Summary Of Attention Lessons: A Need We Must Heed

With time comes the constant change of technology, its advancements and our reactions over the refinement itself. In ‘ Distracted: The Erosion of Attention And The Coming Dark Age”, Jackson makes ungrounded statements concerning the negative effects of technology and the benefits it has acquired however Jackson accurately reveals the truth behind Jackson’s opinions on the effects of technology are one sided and very biased. A study by Edward Hallowell states that the way we are living our lives, controlled by balancing multiple task, is contributing to the attention deficit disorders (Jackson 149). As a result of our speedy generation, fast-acting systems and programs perfectly embody what is appropriate to our society at the time.

Technology can become a necessity, to where we need it to communicate. In “Meet Your iBrain” it says, “As the brain evolves and shifts its focus to new technological skills, it drifts away from fundamental social skills, such as reading facial expressions during conversation or grasping the emotional context of a subtle scripture”. Technology has become a way out of in person communication. Whether it be sending a simple text or creating a false self-image on social media, technology provides as a buffer to reality. It goes in the article to say, “…young people eight to 18 years of age expose their brains to eight and a half hours of digital and video sensory stimulation a day”.

In the article, “Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction,” by Matt Richtel, the author establishes the main idea that technology can distract students from their schoolwork and priorities, leading to poor grades in school. To begin, Richtel explains to the reader that technology is bad for teens brains, leading them to focusing less in school. In the text, it explains that, “developing brains can become more easily habituated than adult brains to constantly switching tasks — and less able to sustain attention. ”(Par. 5)

Technology and Social Media In the essays, “Technology Taking Over?” by Yzzy Gonzalez, “The Parent Trap” by Clive Thomas and “This Is Not About You” by Andrew Santella, each of the authors write about the impact technology and social networking have on our schedules and the images of ourselves. How technology and social media can be a big part of our life distraction, we put more attention to our cell phones. Half of the time when we are doing homework, talking to our parents or in class all we do is be on our phones, we won’t pay attention to what we supposed to do or not end up listening.

This has in terms affected our social and physical lifestyle significantly. In the essays “Attention Deficit: The Brain Syndrome of Our Era,” by Restak and “The Limits of Friendship,” by Konnikova, they both discussed the many impacts technology has on our life. Although technology has helped make communication and our ways of life easier, it has also negatively impacted us because it caused us

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.

They’re selling your attention span.” (Are You Addicted to Your Phone?) Instead of reading books and finding hobbies, youth today are absorbed in social media. We are so addicted to it, we created a new phobia, the fear and anxiety of being without a phone. These mindless distractions turn us away from what’s happening in the world.

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.

Now, many of us may know a parent that hands their child a tablet or phone to keep their child busy so they can do their own work. Well, this has a very negative consequence on the child because just like alcohol, drugs, and gambling, items such as electronic devices that may seem harmless at first, can actually be very obsessive. These devices are so chronic and habitual that you tend to get isolated from the real world, and since you aren’t managing to do any physical exercise or movement, this could possibly result as a physical handicap. Parents don’t realize this is an issue until their child faces actual circumstances. Technology does not only have negatively influenced physical effects, but it also has a psychological impact. The overuse of electronic devices may cause impairment in the development of a child’s social skills. This includes the ability of to make friends, talking to others in a respectful and polite manner, displaying good behavior, and controlling temper and emotions. A child who uses technology extensively can become socially isolated which can lead to many other things such as loneliness, low self-esteem and low self-worth, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. In every child’s life, their childhood is the most crucial part of their _________ journey. It's that time of life where whatever a child learns, that learning will continue on and affect their on-going future. The negative things will misguide them from a very young age, and same goes for these children that use technology

In school today being a sophomore in highschool I see the distraction every day. Us kids have a hard time letting our phone go. We have to be on it 24/7 or we will “die.” While teachers are lecturing us kids some of the kids will sit there and text or snapchat. It doesn’t just distract that person but it also distracts others around because they try and look at the person's phone. It also distracts us from learning we love to just get the answers in our hand so we look everything up so instead of learning we are copying.

However it is quite obvious that the overuse of it can negatively impact a persons and even more so, a young child’s wellbeing. I highly believe that social media is stealing away the adventurous and educational childhood of past generations. It is being replaced with advanced technology and over-exposed websites which is speeding up the emotional as well as the physical growth of today’s generation. The excessive amount of time that children spend on social media and technology on average have very negative impacts on their well being such

Children often struggle to pay attention, but when they are given a task they view as challenging or hard, they are even more likely to give up before truly trying. If you notice a child that is regularly losing focus during challenging tasks, here are some strategies that might help increase that attention span and improve the overall outcome of

I think my personal experience with attention might be a little different than most because I have Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD), however, I have still experienced this scenario where I will be talking with someone in a noisy environment and my attention will shift easily to someone saying my name off in the distance. I believe this paradox of hearing your name even though you were blocking out the other voices before can be explained by brain processes. The brain is always filtering through tons of sensations, deciding which are important enough to pull your attention or not.

A study by Harvard Business Review found that team performance went up 50% when teams socialized more and limited email and eventually, anyone or “operational-only” issues. Clearly, there’s a theme here. We don’t just “become lonelier” as a human race over time. It seems that with the advent of social media, laptops, and apps, we’re choosing screens over personal interactions. According to Time, most Americans from age 18 to 24 check their phone 74 times a day on average. Use of internet has certainly increased the quantity of our mental stimulation, but we lack the quality. According to Forbes, The American Academy of Pediatrics aware the possibility of negative effects of social media in young kids and teens, including cyber-bullying and Facebook depression. Using social media disturbs make deep relationship with others. When they are using social-media we do not need to move a lot. It is okay just to stay. We do not need to active a lot. As a result, it leads naturally mental and physical disabilities. Although social media can connect teens to the world and friends and family around them, it is actually one of the highest-ranking cause of suicide among teenagers in 21st century. People sometimes talks about how social media is becoming part of their world, it is becoming their world. They are unaware of the fact that social media encourages the false images of how everything should be in a perfect world. This not only increases stresses and changes in a normal human life but, it leads to depression and some mental diseases. When it comes to study, a study conducted by Liberty Voice shows that, children have become more dumb, lazier, rude and depressed due to the use of social media. They have been spending

Studies have shown that the average person now spends more time each day on their phone and computer than they do sleeping according to Nick McGillivray (“What are the Effects of Social Media on Youth?). Social has become part of our social society, especially for the many youths. There are positives to being on social media and also equal amounts of danger that come with using social networking sites, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. These social networking sites also have effects on today’s youth by altering the way they behave, the way they learn, in not only a classroom setting but also in the real world setting, and the way that they socialize with their peers and others.