We No Longer Fix Things
When I was about fourteen years old, our rotary dial phone stopped working. It made a quiet buzz, but the loud, attention getting ring was missing.
"Do you think you can fix it?" my mother asked with some degree of optimism in her question, likely because she had observed me building my amateur radio equipment. Living on a farm also contributed to the logic of repair since that's what farmers do... they fix things. Or at least they used to.
Using a Phillips screwdriver and my favorite needle-nose pliers I dismantled the device, adjusted a few screws and had the ring back again. Interestingly, I didn't have to spend twenty minutes selecting a new ringtone. What you had was what you got.
It's not that simple now.
If we can't fix a non-working electronic device by a software update or talking to the guy in India, we hope our two-year contract is up and we qualify for an upgrade. If that's the case, our life is stable again and we get on with texting, watching viral videos of cats, babies or the most recent "cop shoots kid" event.
Our old, hard-wired phones did only one thing; they made calls. They didn't tell us where we were, had no calculator or act as a camera or flashlight. They couldn't even hook up to Google... errrr... wait... Google hadn't been invented yet.
On the other hand, those old klunkers didn't spy on us, give out personal information to the bad guys or become an addictive EED. (Electronic Enjoyment Device)
The good, the bad and the ugly.
Whether being held Linus-blanket-like in our hands or hidden in the deep recesses of our car, smart devices have become the ubiquitous necessity of our age. As long as a cell tower is in electronic sight hikers no longer need to worry about moss on the northwest side of trees, travelers never have to meet interesting people who give verbal directions to the best diner in town or we never have to interpret body language or voice inflection as conversations are reduced to text-language acronyms.
Who really cares? Life is good, especially when Facebook allows us to share with all our electronic friends that we just went to Walmart and recognized the greeter as our next door neighbor. LOL!
Sometimes I wonder... maybe a good EMP would be a welcome event, forcing us to rekindle (pun intended) the skill of critical thinking.
And if you don't know what that last sentence means, there is always Google.
Sometimes I wish I could visit those rotary dial phone days. I find it sad that we are unable to fix devices on our own now, and we rely heavily on others to solve problems for us. Sadly, we are often blinded by our technology. The advances in technology are absolutely beneficial, but they keep us distant and not present in the moment. Many times we try to get a picture of what is going on in front of us, instead of simply enjoying it. I have gotten in the habit of this as well and will admit that my phone is always by my side. Honestly, I don't think I could travel much without my GPS. Forget about using a map! There are immense good effects of the EED, but also some bad and ugly are visible in our society today. Especially when it comes to social media, it becomes easy to cyberbully kids as well. If we all could travel back to the days when only a rotary dial phone was available, I believe we could all have a different mindset today.
ReplyDelete-Taren Koch
An EMP would be a welcome event, In which it would be nice to see people walking around talking to real people, rather than looking at their phone all of the time not noticing what is around them. It would be a wake up call, in which people would realize how often they look at their phones. Being a computer science major, it is hard for me to see electronics as having more of a negative impact than a positive impact. In my opinion, I see technology still as having a larger benefit than being a drawback. One of the reasons being that a person is able to keep in contact with their friends all over the world. Before social media, people could only call each other on the phone. Where as now people can video call and see the person in real time from across the world, or send another person a message, leave and then come back to reply to the message and keep an ongoing conversation which can last longer than a phone call. I do agree with Taren, in which there is an ugly side to technology, in which there is cyber bullying. In my opinion there is an ugly side to everything if it is misused or overused. Technology can be very beneficial, but it depends on how we use the technology. I believe that if people were to also moderate the amount of usage of their phone, and how they use it, the world would be different, rather than an EMP.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, my grandparents still had a rotary phone in their house, as well as the wall box phones. I remember using the rotary phone all the time. It was my favorite phone to use when I was at their house. Sometimes I wish that all of our phones were still like that and that all of these smart phones did not exist. It is sad how addicted we can become to cell phones and other electronic deices. I work with children, and the majority of them have iPhones. These kids, all under the age of 12, own better technology and know how to use more technology than I do. This is both scary and encouraging at the same time. It is scary because they can become too addicting to it, but it can be a good thing. They are the future, and they are already so smart for such a young age. I can only imagine how advanced our technology will be when these children are my age. There is always a good and bad side to most things in life, and technology is no exception. (But if we could bring back the rotary phones, that would be awesome!)
