Too Much Technology - #letmetakeaselfie

 

 

Too Much Technology
#theselfiegeneration
by Stacie Lawrence
The Multitasking - or Millennial Generation,
aka generation M (Wallis, 2006) -
is a generation whose
baby “selfie”
was likely posted,
tweeted, blogged, and Instagram’d all
before the infant took a second breath.




"Millennials are digital natives!

— the only
generation for
which” the
Internet, mobile
technology, and
social media
“are not
something
they’ve had to
adapt to.”

This is not only the generation of the self;

it’s the generation of the selfie.

(Blow, 2014).

#vintageselfies

But wait, selfies actually date back to the 1800's!

At the turn of the twentieth century, seflies
were among millions by amateur
photographers all over the world.
 (Technology, 2013)

Results from research regarding the impact of gadgets on our brains...including the effect of multitasking... show what most of us know implicitly:
 if you do two things at once, both efforts suffer.

Does the mere
possibility of being interrupted 
by a phone call or an email drain      
your brain?

And does
distraction
matter — does
multitasking
make us dumber?

"The distraction of an interruption, combined with the brain drain of preparing for that interruption, made our test takers 20 percent dumber. 
That’s enough to turn a B-minus student (80 percent) into a failure (62 percent)."
(Sullivan and Thompson, 2013)

"People who are busy doing two things at once

don’t even see obvious things right in front of them."

"Specifically, 75% of college students who walked across a campus square while talking on
their cell phones did not notice a clown riding a unicycle nearby."

Researchers
call this
"inattentional
blindness."

"Even if we are technically looking at our surroundings,

none of it is actually registering in our brains."

Research also shows that
multitasking is
not as efficient as we think!

...IN FACT it is harmful to our health!

...And our relationships!

It’s hurting your relationships

“This is an area where I think multitasking has a much bigger effect than most people realize,” says Winch. “A couple is having a serious talk and the wife says ‘Oh, let me just check this message.’ Then the husband gets mad, and then he decides to check his messages,

and communication just shuts down.” (MacMillen, 2014)

"The effects of technology on children are complicated, with both benefits and costs. Whether technology helps or hurts in the development of your children’s thinking depends on what specific technology is used and how and what frequency it is used."
(Taylor, 2012)

We need to re-think the way we live our life!

#toomuchtechnology

CREDITS


Blow, C. (2014). The Self[ie] Generation. NY Times. 
< http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/08/opinion/blow-the-self-ie-generation.html>
accessed March 2014.


MacMillin, A. (2014). Health Magazine. 12 Reasons to Stop Multitasking Now. (2014). <http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20707868,00.html>
accessed March 2014.


Technology.  (2013). Old Selfies Dating Back to 1800.
< http://www.news.com.au/technology/these-old-selfies-dating-back-to-the-1800s-will-blow-your-mind/story-e6frfro0-1226741497253>
accessed February 2104.


Sullivan, B. and Hugh Thompson. (2013). Brain, Interupted. NY Times.
< http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/05/opinion/sunday/a-focus-on-distraction.html?_r=0>
accessed March 2014.


Taylor, J. (2012) "The Power of Prime: How Technology is Changing the Way
Children Think and Focus". Psychology Today. December 4, 2012.
< http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-power-prime/201212/how-technology-is-changing-the-way-children-think-and-focus>
accessed February 2014.


Wallis, C. (2006) “The Multitasking Generation”. Time Magazine. March 19, 2006. <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1174696,00.html>
accessed March 2014.

Book Review: Youth and Internet Addiction in China

Review by Jonathan


There are a lot of books out there about technology and internet addiction.  When I saw this book about Chinese internet addiction it caught my eye because these problems do not just affect people in the United States, but anywhere where technology is increasing in people’s lives.  This was an interesting read.  I kind of did not want to read it at first, but it is written in an interesting way and it helped keep my attention going. 

The book starts out with a researcher talking about his experience of going into the world of Chinese game playing and internet cafés.   When a researcher places themselves into a situation to research it firsthand this is called ethnographic research.  The researcher interviewed people as he went about playing games and also going to various places that help people with internet addiction problems.  He gives examples of parents drugging their children and taking them to rehab facilities so they will break their addictions and focus on school, homework, and their future.

The main point that the author wants to make is that from his research internet addiction in China was mostly caused by the poor relationships from parents or parent figures.  These poor relationships caused the children to turn to fictional games and friends on the internet that were more supportive and nicer than their parents appeared to be. 

