Mike Castellanos Ms.

Leah Cardi WRD 103 5 November 2013 My Teacher, My Friend: Technology

Innovation. Evolution. Production. In todays day and age, technology is everywhere we go. It is in our homes, schools, offices, restaurants, and grocery stores. It has become so integrated into our world, that it is hardly possible to go a day without using it. To think of a day without using a computer, a TV, a phone, or anything else seems inconceivable to a lot of people. While most people today find these advancements as intelligent tools that help us progress as humans and learn more, there are also many people, typically from the older generations, who find these inventions as a hazard for the future population. As an individual who was born in the mid 1990s, on the brink of a technological boom, technology has certainly been a huge part of my life and has helped me craft plenty of my projects and ideas. From playing video games such as Skyrim, or writing long research papers on drilling in America, technology has played an important role for me, providing information or

keeping me entertained. However, there are times when I wish I didnt have the advancements so I would know what it would be like without it. You see, I am very interested in the olden days, meaning the days before the technology we have today. I love nature and the idea behind working with it in order to live and prosper. I am so in love with this mindset, that I have developed a desire to go back to the Middle Ages and see what everything would be like. Instead of simply going to the grocery store for a meal or sending an email to a friend, I would have to grow or hunt my food and write a letter, which would take days or months to reach someone. The idea simply fascinates meto work with my hands rather than having a machine do it. Over this past summer, I was finally able to understand what it was like back then, at least for one very eventful afternoon. I took a trip with my best friends to the renaissance fair in Wisconsin. It was an amazing experience for me; the sights and sounds were absolutely how I imagined. I even dressed up to make the experience feel more real. However, even while riding a horse or throwing axes, I still found myself checking my IPhone every ten minutes to see if I received a text message or a Facebook notification. What was wrong with me? Here I was living my dream and yet I still desired to be connected with the modern day. I then came to a sudden realization that I live in twenty first century and that technology is such a major piece of it. I realized that without the technological advances we have today, I would struggle because I am already so used to what I have and have become so absorbed in the technology that I know. I simply wouldnt know what to do without it. I know I am not alone in this issue either, for my entire generation and the generations after me have been saturated with these technologies that they too have developed a strong bond with them. I dont think it is necessarily a bad bond; it just causes us to work and maneuver differently than the generations that arent tech savvy. My father, who is 55 years old, became integrated with technology through his work. His first major job was working for Sears as a computer programmer. After more than a decade of working with computers, he became a part of British Petroleum, working in process procurement. Due to a class discussion in my first year writing class at DePaul University about technology and the brain, I asked him if he believed that technology has changed the way he thinks over the years. Some critics, such as technology writer Nicholas Carr, believe technology has altered our brain structure and our ability to concentrate. Specifically, Carr suggests that as we come to rely on computers to mediate our understanding of the world, it is our own intelligence that flattens