ReplyDelete-Bryley De Ghetto
It wasn't until I was in the fourth grade when I got my first cell phone. It was your basic Motorola flip phone that took bad quality pictures and was used only to communicate with mom and dad. It wasn't a huge distraction back then to have a cell phone mainly because none of your friends had a phone. You actually had to call them on their house phone to talk to them. Almost all kids in elementary school now have smartphones and are in constant communication with their friends. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but then again it isn't a good thing either. I agree with Taren Koch when he said we are blinded by our technology today. I've had a smart phone for about 7 years and I can admit I am addicted to it. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, you name it! So I can only imagine kids today who grew up their whole lives with unlimited access to information in the palm of their hands. I see my younger cousins and brother growing up and their inability to hold a conversation and part of me wants to blame technology but what would happen if we took it away? I always use to say that my kids will never have a smart phone or Ipad because I want them to be able to converse with people but would I be holding them back from all that can be learned from smart phones? This upcoming generation is going to be centered on advanced technology even more than it is today, so will not allowing my kids to use this technology hinder their ability to succeed in the future? This is something I am constantly at war with internally. Good thing I have a few more years until I have to deal with raising kids!
ReplyDelete-Elisa Montano
I agree with you, Elisa! The kids today's childhood is so different from ours. They are constantly in touch with one another, instead of having to wait until they arrived at home to call their home phone and ask about a homework assignment, or if they would be allowed to see a movie on Friday night. I have a younger brother who is in middle school now, and is glued to his phone. He and his friends are only 13, but have been texting and talking to each other over social media for the past few years. My brother received his first iPhone when he was in 5th grade, and he claims he was "the last of all of his friends." When he and his friends hang out, they spend their time indoors playing xbox, instead of riding bikes outside like the neighbors and I did.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone ahead of me, talking about the negative and positive effects of technology. I think the positives do outweigh the negatives, but they come at a price. People are very attached to their phones; most people always like to have their phone with them. When walking to class, most people either are looking down, reading a text, talking on the phone, or holding their phone in their hand. While yes, it is amazing that it is so easy to send texts back and forth with friends from home, it also limits people to have their complete focus on their phone.
Some parts of the past are missed, but we have learned so much with technology and will continue to learn more.
-Kennedy Myers
Sometimes, I use my phone to text my best friend in my hometown. Sometimes, I text my mother that I made it to campus safe so she doesn't have to worry. Most of the time, I use it to play games and distract my mind from any anxiety attacks. I know this isn't something people are supposed to talk about openly, especially when they attach their name to it, but I know I'm not the only one who's in this situation. The first time I had a panic attack, I asked some people how to cope for future reference, and they said "play games on your phone." It worked. Not only do the games provide an excellent distraction, but people will see you on your phone and, more often than not, not try to engage you in conversation. If I need someone to talk to, my mom always has her phone nearby and I can text her.
ReplyDeleteMaybe God does want us to speak to each other without a phone face to face, but as Bryley said, there are both good and bad sides to technology. The good side to my phone is that it really is a Linus blanket to me, and if I didn't have it, I would be leaving class sometimes before it even started.
- Jenna Wood
I was in 7th grade when I got my first cell phone and the only reason that I was allowed to have one was because I would walk home after school so my parents wanted me to have one in case of an emergency. Now I have students in elementary school with the latest iPhone! Technology is such a great resource and I think it is important for us to encourage young students to use technology in a positive way to help them learn but I also think that children these days are exposed to technology (like cellphones) way too early. Now because children get cellphones so young some of them don't even know that landlines even exist! I try and challenge myself to set a good example for kids when I am around them, I do my best to stay present in the moment and have face-to-face interactions rather than go into my own little world on my cellphone. I definitely fail at this sometimes but I think kids should know that yes...iPhones and everything they can do is AMAZING but it is not the only way they can communicate with one another.
