300-400 word draft
A common theme I see among these technological narratives is the idea of technology in the past. You would think that we are so focused on the future of technology and where it will take us, but the narratives say otherwise. It seems as though fellow writers are still stuck in the past and how they were affected back then. These ideas differ from those of Carr and Turkle. These two authors grew up in a different generation. Things like cell phones and computers were less prevalent in older generations. It is a matter of perspective. They see technology as more of a plague towards younger generations and less towards older ones. Differently, the writers of the technological narratives view the problem within their own generation and within themselves. Carr and Turkle view the issue of technology and distraction as a storm that they had narrowly missed.
Technology is a hindrance to the very meaning of society. It causes a lack of connection with each other and in ourselves. Not only do we show signs through external actions or lack thereof, but we show signs through our intellect, projecting through speech and writing. As Nolan Sibley argues, “There is no escape from the suffocating graph technology holds on our lives. It seems as though we are in an ever-tightening straight jacket. The Internet, in all of its accessibility, has negatively impacted the way we think, our ability to learn, and how we entertain ourselves and the conversations that we have with one another” (Sibley). Sibley explains that technology has everybody in a grasp, whether they know it or not. It interferes with our mental abilities. It is a downward spiral of apathy and disconnect. Nicholas Carr has a similar argument over technology and how it affects us. He argues that the online web is creating “pancake people”. This means that societal connections are spread far and wider than ever, but its strength is diminishing with upcoming technology.
800 word draft
A common theme I see among these technological narratives is the idea of technology in the past. You would think that we are so focused on the future of technology and where it will take us, but the narratives say otherwise. It seems as though fellow writers are still stuck in the past and how they were affected back then. These ideas differ from those of Carr and Turkle. These two authors grew up in a different generation. Things like cell phones and computers were less prevalent in older generations. It is a matter of perspective. They see technology as more of a plague towards younger generations and less towards older ones. Differently, the writers of the technological narratives view the problem within their own generation and within themselves. Carr and Turkle view the issue of technology and distraction as a storm that they had narrowly missed.
Technology is a hindrance to the very meaning of society. It causes a lack of connection with each other and in ourselves. Not only do we show signs through external actions or lack thereof, but we show signs through our intellect, projecting through speech and writing. As Nolan Sibley argues, “There is no escape from the suffocating graph technology holds on our lives. It seems as though we are in an ever-tightening straight jacket. The Internet, in all of its accessibility, has negatively impacted the way we think, our ability to learn, and how we entertain ourselves and the conversations that we have with one another” (Sibley). Sibley explains that technology has everybody in a grasp, whether they know it or not. It interferes with our mental abilities. It is a downward spiral of apathy and disconnect. Nicholas Carr has a similar argument over technology and how it affects us. He argues that the online web is creating “pancake people”. This means that societal connections are spread far and wider than ever, but its strength is diminishing with upcoming technology.
Not only are there online resources to feed us information, but there are technologies that are willing to do the work for us. Not only does this inhibit our ability to learn, but our ability to provide reasoning and ultimately, think. This is dangerous for the world and the current connections we have with one another. Cassandra Charron has a similar opinion on this matter. She argues, “Just the thought of there being a program that can do it all for you has made people less inclined to do their own thinking themselves” (Charron). This is in light of artificial intelligence making its way into the hands of students. It’s vital that we practice beneficial habits in and out of school at a young age. It is much more difficult to switch your habits when you are older than when you are younger. To stick with the theme of being able to think freely, Nicholas Carr also believes that modern technology is weakening simple reading and thinking skills. He argues, “Our ability to to interpret text, to make the rich mental connections that form when we read deeply and without distraction, remains largely disengaged” (Carr 3).
Moreover, the perception of technology and its impact on us has a sharp divide between generations. Older generations, who have been witnessing the advances of digital technology often have skepticism of its benefits. They believe it will alter our current ways of life. This is understandable to those who have already lived through multiple generations of change. In contrast, younger generations who have grown up with this advanced technology do not see its downsides as clearly as they should. This highlights the importance of perspective and education. It is necessary to inform younger generations of the struggles they may have to endure in the following years with technology. By understanding both the positive aspects and the downfalls of technology, we can better deal with the digital world and mitigate its effects on our thinking and connections with each other.
Technological issues that have risen in society reveal a difference in the perspective of its impact in different generations. While older generations like the ones Carr and Turkle associate with view technology as a disruption to normal living that they narrowly missed, younger writers lack to see the effect of technology. Younger people have grown up with technology all around them and see it as an integral part of their lives. Despite the benefits of technology, the problem is clear. It poses challenges to our social connections with others and to our abilities to think as a whole. As Sibley and Charron argue, the significant presence of technology in all of our lives demands attention. By being mindful of our use of technology, we can harness it only for the benefits of society. Rather than hindering our growth, it will eclipse it.