into artificial intelligence. Carrs perspective proposes that the more we continue to depend on technology, the more we will lose our grip to think freely. He believes that with the growth in technology, that humans will fail to be self-reliant and succumb to the quick and effective artificial intelligence, rather than their own human intelligence. While Carrs argument is a compelling, my father offers a fresh perspective on the subject. He explained, I dont think [technology] has changed the way I think. In fact, it has really been more of a tool that allows my thoughts to take shape, allowing me to do things quicker and more efficiently, especially at work. While my father isnt as hooked to the computer or his phone as I am, he is pretty fond of the TV. From these interactions, people begin to question whether or not technology shapes the way we think. For me personally, I believe that technology does shape the way we think, but only if we let it. I am a strong believer in self-reliance and having self-control. If we will ourselves, we can use technology in a helpful way while maintaining other activities, such as reading a book or riding a bike. My father believes in the same perspective. He thinks that there needs to be a balance for when and when not to use technology. His biggest concern is that we will forget about the importance of nature, and as people, we tend to forget how to slow down and relax. With technological advances, we have lost personal connections with others, and the stresses of expectations have increased. A balance is necessary in my mind, for if we dont think about it, we can easily spend hours and hours with technology and soon find ourselves searching for quick answers and quick information. Not only this, but with utilizing too much technology, we as individuals are more prone to become isolated and lose personal connections among family and friends This is the same belief of Steven Pinker, a psychology professor at Harvard University. He explains that new forms of media have always caused moral frights; however, these frights often fail basic reality checks. He states that these new technologies are created to help humanity progress with knowledge. While we have infinite knowledge at our fingertips, he says the constant arrival of information packets can be distracting or addictivebut distraction is not a new phenomenon. The solution is not to bemoan technology but to develop strategies of self-control, as we do with every other temptation in life. As long as we can find that balance between utilizing technologies without letting ourselves lose connections with reality, the future generations will be prosperous due to technological advances. Although Pinker provides a more optimistic perspective on our ability to control our use of technology, Mark Bauerlein, an English professor at Emory University is not convinced. Bauerlein discusses the perspective that people under the age of 30, the generations of technology, are the most disengaged out of all the generations. He explains that the internet is a wonderful tool that provides us with limitless information and knowledge, and that kids would rather use it to socialize with their friends. In an interview, he discusses that on the 2001 NAPE History exam, 52% of high school seniors chose Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, or Fascist Italy as the Americans ally in World War Two. He blames the teenagers lack of understanding on how much they use modern technology to simply socialize and entertain themselves. He even wrote a book, The Dumbest Generation, to further discuss why people using technology of today are unintelligent. To me, I find this very insulting, for I would like to consider myself and my peers quite educated and engaged. In fact, the smartest

individual I know is under 30 years old. My 24 year old brother, Gil, is a web graphic designer for a company called American Eagle.1 I showed him an interview with Bauerlein and asked him what he thought of it. I like that he brought up that people tend to use technology as a crutch, but I also disagree because you have to look at it at a case by case basis. I think that to say the statistics show that 52% of students are lazy based on technology, you are kind of wrapping up everyone in a blanket statement. People use it to their advantage in terms of learning new things and getting by in their daily life. It helps me because I wouldnt have a career without technology; I am web graphic designer, so I build websites. So if it wasnt for my computer, or the software I use to design, it would be a lot harder to do what I do. It requires a lot of thought process, critical and analytical thinking. But technology provides me with the tools to get the results that I need. In a sense, it helps me maintain a living, so I can afford the things I need to pay for. As I mentioned, my brother is one of the smartest people I know and he too is a part of the technological generation. While I can understand some of Bauerleins views, such that people need to learn to use the internet for knowledge and obtaining information, I know he is misguided about todays generation. I can agree that we are very distracted with social media and other entertaining internet activities, but we have the ability to receive information about almost anything within seconds, sometimes within the palm of our hand. It is marvelous at the creations that are being made these days and I feel so fortunate to be a part of it. Mark Bauerlein is no different than the many others who criticized younger generations for utilizing and enjoying the inventions of the time. Before computers, people were weary of television, comics, the radio, and even books. While our advancements keep growing, the human brain has stayed the same. In fact, Dr. Colin Blakemore, Neurobiologist, explains that the human brain is able to adapt to new times by putting unused neurons and virgin synaptic connections to other uses. He says, The basic genetic make-up of Homo sapiens has been essentially unchanged for a quarter of a million years. Yet 5,000 years ago humans discovered how to write and read; 3,000 years ago they discovered logic; 500 years ago, science. No matter what technological creation or new science that society places in front of us, our minds are capable of adapting and learning to be successful with the advancements. While I cannot truly go back to the Middle Ages, I am fortunate because with technology I can travel to any time period I desire. It has allowed us to research history and look up limitless information as well as providing us with entertainment. We are a part of a world where technology is the future and it is here to stay, so we must not shy away from it, but utilize it to the best of our abilities. Although it is very beneficial for mankind, we cannot let it consume us and destroy our capabilities that make us human. We must have a balance in life; between utilizing technology and understanding the natural world around us. Regardless if we use technology more or less than others, by having an understanding of what technology is capable of and when it is appropriate to use, we as individuals shouldnt fear the future of technology. It is a remarkable benefit to us all, young, old, and all of us in between.

The picture is of my brother (on the left) and me (right).