ReplyDelete-Kristen Negrete
Technology is wonderful in the sense that it makes our lives easier, and gives us access to more information than we could ever imagine before at our fingertips. For some, their smart phones provide security in the ways of keeping in constant contact with family and friends, as well as through social media. But like everything, too much of something is not healthy physically or mentally. I remember a few years ago I went to my local Target to pick up a few items when there was a small earthquake. It wasn’t big enough to cause much damage, just knock a few things off the shelves and cause the electricity to go out for a few seconds. Once the lights came back on and I made my way to the checkout lines, I noticed that the lines weren’t moving. I soon found out this was because all the systems were down, and the clerks didn’t know how to charge people for the items they wanted to buy. The machines wouldn’t scan the items, they wouldn’t add up the prices, and they wouldn’t add the taxes and the clerks just stood there helpless, waiting for the systems to re-boot. This instance made me realize how heavily dependent we are on technology now, and without it we can feel very helpless. The days where the clerks used to add up prices mentally or on individual calculators are gone, and there are few who could even do so now. It’s honestly scary to think about how dependent our society has become on technology and without it many of us are unable to critically think about a solution to a problem. Something as simple as adding up prices, or experimenting to find the perfect recipe have vanished and many of us fall victim to saying to ourselves, ‘Why do I have to spend so much time working to find the solution when I can find it out within seconds of searching it on Google’. It’s perfectly alright to use technology, and it does make our lives easier, but I believe that we have to be careful and use it in moderation, allowing ourselves to take the high road sometimes, and think critically.
ReplyDelete-Marion McGinnis
I work at a restaurant at Disneyland and I see parents everyday give their kids their iPhone or iPad to keep them entertained. When I give a child a kids menu and crayons to color with they don't even care because they're so occupied with the device. When parents take away the technology because its time to order or eat the kids become distressed and some start to cry. This makes me sad because a kid shouldn't need to be using technology while at Disneyland. I remember I used to color on kids menus with my brother and we would race each other on the word searches or crossword puzzles. We didn't have a phone or iPad and we still had so much fun. Children, especially those at Disneyland, shouldn't be using phones or iPads. Children be soaking in all Disneyland has to offer and interacting with their family. I think technology can be a good thing but like Marion McGinnis said, "too much of something is not healthy physically or mentally." Its making people disconnect with the physical world around them. I'm not going to lie, I love my iPhone and I am probably a little too connected with it but I am trying to distance myself from using it too much and I hope others can follow in the same direction.
ReplyDelete-Ashley Russell
When I think about technology and how much it has changed in the world, it is really exciting but also scary. Thinking back to the time that I got my first cell phone, I was in seventh or eighth grade and the only reason I got one was because I would walk to and from the bus stop for school. Today when I see children who are in third and fourth grade with iPhones I think it is a little ridiculous. It would be nice to see a world where children still have the desire to go outside and get their jeans dirty playing in the dirt and exploring nature rather than being cooped up in a house all day watching television or playing on their iPads/iphones. There are a few positives with having the technology that we do, and I think that if we continue to use it as a positive resource it will be really helpful to the children of this generation. We cannot forget to inform them though how important it is to interact with each other physically not just through the web.
ReplyDeleteI totally understand what you mean Makena, my first phone was a little black LG flip phone. The only reason I got it was because I started the 6th grade and it was because I walked from home to the bus stop. It wasn't the farthest walk, but it still was something my parents were worried about. With this age, I find it sad how things are, my sister, Olivia, will be three years old this November and cannot go anywhere without playing with my mom's iPad. Olivia much rather play with an iPad or phone then go outside or play with her dolls. She knows how to work my iPhone as well as how to take selfies. We laugh and make jokes at how funny it is, but when you really think of it, it's just a reflection of how society has changed and just how much technology controls our world. I feel that technology has its good and bad, it helps with all the advances and all the answers it can provide us with, but bad in the sense that we rely to much on it and takes away from quality time and we lose sense of what real conversation is.
