Growing Up Digital....

I wanted to discuss an article that my Technology teacher showed us; it was in the New York Times, and entitled "Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction."  As the title suggests, this article is about how technology advancements are affecting “how people think and behave.”  The main story in the article is about Vishal Singh’s life and how technology has been affecting it.  It starts with how even though Vishal, 17, has had all summer to read his summer reading, he has waited until the last minute to do it.  And this is in fault of his obsession with filmmaking on his computer.  The article is meant to argue that technology is negatively affecting our society, especially for students; that school work is being put on the back burner because of our technology.  But I question, is this true? If Vishal had lived back in the 1970s when say, my parents, had been growing up, would he really have been more encouraged to do his homework?  I think kids look for an excuse to not work on school, and technology is just this generation’s excuse.  For example, I’m writing this on the plane to go home to Texas for Thanksgiving Break, and I don’t have Internet.  As I’m composing this in word to post later, I keep pausing every five minutes or so just to stare out the window for minutes at a time.  It’s simple why I do it; distraction. Procrastination.

“Jacob L. Vigdor, an economics professor at Duke University who led some of the research, said that when adults were not supervising computer use, children ‘are left to their own devices, and the impetus isn’t to do homework but play around.’”

I have to disagree with this statement, especially from my own experience.  While yes, some of the time I will sit on my computer for hours on end, mostly facebooking, I will work on homework when it’s needed.  Of course none of us want to do homework, I mean lets be honest here, the question in life that I encounter the most now that I’m in college is “Facebook or Homework?”  Usually we multi-task and do both.  So I guess the better question for the world to be asking is, is technology creating a multi-tasking world that is making us put less effort into the singular tasks we should be performing? And I think the answer is yes.  I can’t think of the last time that I wrote a paper without getting on Facebook every 10 minutes or so (oh wait, yes I can! Right now. But this is only because I don’t have internet.) It’s not like anything exciting is happening on Facebook, I just don’t think my brain can concentrate for huge chunks of time anymore, I’m so used to multitasking.

I asked 20 people:

“How often do you go on Facebook each day?”

             Less than 30 minutes: 2

            1 to 3 hours: 6

            3 to 5 hours: 8

            6+ hours: 4

That right there should disgust many critics of my generation.  Most of us spend anywhere from 1 to 5 hours on Facebook each DAY. Multiplied times 7, we’re “wasting” up to 35+ hours on a singular website per week.  But when we’re on Facebook, it doesn’t feel like we’re wasting time at all.  (also in case anyone is wondering I just spilled ice water all over my leg… perfect)

Anyways, I’ve come to realize that the internet, along with having the social life of a freshman in college, my grades have dropped, just like Vishal in the article.  In high school I had a 3.7 GPA, and currently, at almost the end of my first semester of college, I have a 2.5. I feel like such a winner.