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Emily Marsh Mr. Honsberger BTT 101 Due Date: December 13th 2013

Are We Digital Dummies?

The world has e ol ed immensely o er the !ast 30 years" es!ecially technologically. #ow days" the o!!ortunity to stay connected is irtually limitless. $lthough technology has come so %ar already" the amount o% !ersonal com!uter users is estimated to double in the ne&t %our years" and there are already 3"000"000"000 cellular de ice users worldwide. 'e s!end hours u!on hours glued to these screens" but why( 'hat ma)es these de ices to intriguing to us( $re they really hel!ing our ability to multitas) and %ocus( *r are we becoming digital dummies( +n the ideo ,$re we Digital Dummies(- there were a %ew main !oints: Technology is destroying our ability to %ocus.concentrate Mar)eting has con inced us that technology is a better way o% li ing /hones and mobile de ices are 0uic)ly re!lacing e eryday items li)e !a!er" etc. $re we in charge o% our !hones" or are they in charge o% us( /eo!le who multitas) using technology are more easily distracted /eo!le %eel the need to always be ,*nTechnology is rewiring our brains and our ability to %unction The relentless %low o% in%ormation has ta)en o er our li es $n always online wor) ethic can actually be bad %or business

,$re 'e Digital Dummies(-" $ndy Bli0" 1B1 Doc2one. 1B1 Tele ision. 13 May 2010. Tele ision

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Technology is directly lin)ed to stress" burnout" decreased 4ob satis%action" and decreased li%e satis%action

Here is an o er iew o% my technology uses are and how o%ten + use them:

My Technology Items
Blac)berry 3320 cell !hone H/ la!to! $!!le i/ad

My Use
Te&ting" calling" games" social media Homewor)" browsing" social media" games" music" 6ouTube 7ocial media" games" music" 6ouTube" editing !ictures Music" games 8ames.e&ercise Ta)ing !ictures 'atching shows" mo ies

Time Spent Using (Daily)

1 5 hours !er day 2 hours !er day 3 5 hours !er day

$!!le i/od Touch #intendo 'ii 1anon 1amera Tele ision

5 an hour !er day 5 an hour !er day 20 min !er day 2 hours !er day

Total hours using technology !er day: o er 10 hours

+ do not thin) that the technology + am using is ma)ing me more !roducti e" in %act" + thin) + am wasting some o% my time. + o%ten go on my la!to! to get my homewor) done" which most o% the time should ta)e less than an hour. Howe er" it ends u! ta)ing close to 2 hours because + get distracted whether it be by my !hone" my i/ad gi ing me noti%ications ne&t to me" or e en the irtual world on my la!to! itsel%. My %amily.house hold actually does ha e some rules regarding the technology in our home. The %irst rule is that the internet gets turned o%% at 11:30" no later than that. 'e ha e this rule because my !arents )now that my sister would be glued to our screens nonsto! 29.:. $nother rule that we ha e is no electronics at the dinner table. The last rule we ha e is that we aren;t allowed to eat in %ront o% the T<. +nstead" we
,$re 'e Digital Dummies(-" $ndy Bli0" 1B1 Doc2one. 1B1 Tele ision. 13 May 2010. Tele ision

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ha e actual con ersations at the dining room table" li)e a normal %amily should. + %eel li)e sometimes technology gets in the way o% ha ing a erage relationshi!s with !eo!le. =or e&am!le" my younger sister had a %ew %riends o er this !ast wee)end. 'hen + went downstairs to get something" none o% them were !hysically s!ea)ing to one another. $ll o% their %aces were lit u! %rom the brightness o% their !hones and i/ads" + swear not one o% them noticed that there were e en other !eo!le in the room because they were so %ocused on their screens. +% this isn;t a hint that something is going wrong" + don;t )now what is. There is a time and a !lace %or using technology" and e eryone needs to learn the !ro!er eti0uette. + thin) most !eo!le %eel you ha e to be connected in order to be included" including mysel%. 6ou ne er want to be the one who hasn;t seen that hilarious ideo yet" or the one who missed out on the memo %or the !arty tonight. 6ou %eel the need to always be on because you want to be a !art o% e erything. + belie e a lot o% !eo!le %eel an&iety when they cannot be connected. =or e&am!le" when in a mo ie theater" your su!!osed to turn o% all electronic de ices so that e eryone can en4oy the %ilm" but does e eryone %ollow this rule( $bsolutely not. #e&t time you go to see a %ilm" count how many glowing screens you can see in the dar)ness. The last time + went to see a mo ie" there were easily 3>9 !hone ring tones that went o%%" and at least : screens shining. +t disturbs e eryone else" but !eo!le ,need- to stay connected somehow" right( + am guilty too. + sacri%ice doing e eryday tas)s to use my technology. +nstead o% reading a boo)" + would watch a ideo o% a dumb clothing idea. +nstead o% wal)ing my dog" +;ll download more music than + e en need. Technology is inter%ering with a normal li%estyle.

,$re 'e Digital Dummies(-" $ndy Bli0" 1B1 Doc2one. 1B1 Tele ision. 13 May 2010. Tele ision

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7ociety has become accustomed to using technology %or e erything. 'hen gi en a !roblem" do we thin) bac) into our own minds" or do we search it right away( The answer is not loo)ing the best %or our %uture. 'e aren;t using our brains the right way" we aren;t ha ing dee! thoughts" straining our heads to actually think. 'e turn to our electronics right away so we don;t e en ha e to thin). 'e don;t %orm our own o!inions or thoughts" we 4ust go with whate er we thin) is correct on the internet" but sur!rise" not e erything on the internet is true" but we come to belie e it is. 7ociety is also ha ing other issues regarding technology" such as te&ting and dri ing" and the use o% cellular de ices in schools. Both are e0ually as distracting" but te&ting and dri ing comes with a %atal outcome. 'ould you rather sa e that te&t until you get home" or end u! in a %atal accident" !ossibly harming other !eo!le in the !rocess. Te&ting in school also distracts the students and de!ri es them %rom learning to their %ull !otential.

The world will e entually become com!letely reliant on technology" and that is %rightening. 7cientists are wor)ing to ma)e tele isions in our brains" and we 4ust ha e to thin) o% the show we want to watch and all we ha e to do is close our eyes. ?ust imagine how distracting that will be %or someone who is dri ing( @ight now" + am already using more technology on a daily basis than should e en be !ossible" and +;m a%raid + am becoming more and more o% a digital dummy" 4ust li)e the rest o% society.

,$re 'e Digital Dummies(-" $ndy Bli0" 1B1 Doc2one. 1B1 Tele ision. 13 May 2010. Tele ision