ReplyDelete- Kristian Rojas
I agree with Makena and Kristian. I too find it sad how the younger generations only care about technology. I use to have so much fun playing with my younger cousins hide and seek, and chase them around the house before they learned about what video games and ipads were. Now whenever I see them during the holidays, videogames seem to be the only thing that they look forward too. Seeing this change in the generations does have me worried about the future generations. I think technology would be good if there was a way to moderate how much people use technology.
ReplyDeleteYou would think with all the ways to connect to each other via electromagnetic signals, we would be better at personal connection as individuals. Psychologically speaking, technology has inhibited individuals' ability to communicate effectively, to connect emotionally, to create relationship when it comes so easily through a friend request on Facebook. As parents are giving their children smartphones at younger and younger ages and not moderating the amount of usage the phones are getting, their children are becoming more disengaged to the world around them. Their entire identity becomes wrapped up in their social media accounts. They find their worth in how many followers/friends they have, how many likes they receive on an update or post. Attention spans are shortening and self-motivation is weakening as individuals become more absorbed in their own cyber-universe.
ReplyDeleteKennedy, I mourn with you the loss of interest in summertime adventure. Our personalities have been shaped by the memories we made in childhood, our characters molded by the decisions we faced growing up. I can't imagine what kind of a person I would be if summertime and after-school hours weren't filled with water fights with neighborhood kids, bike races down the hill by my house, catching hundreds of ladybugs and rolly-pollies in the neighbors' yards, makeshift picnics in the front yard, running through sprinklers, and building a fort in the backyard that couldn't possibly stand up against any force of nature, but I was so damn proud of it because I had built it without any help. It is true that kids are growing up to be incredibly smart; but all this information at their fingertips does no good if they are slowly losing their grip on reality.
The above post is by Kellyn Turrietta
DeleteI agree that today most people use social media and find identity in how many friends/ followers that they have. It is pretty sad to see that people only form their identity just off of numbers. Some people even add people who they do not even really talk to, but know as an acquaintance. People also seem to form a false sense in identity, in which they only post certain things on social media. This atmosphere that is created has everyone in a way wearing a mask saying that they have their whole life together, and so that others will think of them as being better than others, when in reality no one has his or her life completely together. Looking back I miss the time before social media was really popular, when people spent more time investing in each other hanging out in real life and forming their identity off of real friends, rather then virtual friends.
ReplyDeleteI think that the technology we have today is great. Over the years, technology has been adapted for us to expand our ways of using it. Although there has been negatives to technology and how it has been used (cyberbullying, depression, loss of identity, and being on your phone too much), I believe it is our responsibility as a generation to control how much we use this technology and how we use it responsibly. Some may blame technology and all the negative outcomes that has stemmed from it, but I see it as a way to expand the world we live in. Overall, I believe technology to be a benefit as long as it is used wisely and responsibly. It is a way to communicate with your friends, family, and peers; as well as many more aspects. It is up to us as a generation however, to use it to our benefit.
ReplyDelete-Melissa Van Dyke
I resonated with what Taryn said above (sorry if I misspelled your name) regarding wishing to be in a time that we were not attached to our electronic devices. I frequently try to simulate it by doing a spiritual discipline called "unplugging". I will take all electronic distractions and put them away for the purpose of seeking the Lord without being distracted by the instruments. It's funny too that when I get outside in nature and leave my phone in the car, I get the opportunity to hear and share the experiences of another human being which is far more enjoyable and fulfilling than scrolling through Facebook. Additionally, in moments of silence I sit and soak in the splendor of Gods creation which humbles me and moves me to a state of worship and awe. I cannot get that full effect even if I looking at pictures of the same view on an electronic screen. I hope that the people I encounter in life would learn to detach from their devices and enjoy community the way God intended: face to face. It's sad to say that meaningful conversation is a lost art.
ReplyDeleteI really wish that we hadn't become so dependent on technology. I hate the idea that we are expected to be available to everyone at all times just because we have cell phones. When I am spending quality time with a friend, I feel the pressure that I need to also be present with those who are trying to reach me over the phone. I have found that the best way I can be present with those around me is by putting my phone on silent and away in my purse. I think this increase in technology allows people to hide behind a screen and put up a fake front of who they want to be, rather than encouraging people to be who God has created them to be.
