Analysis Of Hooked On Gadgets And Paying A Mental Price

On the other hand, Steven Pinker’s article strongly disagrees at the fact that the internet affects the human brain. His defensive points primarily explain how without the internet a lot of today discoveries and new inventions wouldn’t be possible. Also he defends the fact that distraction or addiction is not a new phenomenon. Regardless of whether the internet is a popular utility or not, distraction would still be an occurring issue. It is quoted: “If electronic media were hazardous to intelligence, the quality of science would be plummeting.” Also, “Yes the constant arrival of information packets can be distracting or addictive, especially to people with attention deficit disorder. But 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.” Steven Pinker is trying to get the reader to understand that the internet doesn’t essentially make you dumber but it does hinge at one’s attention span. Outside of the internet distractions are common everywhere. One can become distracted by their job, parents, work, internet, ect. Because of these interruptions Steven Pinker’s makes it known that all distractions require self-control. If one doesn’t have self control over an issue they will

He supports his ideas with multiple studies showing the positive and negative effects of internet and computer use has on our mental and physiological abilities. Starting from the most general collection of studies, he found, he places the framework for his argument. Patricia Greenfield’s collection and analysis echo Carr’s own evidence for the ill effects from internet distractions and quick page touring, especially the ever faster shifts of focus we require to remain entertained in an activity. He continues his path of logic with the results of a school centered study on the effects of internet surfing on focus. Cornell University’s Study came to a similar conclusion as Patricia Greenfields did but coming from the other way. Where a situation where constant attention on a singular topic was required, and the distractions affected student’s performance on a quiz following a lecture. Finally, he points out the general trend in declining cognitive skills from internet exposure. Out of an almost evenly split group of 101 subjects with various exposure to daily

Also stated in the essay to strengthen his argument is “ If you’re like the typical owner, you’ll be pulling your phone out and using it some 80 times a day, according to data Apple collects” to enlighten that even Apple agrees smartphones can be addictive. Another statistic stated by Carr to strengthen his position on how smartphones affect our minds is as stated “A second experiment conducted by the researchers produced similar results, while also revealing that the more heavily students relied on their phones in their everyday lives, the greater the cognitive penalty they suffered.” Carr also constructs evidence by incorporating

Kids, teens and adults are now constantly navigating the internet or using some sort of technology. In the article “Is the Onslaught Making Us Crazy” by Tony Dokoupil, different psychologist claim that technology has a bad influence on the human mind. Throughout the text, real life examples, showing psychological breakdowns, are used to support the statement.

You can become addicted to virtually anything the human race never ceases to amaze us with what people can get addicted to. When thinking about addiction most people commonly think about drugs and alcohol but the most common and modern form of addiction for the twenty first century is technology addiction. As we move on to the future technology is constantly improving and becoming a necessity for modern life.

On the other hand, Harvard experimental cognitive psychologist Dr. Pinker in his essay “Mind Over Mass Media” addresses the same issue, technology as a deterrent to concentration, but has a very different outlook. Although Dr. Pinker acknowledges that technology can be a distraction, he chooses to provide logical (albeit condescending) strategies to overcome the distractions rather than going into theatrics. Dr. Pinker states, “The solution is not to bemoan technology but to develop strategies of self-control, as we do with every other temptation in life. Turn off email or twitter when you work, put away your Blackberry at dinner time, ask your spouse to call you to bed at a designated hour” (Pinker par. 9). Essentially, Pinker asserts that if one takes simple preventative measures, there is no reason to believe technological distractions will hinder the mind.

(SIP-A) The Internet and screen time, the virtual gateway to everything in the world, can affect your mind’s ability to store memory. (STEWE-1) Researcher Daniel Wegner found that “when people have access to search engines, they remember fewer facts and less information because they know they can rely on “search” as a readily available shortcut”(Wegner). This is exactly what happens in the book, people rely too much on technology and they end up having difficulty holding onto information. (STEWE-2) “Students who have trouble remembering distinct facts, for example, may struggle to employ those facts in critical thinking”(Wegner). Because we rely on the technology, it’s basically become our “digital brain”. It holds all our information so we don't have to, leading to a lack of holding onto information because of technology. (SIP-B) Looking at screens constantly can cause severe or irreversible damage to the body. (STEWE-1) Based on an article, “too much time in front of TV and computer screens is causing increasing psychological problems, such as depression and anxiety”(the guardian). These are direct effects from too much technology. (STEWE-2) “The effects, particularly on mental health, were most pronounced for those children who spent more than four hours a day using some sort of screen-based technology”(the guardian). Mental damage can overtime be healed but if the brain is damaged to a certain extent, then the damage will be irreversible. This is caused when someone stares at a screen for long periods of time or is actively engaging in what is appearing on their

