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Elizabeth Johnson
Professor Webb
English 1010
17 November 2015
Technology can damage you within
For just a moment take a second and think of a time when what you sent to a person
through a text was misinterpreted. What if you were to say the same thing to the persons face?
Just imagine how much more effective that would have been. Whether you are dating someone,
interviewing someone or just meeting someone for the first time, there is a special quality about
face to face interactions. You can catch the subtle tone in ones voice, see ones expressions as
they change from sad to outraged, and you can look them in the eye to see if you trust them. It is
unfortunate that real life interactions are on the outs as cell phone conversations, texting, instant
messaging and Facebook emails start to take up more of our time. For young people especially,
having a cell phone or iPod in hand and at the ready is the default mode while walking the
streets. That means much less chance of conversation with the people who populate our real
lives. Though many advocate for the benefits of technology, technology can decrease the quality
of human interactions and compromise the intelligence of our brain and therefore, cause us to
rely on the use of technology to be the root of our relationships and to think for us.

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Recently there was a man who went to London. He noticed the gadget haze where so
many people were connected to some form of technology. He got lost and asked a woman if he
was near SoHo, and it took a moment for her to realize that someone real in front of her was
actually talking to her. Slowly, she removed herself from her bubble, took off her headset and
asked him to repeat what he had said. Eventually she pointed him in the right direction and put
the headset back on. With more immersive experiences on mobile devices, it is not hard to
wonder if this technology haze will grow thicker and thicker making it even more difficult for
others to break through.
Little by little, internet and mobile technology seems to be subtly destroying the
meaningfulness of interactions we have with others, disconnecting us from the world around us
and leading to an imminent sense of isolation in todays society. Instead of spending time in
person with friends, we just call, text or instant message them. It may seem simpler, but we
ultimately end up seeing our friends face to face significantly less. Ten texts cannot even begin to
equal an hour spent chatting with a friend over lunch. And a smiley-face emoticon is cute, but it
can never replace the ear-splitting grin and smiling eyes of one of your friends. Face time is
important for people. We need to see each other. This does not just apply to our friends; it applies
to the world around us. It should come as no surprise that face-to-face interaction is proven by
studies to comfort us and provide us with an important sense of well-being, whether it is with
friends or a new person you've just met.
We have this amazing and wondrous thing called a brain. Yet, as we make increasingly
greater strides in technological innovation, we are tempted to use this masterful tool less and

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less. If you use technology at every opportunity as a replacement for critical thinking or problem
solving, in time those skills will begin to lose their edge. Your brain is like a muscle. If you stop
using your cognitive skills and instead rely on technology to do all of your thinking, in time
those skills will start to atrophy. Do you use GPS for directions everywhere you go? If so, your
spatial skills can gradually start to worsen. Do you rely on autocorrect and spell-check for every
bit of typed communication? If so, your spelling skills could start to suffer. When we over-rely
on technology to do our thinking for us, not only are our cognitive skills losing their edge, but
our creativity can suffer as well. Why do we care about creativity? For one thing, creativity is at
the root of our ability to problem-solve novel situations. Creativity is what we use when we are
presented with a new problem and need to figure out the best course of action. When we let our
devices make all of these decisions for us, we stop utilizing those problem-solving skills. The
majority use of technology is not only causing the quality of human interaction to rapidly
decline, but it is also causing a large decline in our intelligence.
However, others will say that technology is a perfect way to connect us. We can share our
past, enrich our present and expand our futures through the use of social media. Skype hangouts
are great ways to connect with friends, family or coworkers near and far. Texting, calling and emailing have revolutionized the way we keep in touch, and these forms of communication only
continue to advance. As good as the benefits of technology are, this privilege is being overused.
Technology was meant to act as a backbone, not as a brain. Technology was meant to keep us
updated and connected with the world and people. It was not intended for us to sit around
wasting our time and intelligence playing games or constantly being on social media. This

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overuse of technology can actually lead to depression. Instead we should reach out and make real
connections.
Our exposure to digital media is only increasing. In fact, there was a study revealed that
children eight to eighteen years old receive about eight and a half hours of digital stimulation a
day. This ranges from TV and video to music and using the computer. This means that as
children are growing up in this digital era, they are living in a state of continuous partial
attention where their dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is stimulated and short-term memory is
dominating. This can result in a state of stress that can also have very serious physiological
consequences for the body. As the brain is forced to constantly review and analyze new
information, such as a Google search or scanning Facebook, the brain can enter what can be
called a techno-brain burnout.
At first this phenomenon causes an addictive feeling of power and self-worth. People
actually feel more confident and connected which makes them want to persist on the path of
continuous partial attention. In the short-term, there is a boost of energy, and memory can
actually increase. The problem comes when the brain can no longer handle the overload of
information. At this stage, the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline are released into the body,
and long-term or chronic exposure to these can be very detrimental to mental and physical
health. There is even some evidence supporting the idea that this may actually alter the neural
pathways in the hippocampus, amygdala and the prefrontal cortex, changing brain physiology.
This means that some of the brain centers in control of mood and thought are being altered, and
we have no way of knowing the long-term effects of this change.

