Multitasking

Multitasking i would define as doing two or more of anything at once, but the article more so refers to multitasking as something along the lines of checking your email while checking your facebook. I did not believe that multitasking could actually be maleficent to one's ability to focus, but the more Richtel went on about the negative and long lasting side effects of multitasking the more I started to see how this would cause one's ability to focus on a specific task to diminish in quality.

My Family's Relationship with Technology

I would have to say that my family is up to date with technology. For starters, my dad has a twitter account that he uses. I do not even have a twitter account. My two brothers, myself, and my dad all have a facebook in which we are active on. We all play video games, have iPods of different models, and have either a computer or a labtop. I guess one could say that we sometimes connect over playing video games together or watching a blu-ray movie. My mom on the other hand can barley work a dvd player, and for sure can not work a computer. I would not say that my family is dependent on technology, but we do indulge in a fair share.

swa#2

Jack Waggett

Mrs. Mikhaylova

English 102

8/30/11

SWA#2

            Richtel’s article on how technology is affecting our brain and our day to day lives is one of importance that is striving to alert not just the already technology prone people of society, but the people who are sure to become dependent upon technology in the near future. “Technology is rewiring our brain”, this is a quote from his article that he explains is actually becoming true. People are relying on technology and are around technology so much that it is becoming who they are. When people wake up they go on the internet, throughout the day they are constantly surfing the web or checking social networking sites. Some people even live on their email. However, scientists believe that computers are in fact changing the way we think, and they are even changing our brains. Eventually people will become so dependent on technology at their fingertips that when they are deprived of such then they will become unproductive, or maybe even a different person entirely. Whichever the case may be, the recent and diabolical splurge of technology and internet is having an evident and monumental effect on the world around us, even small enough the forever change the  thought process of one’s brain.

The Campbell family is a classic example of technology disrupting family life and the foundation that a family with solid communication is vitally important. Mr. Campbell’s life revolves on the internet, his job relies on the internet, and his family life is disrupted by the technology which allows him to surf and maintain his general being on the internet. Mr. Campbell also does like video games, the article states, but he primarily focuses on his iPhone or computer, which undoubtedly are top of the line gadgets. Mrs. Campbell says that her husband’s passion for technology is causing some disdain in her family. Even her son is now becoming more and more fascinated with technology. She states that some problems have been caused by the zest for the latest technology. Although, Mr. Campbell usually copes with this problem by going and messing around with his technology. Nonetheless, his love of technology did earn him a cool 1.3 million dollars.

Richtel then goes off on how multi-tasking in surprisingly not so beneficial as people use to believe it was. He explains that the more you do somehow translates into the less one will be doing. When one who has been on an intense multi-tasking binge tries to just focus on one task the mission apparently becomes daunting and too tough of a task to handle. Strange, yes, however, the theory behind this is starting to catch on with many scientists who study this train of thought. Either way, Richtel’s argument on how technology is messing up one’s ability to think and overall brain power is one that should be watched carefully over the years to come. Naturally, I am sure this will be monitored using technology.

Get Smarter

Cascio's vision of the future portraits a society in which humans rely on technology for the majority of their everyday lives if not their entire lives. He states that in the years to come our mass accumulation of technology and knowledge will make us less prone to take actions of any sort, and the thought of this dependency on tecnology is alarming and pointing the human race into a path of inevitable destruction. Humans, he believes, will eventually become complacent and no longer feel the need to be innovative. This is another one of Cascio's reasons as to why we need to "get smarter", and soon before technology and not the human imagination and ingenuity control the fate of man kind.

Is Google Making Us Stupid?

Nicholas Carr's writings reflect on the general concept that technology is causing people not the have to think as much anymore, not use enough brain activity, or cognition. It is his belief that the longer people continue to use the internet the less brain power they will overall have. Carr expresses that it is one's own personal responsibility to practice forms of reading and such other than using the internet constantly. Therefor, in the end the internet, or Google, could inevitably cause a lack in educated persons resulting in a less informed and capable society.

SWA#1

John Waggett

Mrs. Mikhaylova

English 102

8/23/2011

SWA #1

            During my senior year of high school, my AP Language teacher assigned to us a am argumentative paper. The paper itself was more so a research paper, but the student could pick whatever topic in today’s world they wanted to choose. I decided to choose a topic in which I find interest in, Global Warming. I believe the best writings assignments are ones the writer can become excited about not just another paper that has to meet a certain word count. On the contrary, in my British Literature class in my senior year, I was forced to write a paper on the social issues of Pride and Prejudice. As much as I thoroughly enjoyed reading that particular book which caused me to fall asleep several times during reading, the topic of discussion could not have been less entertaining and appealing to a teenage boy.

            In short, the papers I personally take joy in writing are the ones in which the writer can become passionate about and find interest in. Unlike, trying to explain why Mr. Darcy and Jane would not work out do to certain economically issues and social status trends of the timeframe.