When Richtel quotes that “technology is rewiring our brains” he is pointing out a shift in the thought-process and attention span of the human brain. We no longer find interest in simply reading a book or riding bikes outside in the sunshine. There is a sudden need to always be interacting on an electronic device. Scientists say that, “Stimulation provokes excitement-a dopamine squirt-that researchers say can be addictive. In its absence, people feel bored.” I find this to be very true in society today. Richtel supports his argument by describing to us the lives of the Campbell family.
The Campbell family represents the future (and families similar to theirs already out there). The father works with computers all day and has become so addicted to the stimulation that he is constantly with a gadget. The children are also growing up with these toys and are becoming distracted from normal human-to-human interaction. The mother admits to being distracted when the author mentions her burning the cookies twice while being distracted by the Internet. At the same time, she struggles to do what she can to limit her kids on their gadgets because she doesn’t want them to be so dependent on them or distracted by them. This family is a perfect warning for present and future families growing up around all of this stimulating technology. The author uses the Campbell family as an example to show others that this is a serious issue and that family bonding could be disrupted, and honestly quite disappointing, if people become so dependent on technology. Technology also encourages another major contribution to our latest generation- multitasking.
Multitasking is generally seen as a talent or ability to complete more than one task at the same time. The “myth of multitasking” is the belief that it is an accomplishment. This article tells us that multitasking is not really a significant skill for one to acquire. Studies show that people who multitask have a harder time determining what information is relevant and what information is not. They are less efficient and actually have a harder time switching from one task to another in comparison to people who do not multitask. Researchers also found that “multitaskers seem more sensitive than non-multitaskers to incoming information.” This definitely changed my view of multitasking. I can multitask pretty well, but I only do it occasionally. I understand what Richtel and the other researchers are pointing out. I think that those who only focus on one task at a time will obviously have a better understanding of what they are doing as opposed to someone working on multiple things at once. This article did provide very insightful information, but I think it is obvious that multitaskers are less efficient in their work. Overall, I think that Richtel made a strong argument and supported it well while keeping me interested.
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