilities to multitask--look at Facebook while texting and IMing and doing homework. A number of researchers tested the students on their retention abilities, and, not surprisingly, the students failed at this. The students were so arrogant and nonchalant about all the technology they were using that is was shocking how badly they failed the number of tests researchers asked them to complete.

Another aspect of the program discussed how people make "friends" on the Internet, and how "connected" they feel to people they've never met. This is sad.

Finally, the most upsetting part of the 90 minute episode was how staunchly techno-philes defend the use (overuse, IMO) of digital gadgets. They claim it is "progress" and cite how upset people were when the phone lead to a decrease in letter writing, and how people couldn't believe a train would be faster than a horse. But where is the progress in having our youth spending their lives online? There are skills that can never be taught by using a computer--skills such as public speaking. Personal interactions. Human contact. The ability to carry on an actual conversation--one that isn't peppered with abbreviations, emoticons, slang, or text-speak. No one will ever convince me that these skills are outdated or old fashioned. Now, the program highlighted some innovative and cutting-edge companies who employ virtual reality as a substitute for meeting in person; the participants in these experiments tout money-saving as a benefit of using VR; another alleged benefit of VR is the ability to work from home. These people are fooling themselves. How business can be conducted via a computer is beyond me--where is the facial expressions? the non-verbal communications that convey emotions and feelings? the hand shake? when we as a society lose the capability to defend our arguments, discuss topics face-to-face, cannot meet people in the eye, is this really progress?

I am not a Luddite by any means. If it were not for email and Facebook I would be unable to communicate with my sister halfway around the world, or my German "sister," or my best friend when he taught in Korea. I love that I can send an email to a professor or friend or my parents and get a response within minutes. And I love being able to share my life (aspects, anyway!) with my closest friends and family via Facebook. But gaming and IMing and texting will never replace the sound of my loved ones' laughter, or the feel of their arms in a friendly hug, or the clinking sound of beer glasses at my bar. Those are things you cannot get from a computer, iPod, iPhone, Blackberry, or any other piece of technology.

3 comments:

  1. Very well written and I couldn't agree more! I've said this for quite some time now ... and I have learned that "multi-tasking" is not as beneficial as it might seem.

    On another note ... no pun intended, I think letter writing is dying art but I refuse to let it fall by the wayside and so that is why I continue to send letters, cards, notes to friends and family on an almost daily basis.

    I sent out about 8 cards today alone!!!

    Continue on, Morgan. You're on to a good thing here!!

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  2. I really like this post and agree with it very fully.

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  3. Great points Morgan- Those have always been popular discussion topics in other classes of mine, and I couldn't agree with you more.

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