Growing Up Digital Wired For Distraction By David Richtel

In “Attention Deficit: The Brain Syndrome of Our Era,” Richard Restak considers the effect of technology on our brains. As we process increasing amounts of information at ever-faster speeds, Restak argues that our brains are undergoing “profound alterations” in order to adapt to the changing needs of our modern world. As technology connects us to more people, places, and information than ever before, Restak warns that we are losing important cognitive functions, in particular our ability to focus and concentrate. However Restak fails to mention that technology has created significant affordances as well. Allowing society to advance as a whole, via social media, e-mail, cell phones, and other various communications. Technology is reshaping our habits of mind.Yes technology created a slight defect to the mind but many advantages came about using technology as an asset.

Lauren Shinozuka wrote “The Dangers of Digital Distractedness” for a class assignment. She is a college student that lives in the world of technology and internet. Her idea to address how dependent the world has become on technology without even realizing it. Lead her to her own evaluation of her life and how technology has changed how she deals and interacts with people.

At first glance, technology changes the way children think. The new generation has a power to do many tasks in the same time, but it is hard for them to focus on the book. The tablet, cellphone, etc. become a toy in hand of children. As people write code for program and devices, those tools code human’s minds too. The subconscious of children is clear when they were born by reputation their minds learn how to act. There is a video on YouTube about a one-year-old girl; her father gave her a tablet. She used tablet easily, she touched a page and played well with the tablet. After that, her father gave her a magazine; she did not know how to change the page. She touched the picture of a magazine 's cover and

(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

The use of technology and the media increase the likelihood of learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders. Since children are exposed earlier on in life, it affects the brain activity affecting language development and concentration. At a young age, children are starting to develop their response stimulation. The interaction with family help them develop this response stimulate. When the children are looking at the screen, it does not engage the children to use their brain and concentrate. A neuroscientist, Susan Greenfield, believes that constant use of technology will lead to the lack of interpersonal interaction that will eventually impair people’s independence and ability to think on their own. This will result in a more childlike reaction, needing to depend on the behavior and thoughts of others (Abramovitz). Studies have shown that certain online activities, activates the brain rewards stimulants. It rewires the brain to expect and want the feel of dopamine release or constant action that engage the brain. When in school, students tend to have trouble concentrating and shorter attention span because of the lack of dopamine that is released. At the Center for Disease Control and Prevention the rate of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have increased by 5% since 1997. Being accustomed to feeling better all the time from the dopamine, the brain begins to crave

Technology is affecting children communication skills. Face to face conversation have become gruesome to kids now a days. The studies have been shown that too much technology is the lead cause of behavior disorders. The technology has a hold on the 21st century kid were more active. Specialist have stated that technology

In the article Are We Addicted to Technology, author Ms. Kleinman claims that we may be into our devices to much and has taken too much of our everyday lives. For people who constantly go into their devices, “ then you got the classic pattern of someone who’s in a fatigue cycle” says Dr. Ramlakhan, meaning people are addicted to technology so much, they have extreme tiredness. Dr. Ramlakhan works at the privately run nightingale Hospital, and what she has noticed is, many of her patients are in front of the screen all the time, even when they try to sleep. Another quote by Dr. Ramlakhan is “they go to bed but can’t sleep, or fall asleep exhausted and wake up tired.” Even when people have to sleep, they don’t...but instead they just go into

In Matt Ritchel’s article “Grow Up Digital, Wired for Distraction” displays that technology and media is making problems for teens as far homework goes, because not all teens review the choices they have so they get distracted and it goes downhill from there not getting their work done or not paying attention to what they’re doing not getting their work done or not paying attention to what they’re doing. The first point the author makes is that teens have always faced distractions and time-wasters, but the new technology has posed a new threat to learning and focusing, and adult brains can have consequences as well but there brains are already developed enough to not be as powerful to them. In the text the author quotes Michael Rich saying,

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

Over the past decade ADHD has become an increasingly large problem. Ten percent of kids have been diagnosed with it in recently, double what it used to be. ADHD is the inability to focus on one thing and sit still. (Rock) Rock tells how “fast-paced TV shows increased the risk of attention issues. And when the children adapt to those speeds, they struggle to pay attention in the slower pace of life because it’s less stimulating and rewarding.” This has a huge impact on kids in school as classes are nowhere as close as exciting as these video games. While an actual link between ADHD and technology use has not been confirmed, the evidence at least points to some correlation. This epidemic of sorts in lack of attention is having a huge negative impact in the development of the

After reading “Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction” by Matt Richtel, it has opened my eyes to how prevalent and demanding technology as a whole is in the world today and how it directly affects education today. As I continued to read this article, I found myself relating to the mentioned students and it saddens me how true and real of a problem this is becoming. Students like Vishal, who has a dream and passion to become a filmmaker can, in a way, be a death sentence to his focus and demand for his school career. The idea of multitasking is encouraged in this day and age because it encourages a sense of achievement and being an advocate in life. It rises a question, since when did multitasking become an issue when it’s

Today’s technology has greatly impacted the young children’s everyday lives. Phones, tablets, and computers are all a form of technology that impact the way kids are influenced. Some children get phones or computers at young ages and it can cause kids to depend on it to entertain them. Eventually they will allow the technology to take over and have it become the form of communication between friend and family instead of face to face. As parents continue to buy their children new technology they don’t monitor the amount of time their children spend on the Internet. Technology is becoming more advanced overtime which causes children to become more attached and unable to function without it near by.

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.

Technology and these devices are addictive. To tell parents and children that they should not limit themselves or their children on the amount of time they spend looking at screens is foolish, and sometimes it dooms

The article written by Matt Richtel, “Growing up Digital, Wired for Distraction,” represents the theme that growing up with technology has really changed students life and has interfered with their education. The article starts with, the point that time has changed so teens as well as adults are now drawn to the internet and seeking for help on everything. According to Mr. Reilly, one of Vishal’s teachers states, “He’s a kid caught between two worlds,” one that is the real world and one that revolves around a technology to hide behind. (3) Vishal, a young 17-year old is a very bright student that took a turn in life between technology and school. Vishal has a rare talent for film critique and gets very good grades in that subject in