Years ago when I was still at home with my Mom and Dad, when driving we'd sometimes see those signs that said
SLOW
CHILDREN
My parents would joke, "Oh dear! There must be a lot of mentally retarded kids in this neighborhood. Isn't it sad?"
I don't know what they'd think today. I miss them, but I'm kind of glad they didn't live to see what we've made of ourselves in the past thirty-odd years.
I can't recall during my childhood any moments where I wished I could text or phone friends 24/7. I'm fairly cyber active but not that obsessive. Why are kids?
Mike, There are have been numerous studies indicating that cyber activity that begins at a young age actually rewires the brain to seek out more cyber activity.
Even before cyber activity came along, I saw in K-2 children that too much visual stimulation via television resulted in shorter attention spans. In many ways, the high-resolution digital screens on iPhones and the like are like mini-televisions. Those constantly changing screens seem to have a strong effect -- and even on adults to some extent. Add in audio, and there we have the recipe for obsession.
I conclude that we are all creatures controlled to some degree by neurology.
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Years ago when I was still at home with my Mom and Dad, when driving we'd sometimes see those signs that said
ReplyDeleteSLOW
CHILDREN
My parents would joke, "Oh dear! There must be a lot of mentally retarded kids in this neighborhood. Isn't it sad?"
I don't know what they'd think today. I miss them, but I'm kind of glad they didn't live to see what we've made of ourselves in the past thirty-odd years.
I saw a Brewster Rockit cartoon where the mad scientist creates a collision avoidance app for phones.
ReplyDeleteAOW, good one!
ReplyDeleteFT, ditto.
I'm sharing this with many.
Jon,
DeleteThanks.
... and Google and others are tracking their every move and purchase. Just what agencies they are working with, the list isn't complete yet.
ReplyDeleteA breeding ground for passive little consumers whose tastes will never develop.
It's more of a threat than we imagine.
Duck,
DeleteI agree -- but it's about more than passive little consumers.
All this being wired in has done damage to reasoning processes, communication skills, and attention spans.
http://assets.amuniversal.com/c109a480d7ea01316be2005056a9545d
ReplyDeleteEd,
DeleteThanks for that graphic.
I can't recall during my childhood any moments where I wished I could text or phone friends 24/7. I'm fairly cyber active but not that obsessive. Why are kids?
ReplyDeleteMike,
DeleteThere are have been numerous studies indicating that cyber activity that begins at a young age actually rewires the brain to seek out more cyber activity.
Even before cyber activity came along, I saw in K-2 children that too much visual stimulation via television resulted in shorter attention spans. In many ways, the high-resolution digital screens on iPhones and the like are like mini-televisions. Those constantly changing screens seem to have a strong effect -- and even on adults to some extent. Add in audio, and there we have the recipe for obsession.
I conclude that we are all creatures controlled to some degree by neurology.