The book is backed up by the research of the author and his firsthand account of people he interviewed.  He goes through a quite thorough analysis of the psychological definition from the DSM-IV on internet addiction and how this does not quite fit with what problems they see with children and internet addiction.  He goes on to look at an altered definition that aligns with his research based on a humanistic model.

I think that the author does a good job writing and informing through his examples and experiences that he shares.  His research may not translate so much to the entire world.  It may be that in China children are using the internet as an escape and that may be true in the United States as well, but there still seems to be evidence that there is addictive behavior caused by the internet and it is not just a social problem.  

Overall I liked the book for how easy it was to read and for the interesting look at internet addiction.  I would recommend it for an interesting read, but I would take caution to accepting all the conclusions of the author.

Reference:
Bax, Trent (2013). Youth and Internet Addiction in China. Retrieved from http://www.eblib.com

Just for fun!

 A couple of my favorite home videos - 

enlightening for me to recognize that I have

been "that" mom - the one with a camera in her kids face their whole life. ;)

This first video is my oldest son, age 19 now,

video is from 1996ish...

The video that was created using a HUGE VHS

 machine that sat quite largely on my shoulder

(not even sure I have a picture of the GRAND invention)

-- trust me it was ginormous. 

I recorded the video onto a digital version using a VHS/Television 

and my first digital video camera,

and tonight recorded this clip using my iPad off of our family blog

at the service of my 12 year old with a steady hand. 

#toomuchtechnology

 involved!

"ogurt on my owebries"

How did he know I
would

'want to get a picture of dat?'

okay...♥

  He knew what a camera in his face meant.

The next video (below) is the previously mentioned now 12 year old with the steady hand. 
The technology I used for this was my first digital camera -
(also a very large version!)  I think the lens stuck out 9 inches!!  

Both videos are grainy in their natural habitat -

thus it doesn't help to take them from one device to another. 

You can see the original version on Facebook using the following link -

"Mommy, play this game with me!"

 again...

#toomuchtechnology

Thanks for watching!



For more ideas on how to fill your technology free time visit:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/16/things-you-can-do-without_n_4937255.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

Book Review: Parenting Well in a Media Age

I didn’t know what to expect before reading this book because I’ve never read a book about parenting.  I’ve taken a lot of parenting classes at the University though so I’ve felt pretty educated about parenting subjects.  The book Parenting Well in a Media Age, by Gloria DeGaetano, discusses the parenting challenges that face parents today as a result of our industry-generated culture.  She mostly discusses children spending too much time watching TV, but also takes into account music, and video games.  She does not address social networking much. 

What I really liked about this book was that DeGaetano gives references from research as well as relatable examples.  My favorite parts of the book was when she gives specific examples of what to say and how to talk to your child that will help him/her grow in that essential need.  These examples are also separated into ages; so she gives examples on how to talk to your toddler, middle-aged child, and teenager.  She also gives specific example of activities to do with your child of specific ages as well. 

One part of the book that really spoke to me was when DeGaetano discussed creative thinking in children and image making. She said that children, “Are limited to thinking in the images that the media has provided for them,” (DeGaetano, 2004, 9).  She explained that in drawing, or writing stories, children could not think up their own characters or plots: they could only think about a super hero that they have seen on TV.  That was surprising for me how much television can really limit a child’s creativity and motivated me to use other methods to spark my toddler’s creativity. 

After reading the book I decided to try to have the television on less at my house. According to DeGaetano, this can help increase, “A loving parent-child bond, a rich inner life, the capacity for image-making, the ability for creative expression, and participating as a contributor,” (DeGaetano, 2004, 56).  While having the television off at my house I noticed a lot of things.  I am extremely guilty of letting my toddler watch shows while I put my infant down for a nap or feed her.  It is easy and quiet.  It was fun to see what my son was able to come up with to do on his own while I fed her. I saw his imagination sparking and saw how his own ideas were flowing through his head.  One surprising thing that I noticed was that I was more patient with him and he was more patient with me while the TV was off in our house.  Tyler was more willing to wait for me to play with him while I finished doing a household chore, than if he was waiting while watching a TV show.  The best part was that I could see a difference in our parent-child bond when we were able to spark conversations and talk more about feelings than we would if we had a show on.  DeGaetano discusses the importance of a face-to-face interaction when trying to increase a parent-child bond.