1000+ word draft
A common theme I see among these technological narratives is the idea of technology in the past. You would think that we are so focused on the future of technology and where it will take us, but the narratives say otherwise. It seems as though fellow writers are still stuck in the past and how they were affected back then. These ideas differ from those of Carr and Turkle. These two authors grew up in a different generation. Things like cell phones and computers were less prevalent in older generations. It is a matter of perspective. They see technology as more of a plague towards younger generations and less towards older ones. Differently, the writers of the technological narratives view the problem within their own generation and within themselves. Carr and Turkle view the issue of technology and distraction as a storm that they had narrowly missed.
Technology is a hindrance to the very meaning of society. It causes a lack of connection with each other and in ourselves. Not only do we show signs through external actions or lack thereof, but we show signs through our intellect, projecting through speech and writing. As Nolan Sibley argues, “There is no escape from the suffocating graph technology holds on our lives. It seems as though we are in an ever-tightening straight jacket. The Internet, in all of its accessibility, has negatively impacted the way we think, our ability to learn, and how we entertain ourselves and the conversations that we have with one another” (Sibley). Sibley explains that technology has everybody in a grasp, whether they know it or not. It interferes with our mental abilities. It is a downward spiral of apathy and disconnect. Nicholas Carr has a similar argument over technology and how it affects us. He argues that the online web is creating “pancake people”. This means that societal connections are spread far and wider than ever, but its strength is diminishing with upcoming technology.
Not only are there online resources to feed us information, but there are technologies that are willing to do the work for us. Not only does this inhibit our ability to learn, but our ability to provide reasoning and ultimately, think. This is dangerous for the world and the current connections we have with one another. Cassandra Charron has a similar opinion on this matter. She argues, “Just the thought of there being a program that can do it all for you has made people less inclined to do their own thinking themselves” (Charron). This is in light of artificial intelligence making its way into the hands of students. It’s vital that we practice beneficial habits in and out of school at a young age. It is much more difficult to switch your habits when you are older than when you are younger. To stick with the theme of being able to think freely, Nicholas Carr also believes that modern technology is weakening simple reading and thinking skills. He argues, “Our ability to to interpret text, to make the rich mental connections that form when we read deeply and without distraction, remains largely disengaged” (Carr 3).
Moreover, the perception of technology and its impact on us has a sharp divide between generations. Older generations, who have been witnessing the advances of digital technology often have skepticism of its benefits. They believe it will alter our current ways of life. This is understandable to those who have already lived through multiple generations of change. In contrast, younger generations who have grown up with this advanced technology do not see its downsides as clearly as they should. This highlights the importance of perspective and education. It is necessary to inform younger generations of the struggles they may have to endure in the following years with technology. By understanding both the positive aspects and the downfalls of technology, we can better deal with the digital world and mitigate its effects on our thinking and connections with each other.
Technology is a prominent source of distraction in our everyday lives. As Charron argues, “Also seeing people on social media living your dream life can be disheartening. Making you feel like you might be doing something wrong in yours, when you see all the people doing all the things you want to be doing” (Charron). Charron brings up an interesting point. She believes that worrying too much about successful people on the internet distracts us from our own lives. This makes us incapable of living up to our fullest potential. Yet another negative impact of technology, this proves that the internet can affect the way we think day-to-day, and is taking over the lives of young, inspired generations. Sticking to this point, Sibley stresses the idea that technology is replacing common interaction. He argues “Many of our day-to-day interactions have become automated; something as simple as ordering a coffee can be done virtually eliminating the common exchange of pleasantries” (Sibley). He means to say that, similar to the false idols mentioned by Charron, technology is providing society with an alternate form of conversation that requires less thinking. Once again, this makes us incapable of living life to the fullest.
Technological issues that have risen in society reveal a difference in the perspective of its impact in different generations.While older generations like the ones Carr and Turkle associate with view technology as a disruption to normal living that they narrowly missed, younger writers lack to see the effect of technology. Younger people have grown up with technology all around them and see it as an integral part of their lives. Despite the benefits of technology, the problem is clear. It poses challenges to our social connections with others and to our abilities to think as a whole. As Sibley and Charron argue, the significant presence of technology in all of our lives demands attention. By being mindful of our use of technology, we can harness it only for the benefits of society. Rather than hindering our growth, it will eclipse it.