ReplyDeleteThe unsaid pressure of having to be on one's phone all the time takes away from us seeing what God has placed right in front of us, whether that be His beautiful creation or a person in need. Oh how I wish we could go back to the days where rotary phones were the normal thing to have, and people would send mail to each other if they traveled far away. Texting on cell phones allows people to hide behind their phone when they need to be courageous and address a certain topic. I have seen many times when people are in a conflict, they will text it out. I strongly believe that those conversations need to be had face to face. A lot of times people will ask each other out over text as well, but I believe that those conversations need to be had in person as well.
Although I am not an advocate for relying on technology, I know that we need to be present in the world that we live in and be looking for ways to draw others to Christ through these new technological advances.
-Lauren Werderman
I think it would be cool to go a day without electronics, or if there was a way to make all electronics not function for a day for everyone. Everyone would then realize how much time they spend on their phones. Also people would then socialize with each other in real life, rather than communicating with virtual people. I think if this were to happen, even for a day, people would have more of an appreciation for technology, and it would not be something that people take for granted every day. I remember watching a video, in which the people shut down the internet at a coffee shop to see how the people would react and also if they would then socialize with each other, and when the internet did go down, people started to look up and were more aware of their surroundings and talked to each other, even though they did not know each other. I think it would be neat to see this happen, in which people are more aware of their surroundings, and spend time investing in real relationships with people, rather than spend time online with virtual people. Technology can be good, depending on how people use it and how much people use it.
ReplyDeleteMy grandparents still to this day have a dial phone as their home number. It is one of the things that I love and look forward to every time that I go over to their house. As a kid I just loved to play with it for fun, but now as an adult the phone serves as a reminder of the history that has been lived by the many wonderful people before. It is a line on a timeline that can not be erased or forgotten. I love that phone to death.
ReplyDeleteI am part of Rez life on campus and one of the requirements that we are required to do is something called Walkabout. If you are not familiar, it is a ten day backpacking trip in Yosemite where there is no deodorant, no shampoo, only two outfits, and the obvious, no electronics. The best/worst and most terrifying part of the trip is the 48 hours of solo time that they send you on. Yep, that's right! The leaders pick out a spot and drop you off with nothing but your bible, sleeping bag and a tarp for 48 hours. Before going on the trip I thought that this was going to be the death of me but after doing it twice I have a much different perspective. It was very hard and difficult to get through the 48 hours at the time (especially because I was fasting for that time) but it was the first time since I was a child that I was actually distraction free. I had nothing getting in my way of my time with God. These simpler times that we all crave so much I am convinced are just an instinctual craving to connect with our creator. We hide behind the lights of our screens instead of shining our lights of beauty. I do miss simpler times and I think we can get there, but it is going to take a certain amount of strength and accountability from the people that we must meticulously surround ourselves with. We don't get the luxury of simple living naturally anymore.
-Sofia Figueroa
It is hard for me to imagine going back to the days of the rotary dial phone. So much has progressed in terms of technology since then, its difficult for me to even remember anything before my family had a relatively quick computer in the house. In some respects, I feel blessed to grow up in an age when technology has revolutionized the world more than ever, and the benefits that affect everyday lifestyle can clearly be seen. However, I have heard too many people from older generations reflect negatively on the direction that technology is taking us to not wonder what it would be like to back to previous era. My grandparents and my parents have both experienced amazing technological advancements in their lifetimes, and even use devices such as the iPhone daily, but they all seemingly resent the effects they have on us to a certain degree. This is what really makes me think, because even thought their lives have been made easier on so many different levels, they can't help but continually reminisce on the past and wish that everyone wasn't so immersed in their phones on a daily basis. Although I have grown up in this era and have been using these devices all my life, even I can clearly see a lack of personal communication skills amongst my friends and an overall trend of people caring more about social media than socializing face to face. Obviously it is unrealistic to imagine a world without these modern day advancements at this point, but every time I hear one of my elders reflect on the past and how different things were, I can't help but wish I could visit a past era and experience the difference.
