Activity 5.4

When looking for the video for Activity 5.3 I almost selected a video from PBS about how technology is affecting our memory. I did not select this video because currently I do not believe we know fully how technology is affecting our cognition. I remember in undergrad we discussed how the use of GPS devices might affect our ability to think spatially and the long term creation of maps within our minds. I was actually shocked to learn that some people in my class didn't know how to get home from our small university without their GPS device. When I moved to Lexington I bought a GPS device and relied on it heavily for the first month I lived here. After that, I would often put away my GPS and try to get places on my own. Now, after living in Lexington for 2 years I know it relatively well. I believe technology can be a helpful device if used correctly and can be harmful if overly relied upon.

It is clear there are demerits in technology and our reliance on the internet. Often I find myself considering how technology might be affecting the increasing rates of ADHD we see in children. As Carr (2010) points out many people seem to be having attention focusing issues these days as we have come to rely on our multitasking fixes from the world wide web.  And as Carr (2010) is concerned about in his chapters in The Shallows, use of the internet might even have severe implications for our ability to create long term memories. However, I must also recall my own learning process and how that has been aided with the use of  a computer and the internet. As Roediger and Butler (2011) show with their paper, retrieval practice has been shown to produce gains in long-term retention of information. The internet is teeming with practice quizzes, create-your-own quiz templates, flashcards, and make-your-own flashcard templates as well. I was also reminded of this quote from James (1983) that I had used in my previous post: "The doctor, the lawyer...differ from other men only through the fact they know how to get at the materials for decision in five minutes or half an hour" (p. 70). One such way to get at these materials is through the internet. So, although Carr (2010) points out James' early concern for our memory it must also be said that James supports the use of resources. 

Finally, I was reminded  while reading the Carr excerpts of research I heard on NPR. This research was surrounding parents' concern for young children's' interest in iPads and the potential implications for the children's brains. The author in the article did sort of Piagetian experiment (i.e. on her own child) and allowed him to have full access  to the iPad. After a while, her son grew tired of the iPad like any other toy or game he owned. Will we as humans every grow tired of being plugged in to the internet? 

http://www.npr.org/2013/03/24/175173111/your-kids-brains-on-touch-screens

Importantly, from Carr's (2010) chapters I also took away the fact that our brains are very plastic. Even if we are negatively affecting a very important process hopefully if we change, our brains can return to their former selves.