Generation M and Seeking

I found the article on Gen M very intriguing. I found it interesting how the authors wrote that in this generation it is not considered rude or violating any rules of etiquette for two friends who are sitting together, to be texting other people at the same time. They state that it is not rude, or uncommon, for kids to do this nowadays without thinking about it, because everyone does it. I find myself asking, doesn't this distract from the conversation the two could be having in real life? They are both, in essence, multi-tasking, and juggling a bunch of different conversations at the same time. How could they be really present with one another and have a good conversation? What is the definition of a good conversation to them anymore, really?

I also found the aspect of privacy an interesting topic. Nowadays, teenagers post pretty much everything they think online. They don't really think twice about putting photos up of themselves, but could this have repercussions later down the road? Nowadays people in power are being put in the media spotlight when someone finds a photo of them, or an email they sent, or a twitter post (Oh if I was an Oscar Mayer...) that questioned their character. Now, all this social networking came about not too long ago, and I'm guessing that many of the older and not so old politicians of today don't have an extensive internet history, and still things are surfacing online that can throw them out of office. Now, fast forward 15 years, and think about all the teenagers now who will have an extensive internet history by the time they turn 30. How easy will it be for someone to find a bad photo of them from when they were 18 or 19? They may not worry about maintaining their privacy now, but when they get older, will their social networking past come back to haunt them?

I believe that there is a time and a place for technology, but that time and place has overstepped its boundaries, and has permeated too much of our society. The fact that people are spending more and more time on their computers, their cell phones, their iphones, and other gadgets, and less and less time having meaningful conversations is detrimental to our society. I think we miss out on moments where we could be completely present with a family member or friend, because we're instead focused on our technological device at hand. I believe that people need to realize that while there are some good things about the internet and the information we can so readily receive, there are also dangers that come along with that.

As Emily Yoffe says in her article entitled, “Seeking”, we have brains that are more easily stimulated than satisfied. I can easily get on the computer to check one thing, and then an hour has gone by and I’m left feeling dissatisfied and wondering where the time went and why I haven’t gained any real knowledge about anything. Yoffe says that we humans are seeking machines, and the internet is a perfect device for us to seek endlessly. But where does this seeking get us? The people in the US aren’t getting any smarter. The argument has been made that the internet can in fact be hindering our intelligence as people no longer feel the need to retain any information they find, as it is always at their fingertips. There is no need for memorizing facts as they can be found at the click of a button.

I would contest that technology can in fact be harmful to children. Children who grow up spending hours staring at their computer screen or tv screen playing games are constantly having their minds over stimulated. Therefore, kids are finding it harder and harder to concentrate in school without stimulation. When they are used to their minds being stimulated all day by technology, it is harder for them to focus without it.

Technology is permeating society, and while there are some positive aspects of technology (such as keeping in touch with friends and family for example) there are many negatives. I think that technology is taking people out of living in the here and now. I find that I am not able to be fully present in conversations when I am searching on my computer, or fiddling with my phone. People are constantly seeking to be entertained by their stimulating techonological device, and forget the importance of simplicity, and learning how to deal and cope with sometimes being bored. Kids are spending less time exercising their bodies by running around outside and more time sitting motionless in front of a computer screen. How can this be good for society? I believe that the US needs to take their focus off of technology and put it back onto the real world. The outdoors, the face-to-face conversations with actual people, and perhaps we will stop the seeking cycle we have perpetuated, and learn to enjoy and be content with real life, apart from technology.