ReplyDelete-Austin Hart
I definitely find it funny how we have created such advanced technology that makes our lives easier. Yet they are stealing one thing from us that we should be using the most often, critical thinking. We should use our brains more than our phones to solve problems. I am not a phone hater but I do force myself to be conscious of how many people around me are on their phones. I look around in a classroom before the professor is there and every other classmate is on their phone. At this point I refrain from pulling mine out and I look at everyone in the room. A slight feeling of disgust but mostly sadness fills me. Instead of focusing on whatever it is they are looking at, we could all be having a stimulating conversation about the homework or issues in the world or share study tips and problem solving tips.
ReplyDeleteMy boyfriend and I have a rule where our phones are put away when we are together. Especially if we have dinner and are sitting at the table. We want to spend that time without any distractions because we realize that as people, each other is more important. If we go out on a date, our phones are put away the whole time. Now if one of us pulls out our phone the other does not get upset, its just a rule that we agreed upon.
Phones have gotten so extreme that if you go to the store or mall, anywhere really, you will find multiple families where the parents have given their children, usually under 5 years old, their cell phones to play on to keep them good. This is the generation that is being literally raised on electronics. I do not plan on being one of these parents, but we will see how controllable my kids are. Lol
-Samantha Jewell
I agree that technology has disrupted the the amount of critical thinking we come across daily, but I do not believe that is the most negative aspect technology has on society today. The true detrimental aspect of technology is the dependence on a non- personal relationship. Relationships should be the reason for actions, feelings and mental stimulus, and the reality is that a non- perfect human relationship will let you down more than once. Technology is a relationship that will never let you down, if you don't want it to, because it is the new standard of necessity in today's world. It will always be there (if charged) and will pretty much do anything you want it to. The reliance on technology decreases the importance of human interaction, which is the most harmful aspect in my opinion.
ReplyDelete- Scott Mosher
I agree that we do not take the time to fix things that are broken. This leaves me with two questions. Are the items that we use today made to last? As well as, with the rapid increase in technology, is it even reasonable for a person to be able to have all of the skills necessary to fix what is broken? For example, the Iphone. I am sure that most people who have Iphones have had the screen shatter or some other problem go wrong with their phone. I know that I have had to replace my Iphone on three separate occasions. These items are built in bulk and are more so focused on meeting our needs of instant information instead of creating a product that will last for years and years. The next point I made was whether or not it is even possible for us to fix the broken items of today. Sticking to the example of the Iphone we can see that it would be very hard for the average joe to fix one of these. Iphone's are composed up of so many little parts and computer chips that it would take a considerable amount of training in order to know about how they work and how to fix them. Although I do think it is good for people to be able to fix their things that are broken, I also think that we may be moving out of that era.
ReplyDelete-Blake Ivancich
I do agree that the technology we do posses now has made it more difficult to think critically. Although we don't necessarily need to, we can find the answer to anything on the internet at any time. We don't have to take apart the phone to find whats wrong and speed hours fixing a problem on our own, we can look it up on youtube and find a step by step on how to fix it and be done in 10 minutes. This makes it easier for me to save money, when something breaks on my car i go and buy the part online at the cheapest amount, then find a video on the internet showing me how to fix it step by step and i have fixed car doors, installed sound systems, and my radiator. i fixed/ installed these things in a few hours, things that my father personally took hours to do when he was my age. So yes we are missing out on critical thinking, but we do get more time out of the day.
ReplyDeleteI believe the main reason we as a society no longer try to fix our technology before taking it to a specialist is simply because it is so much more complicated than it ever has been. The use of technology has become more and more user friendly over the years while the knowledge of how it works has dwindled. The average person does not know the extent of technology put into their phones or laptops. I do agree that technology hinders the population in some ways. Every conversation is much less formal thanks to texting. However, it has also sped up the process of communication and increased the amount of people you can connect with by an extremely large amount.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Austin said about being privileged to grow up in the age where technology is advancing faster than ever before. Using technology is in our nature and it has helped me in so many aspects of my life. I feel that even as I grow older I will be able to stay up to date with current technology and be able to learn how to use it in a skillful manner because I grew up in such a time where technology was advancing so quickly
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Noah said, he brought up a good point regarding the effect that technological advancements have on our critical thinking. Technology has obviously made our lives abundantly easier is so many different ways, but I think that the more we depend on it, the less we are able to think for ourselves and figure out problems for ourselves. Most people will probably never learn how to read a map because we are so heavily dependent on our GPS and our phones to provide us will quick easy answers. If I go on Youtube and search how to fix my car like Noah referenced, I will undoubtedly resolve the issue quickly and save time and money, but think form of learning is highly abbreviated when compared to fixing a car without the help of technology. I think the trial and error aspect is also important and helps our critical thinking, when we don't come the final conclusion at first. I still think that technology is a blessing and we should take advantage of the resources that we are provided with, but that we should remain conscious of how it is affected our learning process.