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The implications of this are huge if further research determines this to really be the case.
When people start interpreting their digital interactions as real, how long will it be until we reach
the point where we lose all ability to functionally interact in person? Some may say that this
concern is unnecessary since people are still exhibiting the need to interact face-to-face to form
meaningful relationships. However, as the presence of technology in our lives becomes more
pervasive, the greater the changes in our interactions will be. With the ability of our brains to
form new neurological pathways and break down old neurological pathways, it is likely that the
evolutionary path of the human brain will be increasingly driven by this new digital era and the
ever growing technologies we are using to communicate. We cannot let the quality of face to face
interactions vanish from our personal life or let our intelligence suffer because of senseless
addictions to our technological devices. The impact of technology on human interaction paints a
gloomy picture. But its a significant discussion to have as it teaches us the value of balancing
our offline and online communications with others, both personally and professionally. The best
approach is to make yourself available through technology only when appropriate so that it
supplements our relationships rather than replacing them.
There is a literal thing that is happening with our cellphones that is stunning to me. I
know of many people who deal with this issue currently in their life. When we are waiting by
ourselves or in a place with people who are strangers or in a situation where we are unsure of
what to do, there are some people that actually pull their cell phones out for comfort because
they suffer from anxiety. I personally deal with anxiety, and I am quite certain that many of do.
But I don't have anxiety to the point where I have to pull out my phone to feel comfort. I
honestly don't know what to make of this phenomenon, but I don't know what others may be

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going through to have this need. However, I can certainly keep my cell phone put away in
moments like the ones I mentioned and find a new person to talk to. A real interaction with a
person whether you're flirting, crying, or just simply having a nice conversation with someone is
so much better than just standing there by yourself using an electronic device to entertain
yourself.
Skype is not a replacement for real face time. Indeed, we get to see the person and talk to
them. We can see them smile, laugh, cry or any other emotion that is being conveyed. But with
Skype, you're looking at a person through a screen. Its not real, and it certainly does not come
close to if you were actually there with them. Sure there are intellectual games that can help your
cognitive skills, which a lot of parents probably have their kids play just to keep their
intelligence going. However, you reach a certain age where parents cant control their stubborn
kids anymore. This is the teenage stage. We are going to want to have real experiences and learn
things for ourselves not through a screen. Teenagers and adults who want to learn will want to
have real conversations and debates. We each have our own opinion and personality, and each
one is astonishing. We each have our own universe, and we reach a point where we want to share
ours with others. We want to learn real lessons from each other. So why do we continue to
Facebook our problems? If we really want people to learn something from or about us, then lets
use actions. Show a person your talents, tell someone about your struggles, sympathize with
others and teach each other. We should be doing these things in real life, not in our cyber life.
For us to start reclaiming real conversations is to reclaim seclusion. Alone time is so good
for us to have but it becomes a problem when we become isolated. Some of the most important

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conversations we will have will be with ourselves. We need to slow down to allow this to
happen. We need to focus on doing one thing at a time. Multitasking creates an illusion because
you never have time to stop and recuperate. With how fast everything is involving technology,
the world, and our own personal world we need to start slowing down and taking the time to
notice the details more. Take time to talk to a person. Learn something from them even if its not
a huge life altering lesson. Make time to take your intelligence to new heights. We are all a lot
smarter than we think and a lot more connected than it seems.
Our phones are not a replacement for our intelligence and relationships, they are
psychological potent devices that cannot match the power of real interactions. Whoever may
have this technological addiction, the only person who can change that is you. Whether we are
relying on our devices to be the source of our communication, using our devices to think for
ourselves, or both, the only person who can make the change to being real is you. Its time for us
to take a second and look at the consequences that technology has. Technology is so vital for
today that we have been neglecting each other. So finally after so long lets take a risk and put
down our cell phone and get to know one another. Put your phone down at the dinner table, take
a moment to look into someones eyes, look at their smile and connect with them. Nothing can
compare to the magnificence that human interaction has to offer. It is our moment to
acknowledge the unintended consequences of technological devices to which we are vulnerable,
but also to respect the resilience that has always been ours. We have time to redirect ourselves
and remember who we are. We are human beings meant to have real connections. Technological
devices are destructible whereas our minds are indestructible. The energy inside technological

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devices is synthetic. The energy inside our minds is infinite. So dont waste your life being
hooked up to a device. Constantly unhook yourself and have real connections.

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Sources
Pennington, Natalie, "Will You Be My Friend: Facebook as a Model for the Evolution of the
Social Penetration Theory" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the NCA 94th Annual
Convention, TBA, San Diego, CA, Nov 20, 2008.
Kluger, Jeffery. We Never Talk Anymore: The Problem With Text Messaging. Time. Time Inc., 16
August 2012. 10 November 2015.
Ellingson, Sandy. Is social Media and Technology Taking Over Human Interaction. Sandy Social
Strategist; Strategic Social Marketing: A Journey Not A Race. Sandy Social Strategist, 19 May
2012. 12 November 2015.
Johnson, Chandra. Face Time vs. Screen Time: The Technological Impact on Communication.
Deseret News National. Deseret News National, 29 August 2014. 15 November 2015.
Carlson, Benjamin. Nicholas Carr on the 'Superficial' Webby Mind. The Atlantic. Atlantic Media
Company, 05 June 2010. 10 November 2015
Neider, Megan. How technology Gadgets Affect Our Brains. Patch. Patch Media, 11 May 2012.
10 November 2015.

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