I would recommend reading this book for any parent because it has great ideas for alternatives to television for all ages of children.  These ideas are well in line with the research I have read for my other three blog posts.  She writes in a very relatable way and doesn’t write in a way that condemns parents for allowing their children to watch television.  TV is going to be an inevitable part of people’s lives and she explains why taking it in moderation can benefit families.  She empowers parents in taking the initiative to limit their children’s television usage. 

DeGaetano, Gloria. Parenting Well in a Media Age: Keeping Our Kids Human. Fawnskin, CA: Personhood, 2004. Print.

Pass it on!

Love and Logic Institute, Inc.

Complex skill of the day:
1) Put electronic device down
2) Look at your child & smile
3) Have a response ready when they ask why you're being weird

Distracted? Help is available!!

Book Review by Stacie Lawrence

Distracted: The Erosion of Attention and the Coming Dark Age

Excerpts from my review of Maggie Jacksons book Distracted:

Jackson writes that television (and other technology/media) is contributing 

to children being less able to engage in focused play, 

suggesting that television is contributing 

to more individuals with the characteristics of 

attention-deficient children.  

She states even "parents are ...distracted, interacting 20 percent less with their kids and relating passively" and that "more than half of children ages eight to eighteen live in homes where the TV is on most of the time." (Jackson, 73)

All this and more ....reading Distracted by Maggie Jackson! 

What did others have to say?
In writing the Forward to this book Bill McKibben discusses his awareness of distractions in his life.

He states: "Distraction has always been a human condition". (Jackson, 9)  "This book, remarkable impressive both for its wealth of detail and the clarity of its synthesis, forces our attention on that inattention." (Forward, Bill McKibben in Jackson, 10)

Jackson herself says that she did not set out to write a book on attention. She "was curious why so many Americans are deeply dissatisfied with life, feeling stressed" (Jackson, 25), and that "more than half typically have to juggle too many tasks simultaneously and/or are so often interrupted that they find it difficult to get work done (Jackson, 17, from Galinsky). 

What did I get from reading Maggie Jackson's book?

With the ease of technology we have a lot of wonderful benefits, but also we find ourselves slacking or lacking in significant areas.  The immediate gratification of an instant message, an email alert, a snap chat - a "like" on Facebook - takes our attention from things that matter most.  Like Bill McKibben noticed after reading the book Distracted, I too have been much more aware of the things that shouldn't matter taking precedence over those things that do.  If I am so concerned about the number of notifications that add up to whether I am "liked" enough than I am losing sight of the things that I sincerely like - my family, my friends, my peace (and quiet) of mind!  

This book made me think about those things more.

The final word!

In the final chapter titled The Gift of Attention Jackson asks "Can attention be trained?" (254).  She summarizes that it is in how we pay attention.  "Splitting one's focus between a work project and one's child demotes both to half a priority each".  This single statement makes me, as a parent, want to focus my attention on what matters most.

Jackson defines distraction using the Oxford English Dictionary:  

"drawing away (of the mind of thoughts) from one point or course to another; diversion of the mind or attention, usually in the adverse sense." (Jackson, 259).  

She goes on to say that "attention is not always within our control" but that to reverse the adverse effects of inattention and distraction "we must understand, strengthen, and lastly value attention." 

With the examples, the research, the stories shared, and the attention to detail, Maggie Jackson writes an informative text that will help you to evaluate distractions in your own life, 
and more important, to recognize what you value more. 

If you, or someone you know, is Distracted - you don't want to miss this great literary experience!

PS:  While looking into this book I came across this blog post written by the author herself, Maggie Jackson.  
Here is a link to Encyclopedia Britannica and the post titled:  Multitasking, the problem: Distracted and Dangerous.

Pretty interesting stuff! 

Leave us a comment below if you have read the book before

 or if you have a question or insight about what you have learned from our reviews.

Book Reference:  Jackson, M. (2009). Distracted. The Erosion of Attention and the Coming Dark Ages. Prometheus Books. Amherst, New York.

Additional reference:  Galinsky, E. et al., Overwork in America:  When the Way We Work Becomes Too Much. (New York:  Families and Work Institute, 2005), pp 2-4

Find more reviews on our Book Reviews Link 
including a review by Stephanie Stevens on the book  Cyber Junkie!