ReplyDeleteThe advancement of technology brings along with it a large responsibility to use it effectively for good. The concepts of "smart phone etiquette", if you would call it that, and the possibility of addictive-like behavior and obsession is simply not talked about enough. It is absolutely necessary to think critically about how we interact with our cellphones, which includes how long we are on it and what we use it for.
ReplyDeleteI am similar to Samantha Jewell in that it is my goal to put my phone away in most social settings. I hate the idea of missing the opportunity to have a meaningful conversation with someone next to me or simply appreciate the setting I am currently in. Awareness is a powerful quality, and at times our phones are being used as a way to escape or ignore the place we are currently in. Keeping the mind focused and staying present is a hard enough discipline without the additional distraction of an entire digital realm.
There is obviously powerful ways in which technology is helping us as a people, however its over-use seems to be a very present problem.
I have to disagree with Kellyn saying that technology has inhibited our abilities to communicate effectively, connect emotionally, or to create relationships. I have lots of friends who I communicate effectively with and have emotional relationships with them as a result of that. I have had multiple relationships with women that showed no signs of inhibited skills to communicate correctly as a result of technology. However no relationship is perfect you cannot blame bad social and emotional skills on technology, the divorce rate is above 50%, these relationships were built well before the technology takeover so making technology the scapegoat for humans not being able to communicate emotionally. There just isn’t anything there to support these claims. I think us as humans are just not perfect and never will be. In 20 years we will be blaming our enable ability to communicate on the next big thing.
ReplyDeleteI think the days when rotary phones existed, were the days that our society/community actually became alive. I feel that this day in age, everyone is lost in technology. We are so technologically advanced, that we forget how to communicate in our real world rather than in the virtual reality that we live in, whether that's our cellphones or videogames. Although our cell phones are very addictive, they benefit us greatly. We're able to communicate with people across the globe, we're able to look up anything that we want and find an answer, and we're able to find directions to any place and it'll gradually change the distance and time remaining before reaching the destination. All of these things come in a matter of seconds. Technology has been very beneficial to our daily needs. I think that if an EMP was put into effect, then the population of the earth would fall apart pretty fast and people would eventually die. Our whole world is run off of technology. Any electronic device would not work if an EMP was deployed, that means that even a car would not work. So many things that are beneficial to surviving and living, are run off of electronics. What's bad is that in our lifetime, we'll probably come to the point of having an EMP take place.
ReplyDeleteI agree Joshua Sasaki’ s post. Nowadays, more and more people like to look their phone no matter they are at home, in party, in office and so on. The development of technologies make people lack of communication with their family or friends. Some people may argue that they chat with their friends on Facebook or other communication application. Actually, when you meet real people, you will feel uncomfortable to talk with them. Although, this is a disadvantage of technology development. However, everything has two sides. I believe that the advantages of technologies are more than the disadvantages. Using phone to communicate is a trend for today’s society. It is hard for us to leave phone or internet because I enjoy the benefits from the development of technology.
