This recent New York Times article chronicles the story of a family who is so distracted by technology, it is literally hurting their ability to function. Kord Campbell, so overwhelmed by the flood of messaging coming at him, overlooked an email by a large company interested in buying his Internet start-up (a $1.3 million deal he later managed to close).
“Scientists say juggling e-mail, phone calls and other incoming information can change how people think and behave. They say our ability to focus is being undermined by bursts of information,” cites the article. It goes on further to talk about technology-induced dopamine squirts that can be addictive. And, perhaps more alarming, is the fact that these various effects persist even after you’ve logged off, leaving lasting changes to your neural functioning.
Studies like this hit a personal note with me. Working in educational marketing for a large children’s book publisher before CBS, my colleagues and I formed strong opinions early on about e-books. Admittedly, they’re cool, and convenient, and more affordable. (And we all secretly hoped the company would buy us Kindles). But while teachers often strive to introduce technology into the classroom to stay current, studies demonstrating the effect of tech stimulation on children’s brain functioning have been talked
about since the emergence of video games. For all the times a mother uttered some version of the cliché “That TV is frying your brain!” studies had indicated this might be true. But the e-book trend persisted, and publishers resisted, and we’ve all seen, more or less, how that’s worked out.
Now, people talk about how tablet screens like the iPad will revolutionize modern-day schooling because they can be made affordable for each child to have one and it will eliminate the need to carry so many heavy textbooks. When I was in 7th grade, my school “cancelled” backpacks: mandatory scoliosis testing indicated that WAY too many kids were experiencing back problems because we were forced to carry around such heavy backpacks. This turned out to be kind of awesome, because the bags really were that heavy. With that problem seemingly put aside by tablets, will the schools find some way to cancel out the effects of too much digital stimulation on young children?
“Scientists say juggling e-mail, phone calls and other incoming information can change how people think and behave. They say our ability to focus is being undermined by bursts of information,” cites the article. It goes on further to talk about technology-induced dopamine squirts that can be addictive. And, perhaps more alarming, is the fact that these various effects persist even after you’ve logged off, leaving lasting changes to your neural functioning.
Studies like this hit a personal note with me. Working in educational marketing for a large children’s book publisher before CBS, my colleagues and I formed strong opinions early on about e-books. Admittedly, they’re cool, and convenient, and more affordable. (And we all secretly hoped the company would buy us Kindles). But while teachers often strive to introduce technology into the classroom to stay current, studies demonstrating the effect of tech stimulation on children’s brain functioning have been talked
about since the emergence of video games. For all the times a mother uttered some version of the cliché “That TV is frying your brain!” studies had indicated this might be true. But the e-book trend persisted, and publishers resisted, and we’ve all seen, more or less, how that’s worked out.Now, people talk about how tablet screens like the iPad will revolutionize modern-day schooling because they can be made affordable for each child to have one and it will eliminate the need to carry so many heavy textbooks. When I was in 7th grade, my school “cancelled” backpacks: mandatory scoliosis testing indicated that WAY too many kids were experiencing back problems because we were forced to carry around such heavy backpacks. This turned out to be kind of awesome, because the bags really were that heavy. With that problem seemingly put aside by tablets, will the schools find some way to cancel out the effects of too much digital stimulation on young children?
No comments:
Post a Comment