EmilyKingStephenMcElroyENC341617Oct.2011

Week8SRR

WhenIwasfifteenyearsold,myfriendsandIstartedtocommunicatethroughMyspace.Ourparentswerewaryaboutitbecauseitstartedtosuckupourtime,buttheyletusgothroughwithit.Aboutaweekago,IreceivedaFacebookfriendrequestfrommyseven‐year‐oldcousin.Iwasabsolutelyappalled.Idonotthinkouryounggenerationswillbeabletorelatetooldergenerationsevenmoresothanusualbecausetechnologyisacceleratingsorapidly. In“TheTwitterTrap,”BillKeller’scommentsonmemoryactuallyscareme.WhenImeetpeople,Iaskthemwhattheirnameis,theytellmetheirname,andIamunabletorepeatitbacktothemtwominuteslater.AccordingtoKeller,untilthe15thcentury,people’smemoriesweresowelltrainedthatsomewereabletoreciteentirebooks.Ihavetroublememorizingatwo‐minutespeech.Theadvancementoftechnologyishelpful,butithasbecomeareplacementforlearningwhenitshouldbejustanaid.

WhenIwatchamovieorreadabookandcomeacrossawordIhaveneverheardbefore,IlookituponGooglewithmyiPhone.WhenIgetthedefinition,thatbookormoviemakesmoresensetomeandIfeellikeIhavelearnedsomething.Unfortunately,chancesarethatIwillforgetitveryshortlyafterward.Ihavefoundmyselflookingupthesamewordsoverandoveragain.Ourshrinkingmemoriesforcemetoquestion:ifwecontinuetorelyontechnologyasourmemory,williteverbepossibleforustouseourbrainstoourfullpotential? Asforourshrinkingattentionspans,hereisareallifepersonalexample:I’mwritinganSRRwithFacebook,Twitter,Outlookemail,NewYorkTimes,andBlackboardtabsopen.Thishasbecomethenormforme,aswellastheaveragecollegestudent.IhaveclickedawayfromthisWorddocumentoutofboredomtoseewhetheranythingprofoundhashappenedatleasttentimesandIbarelyevenrealizeIamdoingituntilIhavereadmyentireTwitternewsfeed.Whenschoolandextracurricularactivitiesrequireextraamountsoftime,IdeactivateFacebookbecauseIknowthatIwillsquanderridiculousamountsoftimeonit.TheInternethasbecomeaworldwideaddiction.Ithasunquestionablyenhancedmanyaspectsofourlives,butIamworriedabouttheworkethicandattentionspansoffuturegenerationswhoarestartingtouseitatsuchayoungage.

Thequote,“Thegenerationthathadinformation,butnocontext.Butter,butnobread.Craving,butnolonging”bestsummarizesKeller’sarticle.Itmakesussoundsoemptyanddull,butitstruthisundeniable.IfeellikemygenerationdoesnotneedtolearnhowtodoanythingotherthanuseGoogleandkeepupwiththenewestAppletechnology.Kellermentionsthattypinghaskilledpenmanship,whichmakesmerealizethatIcouldeasilygetbythroughcollegewithoutwritingasinglewordonasheetofpaper.IcouldusemyMacBooktorecordlectures,theprovidedteacherPowerPointstostudy,andsubmitmypapersonBlackBoard.ThismakesmewonderwhetherIamactuallyreceivingacompleteeducation.Myeducationissupposedtopreparemefortherealworld.IamafraidthattheeducationIamreceivingisnotwell‐roundedbecausetheworldweliveinisnotwell‐rounded.