Digital Native Americans

We rely heavily on technology because it has altered our brains to only be able to think in the way that technology presents information. This presentation is a rapid, surface level feeding of information. A study on multi-tasking, video games, and learning preformed at UCLA stated that “most visual media sources are real-time media that do not allow time for reflection, analysis or imagination — those do not get developed by real-time media such as television or video games” (Wolpert). This means that because visual media is live, people are unable to think critically about what is being displayed, therefore their comprehension on the subject is lower. The extent of influence technology has had on our generation is especially apparent to me because of the age gap between my parents and I. I constantly have my parents making fun of me for taking too many selfies, criticizing me for having my phone with me when I go to eat, and even making me put my phone in my purse when I drive to and from places for safety precautions. They have made me much more aware of how I constantly need a distraction or think I can multi task by being on my phone when I am trying to complete an assignment. Ultimately, my parents have made me more aware of my habits but because of the society I am living in, these habits will be hard to

Since children today have become digital natives; they will never truly know a world that is not touched with technology. This means that the educational paradigm has to shift in order to keep up with the needs of our young learners (Jo, 2016). In the last thirty years, technological advances

Technology has many attributes and applications that improve livelihoods. As a student myself, one of the most obvious advancements is in the field of education. Educational technology has slowly been integrated into classrooms over the last decade. Today, the basis of technology, digital literacy, is a crucial skill for academics. “Students who are digitally literate know how to effectively use technology to collaborate, create original content, and conduct in-depth research for academic purposes” (Dotterer, “Fostering Digital Citizenship In The Classroom”). Some worry that the use of technology will encourage people to “cease to exercise their memory and become forgetful” (qtd. In Carr, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”).

With new technological advancements occurring more rapidly each year, it is no surprise that there is an extensive conversation about how these new progressions impact the brain’s development and cognition. One trend is evident: there is a universal acknowledgment that technology is indeed changing the way we think. Among the members contributing to this conversation, two strikingly different outlooks on how these changes will affect the future exist. Either we should be terrified, or worrying is premature. Articles written by experts specializing in psychology and the brain, such as Pinker’s “Mind Over Mass Media,” as well as "How Has the Internet Reshaped Human Cognition?" by Kee and Loh, as well as and finally “Children, Wired- for

Technology has allowed young Americans to transform the way they think and learn. According to a 2008 study by Mizuko Ito, the internet has allowed the flourishing of self-directed learning. The enormous possibilities the internet offers, allows people to delve into topics or research a variety of areas that interest them. People can now explore their curiosity endlessly. Researches have also noticed a change in literacy among the younger generation. The daily texts, tweets, and emails people send, keep them writing. According to Andrea Lunsford, all of these little writings add up and is pushing

Increasingly, there is a large dependence on technology today as opposed to ten or twenty years ago. Technology has changed a lot of how life is lived today. It affects shopping, job seeking employment opportunities, entertainment and academics. There is no doubt that technology has set its foundation and is here to stay. One area in which the effects of technology can be clearly noted is in the lifestyle of children. The addiction to technology by children today has increased over the years. This is clearly seen in the developmental progress of children today. This dependence has greatly influenced how children

In today’s society we are overwhelmed with technology. Technology is changing everyday, and will forever be a staple in our lives. The effect that technology has on our children has brought on some concerns and some praises. Children these days have no choice but to some how be influenced by the ever growing technology in our societies. Our common concern has been that although digital technology has boosted children’s talent for multitasking, their ability to process information deeply may be deteriorating (Carpenter, 2010). Many people have a wide range of opinions on if technology is having a positive influence on our children or a negative, there is a vast amount of evidence to support both of these arguments. Technology can refer to

Most of the teenagers present in the contemporary age own a myriad of different electronic items and gadgets. There is a theory that whenever a new gadget or item is used, the brain adapts and changes mental processes to accommodate to the new experiences. For example, when the internet began to become popular, the brain adapted by thinking faster. In addition, less and less teenagers enjoy reading lengthy novels, because they are used to the fast-paced browsing done on the internet. In the article, “Is Google Making us Stoopid?” author Nicholas Carr presents evidence to prove the internet has changed the way humans think.

