When you kick yourself out your shoes, take the VR lens off your face, and take a step back out of the now technology-driven world, just allowing yourself a few seconds, you can see so much that has evolved. Everything from using a wood-made abacus vs now using a TI-84 CE, to having the same amount of computer power in your lap today that you could barely fit in an apartment 60-65 years ago. Our “smartphones” are now so smart you can practically tell them what you need done in the morning, they create a sequence of events and run themselves along throughout the morning, just like you (iPhone Xs). Often times as we see technological advancements such as the ones that flash before our eyes, weekly it seems, we ask ourselves—is this change for the better? Or will it further cripple us?
The technological evolution the 21st century has witnessed is just one the many blessings the 21st century has experienced, especially the immensely increased efficiency at schools—elementary, middle, secondary and post-secondary. We see that universities are taking the next step in integrating more technology and interactive learning and filtering more ways to connect the pathway of education and technology. With each passing, month, year, and decade, we witness the world taking big steps forward. We should continue this course. Not only does the age we live in make everyday life easier, it makes reading, researching, and things alike easier as well. Research done particularly through this medium (online reading) have shaped my opinion and drawn me to this conclusion.
Reading several essays, articles, and even a select few pages from a book have given me many perspectives as to how the “digital age” so to speak has morphed the way we read and write, and whether we should welcome this change, or if we should revert back to more traditional style of reading. Through the 5 readings I’ve read, which include, “The Reading Brain in the Digital Age: The Science of Paper versus Screens” by Ferris Jabr, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” by Nicholas Carr, “The Deep Space of Digital Reading” by Paul La Farge, “Neuroscientists say multitasking literally drains the energy reserves of your brain” by Olivia Goldhill, and the introduction of Now you See it (1-21) by Cathy Davidson, have all given critical input as to how the digital age affects us—whether it be positive or negative.
Both Carr’s and La Farge’s readings pertained to the topic of online reading. Carr’s “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” goes in depth as to how online reading is particularly cancerous and it strips our ability to analyze text and comprehend readings as good as we would if were reading traditionally. He said, “Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski” (Is google making us stupid?). This implies that before the concept of online reading came about, he was deeply engaged, analyzing the texts he read. Now, however, he skims across articles or “speed reads” as he jumps from article to article (Is Google making us stupid). La Farge’s reading in comparison to Carr’s is quite the opposite, whereas La Farge believes that the concept of reading online is rather compelling, and it not only takes our mind on a deep journey, it gives us a unique experience, one that cannot be attained reading traditionally. He states that “Naumann gave a group of high-school students the job of tracking down certain pieces of information on websites; he found that the students who regularly did research online—in other words, the ones who expected Web pages to yield up useful facts—were better at this task (and at ignoring irrelevant information) than students who used the Internet mostly to send email, chat, and blog” (“The Deep Space of Digital Reading”). This doesn’t just apply to alone proves that the more you use it, the more you grow accustom to it, and can adapt along with it. From my own experience with technology, specifically technology in school, there has been nothing but success. I work more diligently, produce more quality work, all while moving more efficiently. With this, both myself and millions of others will move in the direction towards a more technologically advanced future.
At times, I sit, and I ask myself, “With all the craziness that goes on in my life, I always find myself multitasking. How can technology help manage all this?”. Technology has recently become so advanced that multitasking is almost done for you. Now you can work on your 5-page paper for English while organizing your spreadsheet for your business class, all due to the multitasking and processing capabilities of technology implemented into our digital age. This makes for more effective reading, writing, and researching. While I and many others believe multitasking is beneficial to an age filled with people that often find themselves in need to multitask, some others would disagree. In Olivia Goldhill’s “Neuroscientists say multitasking literally drains the energy reserves of your brain”, Goldhill goes in depth as to how multitasking might be quite hasty, but often can lead to error and/or fatigue. In the article, Goldhill references a professor at UC San Diego that states, “If you’re doing something on autopilot, such as the laundry, then it makes perfect sense to read a book at the same time. But attempting to do two challenging tasks at once will lead to a drain in productivity. “You can’t do two demanding, even simple tasks, in parallel” (Goldhill, “Neuroscientists say multitasking literally drains the energy reserves of your brain”). This may make people weary of the advancements in technology and the ability for ourselves to multitask (let alone a PC). On the other hand, you have people such as Cathy Davidson who believe that multitasking is a gateway more efficiency, which is why the digital age should continue to flourish. Early in her book, she mentions “You can’t take one twenty-first century task with twentieth century tools and hope to get the job done” (Davidson, 7). This referred to our obsession to focus on one thing when there’s so many things happening around us. If we are to only focus on one thing in the workplace, at home, or most importantly, at school, then we would miss out on the next thing that comes flying past our head.
Every aspect that comes with evolution of the digital age should be welcomed. It should be attained and used, for the world is only going to get even more advanced. It’s mostly important to incorporate this into schools and colleges, for the near future will be the prime of this digital age. If acceptance starts now, you can only imagine how much this generation would flourish.