Advancing in the digital age

Brianna Johnson

English 151

Professor L

October 18,2018

Technology in the digital age: The Advancement

What makes reading more attractive to younger ages? What draws people to use technology for aspects of their life? Though both are compelling in their uniqueness, they hold more positive than negative effects than you may realize. Authors have come to a conclusion that while we are continuing to advance through the 21^st century we can’t do so without the help of the Web. The Web has helped in many areas such as by accomplishing tasks at a faster pace and researching more effectively. These impacts are particularly important in our education system. The opposing views suggest that reading online in the digital age is harming us due to distractions, such as the advertisements and multitasking, while accomplishing the given assignment. The favoring view suggests that reading online in the digital age is helping us adapt to better customs in society. While some aspects of reading and accomplishing tasks in the digital age have been modernized, the education system still shares many similarities with its earliest forms.

While some believe that the Web has harmed us because we are skimming rather than comprehending, there is evidence to suggest quite the opposite.  “Is Google making us stupid?”, by Nicholas Carr delivers his speech in an encouraging tone so as to alert the readers of his newly found evidence and to address it. Carr suggest that, “immersing myself in a book or a lengthy article used to easy. My mind would get caught up in the narrative or turns of the argument, and I’d spend hours strolling through long stretches of prose. That’s rarely the case anymore” (“Is Google Making Us Stupid”). Through a personal encounter he suggests that  reading online rather than helping him as affected his ability to stay focused. Carr references studies shown such as, “a study of online research habits…. The scholars examined computer logs documenting the behavior of visitors to two popular research sites… they found that people using the sites exhibited a form of skimming activity”. This suggests that it wasn’t just Carr who witnessed this account. While proposing his side, he exposes the audience to see the positive outcomes from the creation of the Web: “The Web has been a godsend to me as a writer. Research that once required days in the stacks or periodical rooms of libraries can now be done in minutes” (“Is Google Making Us Stupid”). By addressing the other side, Carr allows the audience to see how we far we have come as well as how it will continue to help and affect us. In correlation to Carr, I have experienced difficulty concentrating when administered tasks via email for homework versus as a child I loved to read long and dramatic novels surfaced around topics that interested me. Slowly and surely reading online texts have deteriorated my interest in paperback at all. To improve this problem, schools should adapt by including more paperback texts for various classes as well as requiring the kids to get the text for comprehension purposes and to actively engage the students.

From the side of Jabr in, “The Reading Brain in the Digital Age”, he embraces that we use both technology and paperback in the education system due to both their effectiveness and advantages. Jabr advocates for an understanding by using a consumer poll such as, “reports indicate that modern screens and e-readers fail to adequately recreate certain tactile experiences of reading on paper that many people miss”. This implies that Jabr has factual evidence to help show the small details we as human fail to see in our imperfections with reading through media devices. While watching a YouTube video, Jabr notes a significant outcome from a young child that by using an IPad she has consequently been in the habit of swiping across paper as though she interpreted it as a screen. At a young age, children in the digital age have learned how to use technology effectively but it’s consuming their life. Today in society, media connected devices allows us more conveniently to access information, provide information, and communicate via social media platforms. Research conducted provided the results of; “people report that they enjoy flipping to a previous section of a book when a sentence surfaces a memory of something they read earlier… people also like to have as much control over text as possible”. Therefore, leading to the belief that reading text through an e-reader, tablet, and computers has productive results in going back and marking essential and key elements of a text. Supporting reading on both forms, Jabr sets the stage to allow for open mindedness on his opinion as well as to incorporate various techniques into our daily routine. In relationship to Jabr, I have experienced reading academic journals for class assignments both online and in text books. While reading online, I have been distracted and taken away from the given subject as well as not highlighting or noting important details. But while reading the hard copy I highlighted, annotated in the margins, underlined, and made side-notes so as to go back to the previous document for references when needed. Having experiences from both allows me to prefer one over the other based on the various learning style I have been adapted to. Education system should adapt to the digital age by emphasizing skills and problem solving that can be solved intellectually by students by incorporating standards that could attract all learning styles.

Many individuals feel that it is better to tackle a single task one a time for better efficiency and accuracy, GoldHill in, “Neuroscientists say Multitasking drains the energy reserves of your brain” acknowledges the effect of multitasking in school and presents the cost impacted. The tone presented by GoldHill to the audience suggests that the reader needs to change their habits better to adapt to the era in a positive manner. GoldHill suggest, “the solution is to give up on multitasking and set aside dedicated chunks of time for each separate activity”.  By giving personal advice on how to handle the typical workload while multitasking, she addresses multitasking as a problem that we suffer from in the digital age that needs improvement upon. GoldHill references studies shown as,” studies have found that people who take 15 minute breaks every couple of hours end up being more productive says Levintin”. This indication determines that to be more productive you must take breaks in between or it allows room for more errors to occur. While the article mainly addresses the stress related components and amount of time it takes to achieve multitasking successfully, it authorizes us to be open minded when considering doing activities for long periods of time. “Mark believes that technology can help protect against its own distractions such as software interfaces that force users to take breaks every couple hours”. Given the stance, GoldHill addresses solely the perspective of how multitasking negatively impacts our life and how we can carve out time so as to relieve some stress to reduce that impact. In relationship to GoldHill, I have experienced multitasking when it relates to doing laundry and trying to accomplish homework tasks at the same time. Usually I do these two tasks at the same time so as to be more effective and productive but in reality, it derails my focus from my homework topics. I believe this is happening because I am not taking a break therefore going back to recollect my thoughts. Schools in the digital age should not adapt to multitasking due to mistakes that can occur that you will likely miss and you won’t retain any information that you were looking for. Multitasking would overload the brain with commands and stimuli therefore suffering consequences.

In conclusion, many people find adapting to the digital age effective because of faster applications which lead to leaving behind those old paperback forms and because of more choices available on the Web but while keeping books and improving technology you allow for more opportunities. For these reasons mentioned above and others, the digital age should be incorporated into the education due to its more advisable for individuals who want to succeed and excel in various subjects. As technology evolves so does the learning curriculum, and technology can help provide an answer for better success. Most schools lack the skills and materials needed incorporate digital tools and learning practices in the classrooms. To bring education with technology into the classroom, the system needs to give teachers opportunities to explore new teachings and areas.  Advancing in the digital age would require bringing up to date computers, articles as well as resources available for the students at their grade level. Education and skills in the digital world are necessary and important to know so that we know what to be developed for the future. Schools need to ensure that individuals are not left out of the digital age more so following with it. The major issue we need to consider on the topic of education is how our thinking needs to evolve with the enhancement of digital tools and technology especially with the younger generation coming up.