Am I smarter now than I was before I read this text? Am I smarter than I was before technology started inundating and consuming my everyday life? I don't know. I'd sure like to think that I am not less smart because of it! I think it is not that I am smarter or dumber due to my use of technology and its function in my life, but rather that I think differently because of it.
I remember the days when we had to unplug the telephone line and plug in the computer line in order to dial up the internet that worked slower than molasses. I remember when I had to write down or memorize everyone's phone number to that I could reach them, and hope that they were at home when I called. I distinctly remember playing games on the boxy home computer that were nothing more than Sonic the Hedgehog, Math Blasters, Math Rescue, and Clue Finder's Adventures--all of which I had to battle my siblings for time to play. I remember when playing was synonymous with the outdoors and Barbies and dolls, and not with computers, phones, and game consuls. I remember looking things up in the encyclopedia and dictionary when I needed an answer that my father could not readily provide for me. While I remember all of these things, and probably glorify them as the "good old days," I don't know if I was smarter because of it. I am not one who hates technology, or resents it, or feels like it should be limited. In fact, I enjoy and use technology just as much as the next person. I recognize that it takes a whole different level of consciousness, and that finding information on my own and not relying on technology to tell me an answer requires a different amount of mental expenditure. But I am just not sure that having little to no access to technology made me smarter back in the 1990's and early 2000's than I am today.
Technology has the power and capacity to hold mass amounts of information--far more than my brain can hold that's for damn sure. In less than a second, I can access almost any piece of information that my heart desires. At the push of a button, at the swipe of a finger, I can discover just about anything. With all of this potential just a few moments away, I'd like to think that we are not entirely at a loss in the digital age. I think of all of the things that I have learned and read thanks to the internet, and I can't help but thing that it is thanks to technology that I have expanded my knowledge of many things to where it stands today. I think that technology has allowed me to gain a lot of knowledge and access a lot of information, but this doesn't inherently make me any smarter than I was in the past. Nor does it make me dumber. No, it doesn't take as much work to find the answers I am looking for. And no, I don't spend as much of my time playing outside. And no I don't play simple, educational games on my computer any more (most of my screen time is dedicated to homework and Netflix). But I don't necessarily think this makes me any less smart.
So who's smarter, me or technology? Well I just don't know.
I think I might have forgotten to do blog comments last week, so sorry if this is so long. I’m trying to make up the difference, just in case :)
ReplyDeleteI don’t think Thompson meant in his quote that we are smarter after we have read something - I think he believed that once you have read something you now have those words influencing your mind and thoughts, so you can never be the person you were before you read the text. This doesn’t mean that everyone changes dramatically after they have read something. Instead, I think that most things we read have such a subtle influence on us that we forget that we have read them. It’s like adding a grain of sand on a scale until you have enough sand on one side to tip the balance.
Looking back on my childhood, I was too young to remember having to unplug the phone line to plug in the computer line although I do remember some of the same computer games. My computer time was limited to an hour a day max, so I spent a lot more time outside with my brother and two cousins. I think the absence of technology made the four of us a lot more wild and adventurous as a result - we would hear about something, and then instead of looking further into it on the computer, we would go outside and try it. This resulted in a multitude of things that I don’t think our parents ever learned about. For instance, one windy day after watching Mary Poppins we opened umbrellas and tried jumping off things of varying height, positive that the combination of the wind and umbrella would allow us to fly. Another time, and I forget exactly what we were doing, we got one of my cousins stuck in mud past his knees and my uncle had to rescue him. I’m surprised none of us ended up with a broken bone after everything we have done. Now, I don't spend as much time outside because I don't have as much free time. Between school, work, and all the other things I'm supposed to do in my life there is not much time to be carefree outside. Plus, chasing your cousins with sticks as you reenact scenes from Harry Potter might be frowned upon in public.
I also don’t know whether humans are technology are smarter. Technology is created by humans, so that would imply humans are smarter, but technology can remove the ‘human’ element. A machine doesn’t make decisions based on emotions (although the stubbornness of my printer to cooperate could beg to differ) although they could in the future if that is where science leads. Personally, I don’t think technology should be smarter than humans. Yes, humans have limits (just look at Thompson’s example of the algorithms that search through massive amounts of information) but I also feel that a world run by technology would remove a lot of the humanity we pride ourselves in.
I agree that we are reading and accessing more information than ever before. However, I wonder if it makes us more intelligent. Sure, our vocabulary and world knowledge is probably significantly larger than previous generations, but also, I think a large portion of our time spent on these electronic devices hinder more than help us.
ReplyDeleteWe spend less time outside. I know for damn sure that is the truth for kids. When I babysit, the parents tell me where the iPad is, and tell me how to work the Wii. When I tell the kids no electronics, we have a freaking meltdown and then being outside with them is miserable. Call me old fashion, but this pisses me off. I think that educational games and reading devices are the coolest thing since sliced bread -- I myself have an iPad that I love dearly. However, I don't think that the time I spend on pinterest and tumblr make me more intelligent than if I had spent that time reading a book.
I find myself turning into one of those old, cranky people that say, "Damn the technology!" But, in fact, I'm not. I love my iPhone and its GPS navigation skills. I can still read a map (damn well, in fact) and I love being able to carry a library in my bag because of my iPad. I love my digital cameras. But, I also love old maps, reading books, and taking Polaroids. I think that technology serves a significant purpose, but I think that we also need to be wary of balancing it with, you know... social skills.
Thompson's book was intriguing, but I find myself only growing more frustrated with the constant presence of everyone's smart phones. On the other hand, I love being able to google weird shit. So, I guess I'm stuck. Hmm. Better google how to figure this out.