The current generation of children is completely different than the preceding ones. They are living in the digital age. “Technology has blended in with daily activity to become a way of life and children today take for granted all of which is automated. It is hard for kids nowadays to imagine a world that existed without all of the gadgets, electronics and seamless operations that computer technology provides.” (3) “Children in the United States devote some 40 hours a week to television, video games and the Internet.” (12) Many psychologists and researchers are concerned about the impact that technology has on children. Children, tomorrow’s future parents and leaders, are being consumed by the negative effects that technology had on their

What effect does modern digital technology have on individuals who rely on it heavily in their everyday lives? Innovations such as video games, internet search engines, and online databases receive great praise as well as great criticism depending on who answers this question. Nicholas Carr and Steven Johnson have both written pieces stating their opinions on technology’s effect on the human brain. Carr’s article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” explains how accessing information quickly and easily through search engines like Google negatively alters the way people seek and read information and think. Johnson’s book “Everything Bad is Good for You: How Today’s Popular Culture is Actually Making Us Smarter” covers the positive attributes of digital technology, video games in particular. He explains how video games are intellectually stimulating and help develop complex skills. Digital technology has interesting effects on the different processes of our mind.

For the young generation, in particular, the online relationships are as influential and evocative as the face-to-face relationships. In addition, as broadcasting and broadband technologies are being accessed by more and more people, the swiftness and suppleness with which the world inhabitants are communicating and socializing (both online and offline) is increasing day by day. As far as the virtual space is

Over the years, technology has increased in usage within many ways and has caused successful changes in a person’s lively routine. However, technology has evolved since the very beginning which concern has grown over the negative effects of its excessive use. Nicholas Carr’s article “Is Google Making Us Stupid” addresses the tendency of technology to create a sort of mental laziness where people look for instant answers rather than thinking for themselves. Daphne Bavelier, C. Shawn Green, and Matthew W.G. Dye have written in “Children, Wired: For Better and for Worse” on the transient and persistent effects of technology on children, particularly in terms of media exposure of television, movies, and video games. Additionally, Matt Richtel, writer for The New York Times, states in “Attached to Technology and Paying a Price” that the tendency of the brain to respond to immediate stimuli has a negative impact on the average user, ranging from disinterest to daily tasks to the risky behavior of texting and driving. Ultimately, these three articles agree that regardless of potential conveniences of heavy technology use, the tradeoff is something to be strongly considered.

White, Wyn and Robards (2017) refer to a generational approach of understanding how each generation of young people engage with their circumstances providing a framework for understanding youth culture as an expression of generational preoccupations and dispositions and engagement with new communications technologies. Online social networks have become embedded within most young people's everyday lives (Green & Hannon, 2007). When looking at

Some authors believe that technology and social media play a positive impact in education. For example Marc Prensky, an American writer and speaker on learning and education in his article “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants” Prensky talks about the differences in learning abilities in today’s students that he refers to as digital natives as compared to the older generation that he terms as digital immigrants. Digital natives have brains that can receive and process information faster than older generations. In addition, they can retain information that is more detailed. Judging by this reason, technology is advantageous to mental development (Prensky). I disagree with Prensky because, despite the fact that technology has many advantages to

The new generation of students entering and already enrolled in university are members of a digital age- growing up surrounded by many forms of digital technology as they are the first generation of youth to have internet technology easily available at their disposal. This current generation have already been labelled by sociologist as “‘digital natives’ (Prensky 2001a) and the ‘net generation’ (Tapscott 1998)” (Prensky 2001a; Tapscott 1998 as cited in Murphy 2010). Technology is not something new to these students as its presence in their life have made them quite comfortable to the idea, as they perceive “technology as a way of life and express a need to feel connected at all times” (Russo et al. 2014). Although what is new are the