Technology in today's world affect everyone about the same since we can not live without. The amount of different activities and possibilities to do on the internet using different devices is immense . Whatever you want if it is food,games, or researching something anyone can receive in a matter of seconds. Tammy Kennon who is the author of , “ 5 New Brain Disorders that Were Born Out of the Digital Age” states the negatives about the technology devices that run the world. She tells us about how our patience, attention spans, and memory are all affected due to that fact that we are obsessed with electronics. In today’s world everyone relies on web searches like google to answer a question or do something for them. When a research was conducted by researchers they found out that”[O]ne -Third of them did not even try, reaching for google immediately” this shows how much people rely

Scientists say that using email, texting, or searching the web can change how someone thinks or behaves. “The stimulation [of technology use] provokes excitement – a dopamine squirt – that researchers say can be addictive. In its absence, people feel bored,” says Matt Richtel of the New York Times. Addiction to technology may not compare to the addiction of certain drugs, but being a student who is addicted to something that creates different social interactions, and doesn’t allow deep thought, could be very bad. “In 2008, people consumed three times as much [technology] each day as they did in 1960,” Matt says. This rate has already increased, and a break from it wouldn’t be a bad thing. Researchers worry that constant digital stimulation like this creates attention problems for children with brains that are still developing, who already struggle to set priorities and resist impulses,” Matt says. Students in high school, or even in college, have brains that are still developing. A week off from the technology would allow these students to develop skills, with their growing brains, that could be used instead of electronics.

Pop-up ads are constantly on every link, along with flashy signs and music to keep us from concentrating on the task. This ultimately leads to multitasking. We assume that we can handle all the information thrown at us together, but in reality it is too much. An experiment done by Thomas Buser and Noemi Petter involved three groups. The first group consisted of participants who worked on two tasks consecutively for twelve minutes each. The second group had to alter between these two tasks every four minutes for the same amount of time. Subjects in group three were not notified of how many switches were going to occur and for how long. The three group’s total time spent on each task was equal to prevent any lurking variables. The results of this experiment showed work schedules can be an important factor in productivity. The results emphasized that participants who focused on one task at a time, had a higher productivity rate than the subjects that tried to multitask. Machines can run several applications at one time while keeping one hundred percent concentration on each, precisely because it is a machine, people simply cannot. Carr agress that the internet has almost taken control over people. He says, “The Internet, an immeasurably powerful computing system, is subsuming most of our other intellectual technologies. It’s becoming our map and

Researchers say that the stimulation from the use of technology “provokes excitement” which causes dopamine levels to rise. Dopamine is a hormone in the brain that causes a feeling of wellness and happiness that can be addictive. These urges that we have interrupt family life and work, also they dullen creativity and deep thought. Research on what negative effects technology has on us was even done by Nora Volkow, the director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse. The opposing side argues saying technology has “benefits,” but it’s the overuse and abuse of those benefits that also has a negative effect on our daily

Yelling at your children…” She also says that “since the 1990’s we’ve accepted multitasking without questions,” helping give background and showing how new technology has changed our working habits.In the second paragraph on the second page of the article she explains more how technology has changed and how there are now more distractions; however, she never explicitly states how new technology has changed how much and how often we multitask. In the next paragraph she helps explain how it can hurt productivity by quoting a psychiatrist Edward M. Hallowell with the statement “you have to keep in mind that you sacrifice focus when you do this”

In the article “Are We Addicted to Technology” by Zoe Kleinman makes us really think, are we addicted? It's hard to say considering the author uses claims poorly. Her first claim was “Surely tiredness is a by-product of a busy modern life - children, work, hobbies etc - rather than relaxing time spent watching Netflix in bed?” To most people this comes out to be sarcastic which makes readers not want to trust her. Then she states that a lot of her parents have a hard time sleeping at night when on electronics, even though she had just recommended “watching Netflix in bed” She also interviewed Dr. Ramlakhan which could of been a lot better because all she told us were stories about patents in front of screens and a boy having a seizure by playing

The article titled “Does the Internet Make You Dumber?”, Nicholas Carr informs the readers that people tend to be constantly distracted and interrupted when they are online. This can cause people to turn into scattered and superficial thinkers. Firstly, the article mentions that people’s thought, people’s emotion, and people’s personalities influence their ability to maintain concentration. The Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist, Eric Kandel said that people can understand a new piece of information thoroughly only when they pay much attention to it. Secondly, it says that constant distraction from the Internet causes people’s brain to not function efficiently. The brains are not able to forge the expansive neural connection that give depth

The second reason why modern technology contributes to negative health problems is that children independently use technology, which impact on their social development and relationship. As the age of the kids, the majority of them still cannot control or understand how to limit themselves from their wants. Some children spend so much time playing computer and video games all alone that they are losing their ability to socialize with others, families and friends. Children can averagely spend six hours each day watching television or