Technology is a huge part of many people's everyday lives. I personally, am not very technologically inclined, but I can't imagine trying to do certain things without the use of a computer or the internet. In my English Comp II class, the focal point of most of our discussions and assignments has been technology: the use of it, the effects of its use, and the pro's and con's of each. We have watched and read many arguments over this topic, with both positive and negative perceptions of technology and its ever-growing use. I find legitimate reasoning from both sides of this argument, but technology has such a great effect on my life that I would much rather deal with all of its downfalls than lose even a little bit of the beneficial aspects of having technology within reach when I need it.
In an excerpt from Jaron Lanier's You Are Not A Gadget, Lanier fumes at society's constant use of computers and complains that of all of the views his book will receive, "Real human eyes will read these words in only a tiny minority of cases", the majority of the time, his writings and millions of others will only be seen by computers and "nonpersons - automatons or numb mobs... no longer acting as individuals". In my opinion, Lanier is arguing that society's obsession with digital technology is making people lose their individuality, personality, and ability to understand the content of writings such as his, and take some meaning from what was read.
In the documentary titled Digital Nation, which I wrote about in a previous blog post, many different effects of modern technology are examined, but one topic seemed to apply to my life more than the others. I realize this more now than I did at the time that I posted the previous blog about Digital Nation. In the video, some college students and faculty at MIT are interviewed about their personal use and/or opinion of technology. Many of the professors at MIT argue that the constant use and availability of technology is hindering students from learning at the optimum level. They see it as a major distraction from the students' education. The students though, believe themselves to be great "multitask"ers, and argue that their learning environments and even their lives are so fast-paced and demanding, that constant use of these technologies is a necessity. A research was conducted on some of these students to test their theory about multitasking, and the results showed that they were actually pretty terrible at it. That fact alone would probably not deter any student from continuing to multitask though.
All three of these views of technology are understandable. People do spend too much time on computers or whatever devices they prefer, but sometimes, there really is no other option. Yes, technology has probably been a distraction for students while in class or working, but without its use, students and probably even society as a whole, would not be nearly as productive. I tend to agree with the students about technology becoming a necessity. Being a student myself, I know the feeling. There is so much going on in each class everyday, and so many tasks and assignments that you need to work on at any given moment, that constantly using technology really does seem like a necessity. Yesterday, between each of my classes, I spent the day at the library, working on assignments and studying for finals. I ended up spending nine hours on the computer writing a research paper for Modern, reading/evaluating assigned writings, working on my final writing assignment, and doing extra credit for Comp. II, finishing Russian homework, preparing myself and making a schedule for the next week of classes, writing a blog, and then emailing professors and classmates about other assignments. With all of these things and more needing to be finished every day, technology does become a necessity.
If you would like to read more from Lanier, check out his book You Are Not A Gadget: A Manifesto, you can buy it at Amazon.com
Also, if you would like to watch Digital Nation, you can go to PBS.org and watch the full 90 minute documentary.
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