ReplyDelete-Kunyi Xie
As a computer science major technology is everything to me. Do I think it inhibits my intelligence or work ethic, no. Let me tell you why. Critical thinking does not come from neglecting the tools you have around you. I actually believe that we've advanced mentally from the older generation. With more tools we can worry about less allowing us to advance in ways we could have never imagined before.Computers are tools used to either expand one's knowledge or provide entertainment. There is such a wide variety of what you can do, therefore it is not logical to think that because of one common use society as a whole is becoming less intelligent. The problem with my generation is not what they are surround by, but rather how they interact with their surroundings. It is the idea of "following" verses "leading" that is the real problem. We would rather use someone else's creation than create one ourselves. Everything we use should be used for the purpose of advancing our interest in something we are passionate about.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the advancements in technology have been beneficial to us, in a social scope it has proved to be detrimental. Sure, social media allows us to connect with friends and family from almost anywhere, but i think it starts becoming a problem when our lives are dictated by the amount of likes we get on a certain post. Many people nowadays are living life just for likes or favorites. Your life is not measured in the amount of likes, comments, notes, or followers. I wish we could go back to the days where we weren't glued to our screens, but as long as technology advances our social interaction is going to dwindle.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Melissa in that the technology that we have today is pretty great. It allows us to do so many things that are beneficial to our daily life. We can communicate with friends whenever we want, travel anywhere in a split second do to maps on our smartphone, and so much more. But there are some flaws, such as cyberbullying as Melissa mentioned. I do agree that in this generation, it is our responsibility to control what happens with our technology.
ReplyDeleteLife without a phone would be so different. Being 20 years old, I grew up knowing nothing about what it was like to grow up with only a house phone. I have gone through every "popular" phone there has been, and I remember always bugging my parents saying that I needed it. Although, it was not something I would die without, I made it seem that way. Looking back, I can't believe how much I would make my mom pay for the new phone I wanted so badly.
ReplyDeletePhones are helpful and a great tool, but the problem with it, we become attached and don't even realize it. We are constantly checking our phones, we know that if someone is texting, calling, emailing etc. our phone will light up. It's a little thing, but I always catch myself doing this. It goes to show just how dependent we are, as well as how much a difference it has made in our lives.
I found this article extremely relevant. With my family's contract on our phone, we can update our phones every two years if we want, even if there is nothing wrong with our current one. The phone companies are always making something better than the last, and convince consumers that they need to have it, because what they have is now inadequate. This not only applies to technology, but various products we buy as well. If something is simply a little old, faded, or has a minor flaw but still is able to be used, we often toss it out and buy a new one, thinking it's better. I'd even go as far as saying that we unfortunately sometimes do this with people as well. For example, in a new friendship or relationship, everything goes smoothly. With some people, as soon as there are signs of conflict or trouble, rather than working together towards fixing it by talking about it, they give up and end the friendship or relationship. While of course some differences cannot be solved, we should make the effort to keep what we have. Do we forget how much time we spend with someone and the memories we form, or do we just reach the point where we don't care? I think some people, myself included at times, need to take time to appreciate what we have and keep it for as long as we can rather than tossing it as soon as something we think is better comes along.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the points you've made in this blog post and I find myself being guilty in being best friends with my cell phone. I love technology and love that my phone has a camera that allows me to capture memories with my family or friends, but I find myself caught up in taking the picture than having a conversation and a long lasting memory.
ReplyDeleteI didn't have my first phone until middle school but that didn't change the way I talked to my friends.. But as soon as high school hit and the iPhones came out, life changed drastically. I found myself being so attached my phone. The days I left my phone at home felt like a nightmare. Now, I get angry when the processing system on my devices are slow. I think we take advantage in the technology we have that we allow it to control our lives. I agree with Kristen Negrete's post about teaching the future generations to learn how to use technology in a positive way. We shouldn't let technology rule our lives. I also agree with Kristan Rojas' post as well about constantly checking our phones for texts or Facebook likes. We feel so dependent on having others pay attention to us digitally then having the physical interaction and conversation.
Just like most things, there are also pros and cons of advanced technology. Yes, we can just pull up the maps on our phones if we get lost, but it acts as a distraction or even detrimental when technology is abused. With social media being so prominent in modern day society, advanced technology allows things like cyberbullying to occur.
ReplyDeleteAdvanced technology allows our lives to be simplified in a sense that it's easier to complete daily tasks and access information, but ironically these "simplifications" complicates our lives by causing problems that we wouldn't have if we didn't have advanced technology.