Technology is making all of us dumb and dumberer.
I’ve been struggling with this post for some time now and am not so sure how to capture all of my anger, frustration and general confusion over the subject except to say, we are being stupefied by technology and are too dumb to know or care about it. And for that, my friends, I’m HATIN.’
I’ll try to make this post short and sweet seeing that, through research, I found out that most Americans, teen aged through adult years, only have a span of about 8 seconds for focused attention… 20 minutes for sustained attention, which is the level of attention that produces consistent results on a task over time… like reading this blog.
Technology is a double-edged sword. It is great in that it fuels the progression of our society, makes life easier through use of machines and devices and creates an air of possibility, posing the question of “what will they think of next?” But we have to ask ourselves, at what cost will all of this have on future generations.
Today’s millennials, also known as the “Google Generation,” are most at risk. In reading over a dozen articles/news stories about this topic, one conclusion is clear; today’s youth don’t know the basics of what most of us know (or should know). Now, I hear you asking, ‘well, what exactly don’t they know?’, so I’ve created a list of daily “do’s” that today’s teens should be familiar with, but aren’t. If you are a teenager and are reading this blog, I, a) want to applaud your attention skills, and b) implore you to review this list and rate yourself honestly against it. Today’s kids don’t know (and probably will never learn) how to:
- Read maps (GPS has that covered, I guess)
- Convert simple measurements, i.e. cups to quarts, tablespoons to cups, etc.
- Recount days of the week (we think it’s simple, but with schools opting for “block scheduling,” many students see weekdays as letters, not dates)
- Write checks or even balance a checkbook
- Use a ruler
- Read/interpret a food labels (no wonder their obese)
- Tell time with an analog clock (yes, I mean a traditional clock with a face and hands)
And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
The problem really lies in the fact that technology has increased our response time to sending and receiving information and data, accounting for our decreased attention span, while also creating a world of distractions.
Even as I write this, I have my Facebook and Twitter pages up, have answered at least 3 text messages and checked incoming email from two different accounts.
Another adverse effect of technology is social interaction. I wholeheartedly believe that technology is the main cause for the increase in school violence and teen suicides.
Let’s face it, in this era of “Twitter Thugs,” (See I’m HATIN’ The Biggest Black Shames of 2010 post) instant digital video recordings and being able to bash/bad talk “friends,” classmates and peers with 140-characters or less, our kids have not had to deal with actual, face-to-face confrontation.
I find it hilarious that the media portrays bullying as this brand new phenomenon. It’s not. Grade and high schools have been hot beds for bulling since the beginning of time. I can say, with almost 100% certainty, that everyone, at some point in time, has been bullied. Maybe not beat up, but made fun of or talked about in some way. Right or wrong (mostly just wrong) it’s a part of growing up. But today’s kids don’t know how to handle bullying. With so many outlets, like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and YouTube, used to bash and bully people, I don’t know if I’d be able to handle it either.
Today’s youth have, on average, 387 Facebook “friends.” Not REAL friends. They spend more time alone, in their rooms, connecting with people digitally as opposed to sitting, face-to-face, conversing. If they only know how to communicate online, why does it shock us that they deal with confrontation online? Technology has made speaking to one another passé; you want to talk to a teenager today? Text them. Facebook them. Mention them in a tweet.
I cannot solely blame technology for our new-found stupidity; we are also to blame. We need to set boundaries and limitations as it relates to our use of technological devices. We must not be afraid to turn off our cell phones, mobile apps, iPad’s, Facebook and Twitter. The digital world will continue on without us. And I’m not saying, go cold turkey, but if your teenage kid is spending 6 hours a day on social media and internet sites or playing Xbox, unless otherwise doing homework, give them three hours, shut everything off and tell them to go outside or read a book… you know, that bound, 4 x 7 inch paperback instrument with words.
HATIN’: JLChapple Tested and Approved
House Minority Leader Lawrence F. Cafero Jr., R-Norwalk, pictured standing, far right, speaks while colleagues Rep. Barbara Lambert, D-Milford and Rep. Jack F. Hennessy, D-Bridgeport, play solitaire Monday night as the House convened to vote on a new budget. (AP) 
