An Ugly Toll of Technology: Impatience and Forgetfulness, another article in the Your Brain on Computers series, explores the notion of how excessive use of personal technologies may slowly be reshaping our personalities, causing people to become more impatient, impulsive, and forgetful. Advancing age and living in New York has already brought out some of those qualities in me, now the computer too, no!
Dependence on technology detracts from our relationships. Having hundreds of Facebook friends doesn't necessarily translate to, nor is it a substitute for, healthy relationships in "real life". It drives me crazy when I am out on the town, look around and see everyone playing with their phones. Come on, is this awesome concert or party not enough entertainment for you?
My position in this blog isn't meant to be anti-technology, but this NYT series brings to light many of my concerns about over dependence on technology. For me, the most significant message is that people should strive for balance and be self-aware.
If you enjoy your online activities more than anything else, then you might want to check out the expert insights provided in the online discussion, First Steps to Digital Detox.
Posts
The Digital Detox forum was interesting with all the different perspectives, but I wonder how much of the "technology is changing our brains" argument is just a more neuro-scientific sounding version of technological determinism in which a new technology is credited (or discredited) with causing all kinds of changes in ourselves and society.
ReplyDelete--Shawn