Something about this reminds me of the ongoing coffee argument. One month the news is filled with facts about the damage coffee does to a person: It raises blood pressure, it creates stress, and it disrupts our sleep. Next month, they tell us that coffee is great: It fights fatigue, it helps us think clearer, and it preserves short-term memory. The negatives of coffee are presented with great alarm. The positives are presented in an “Aw Shucks! Who knew?” fashion probably to counterbalance the alarms sounded the month before.
Pop Quiz. Which is correct?
Coffee
a. raises our blood pressure.
b. can cause people to feel stressed.
c. can disrupt sleep.
d. helps fight fatigue.
e. helps us think clearer.
f. helps with short-term memory.
g. all of the above.
If you picked “g.”, you understand that coffee is neutral. It means that as a thinking, deciding human being, you get that there is no such thing as “evil coffee” or “good coffee”. There are good things and bad things about coffee. And remarkably enough, it is both good and bad all at the same time. (I did get some purely evil coffee at Hardee’s the other day, but that was about the flavor.) What coffee drinking is all about is your own distinct physical ability to process coffee, the time you drink it, and the amount you drink. In other words, you’ve got some responsibility and some decisions to make before you perk that pot and fill that cup.
It’s the same thing with technology. There is no evil smart phone or good smart phone. It’s all about the user. Is the cell a constant? Can you turn off the texting and the email and not panic? These and similar questions determine whether you are a “problem” technology user or not. There is no evil technology, It’s just new.
Somewhat ironically, I see a lot of neighborhood “unplug” programs advertised on the Internet. The latest item of this sort was seeking volunteers for an “unplug night” on Volunteermatch.com. I suppose the volunteers serve as sort of monitor monitors.. I read an article somewhere about a family who took a year off from computers and cell phones.
That’s fine, but it’s really an artificial response to adjusting to the technology which, like it or not, is like “The Man Who Came to Dinner”. It’s not going anywhere. If you want a vacation from technology, I encouraged to follow your bliss. Just don’t confuse it with anything more profound. It’s just a vacation and like all vacations most certainly will end unless you are Amish – in which case you’re probably not reading this.
If you are Amish and reading this, you probably want to check in with your elders who will help you find your way back to the straight and narrow.
We needs a consistent, everyday response to the question: How shall we use technology? We need some realistic non-alarmist answers to that.
When reading became encouraged for all members of a society, I wonder if they worried about the way that those lines of words would affect the way people thought. Were they concerned that people were starting to think too linearly following those lines of symbols? Were they missing things that were not what we today would call “right-brained”? Did they have a “No Page Turning” event for the whole neighborhood in a reaction against all this reading? Probably not. You can bet that reading rewired and rewire the synapses and they start firing a little funny in those who can read when compared to those who can't.
AND BIFOCALS! That evil Ben Franklin not only created that dangerous haven for book readers, the public library, but also invented the cure for its horrendous side effects; the bifocals. He had them coming and going! Was there a cause and effect? More people started noticing they needed bifocals once they started reading. I’m guessing the more mature readers could hardly wait for Ben to invent them.
Sound the alarms! Close the books!
And let’s not get started on cars. Should we really turn in our car keys? Remember that moment when you realized you didn’t have to consciously decide what to do next when you were driving – when you started driving by reflex. That was your brain…your brain completing a rewire.
Evil cars! The sky is falling! Get a horse! Oh wait! You have to learn how to ride a horse. More rewiring!
I say, the Chicken Littles of researchers would better spend their time finding ways to adapt to the inevitability of digital technology and providing some real suggestions for a healthy use.
In the last article I read, these researchers basically suggested just “Saying No” and turning off the “digital weapons of mass destruction” – my phrase, but their sentiment. Instead of a walk down Ludicrous Lane with its red flashing lights all around, how about working on some best practices for adults and parents. Instead of setting off some futile alarms about our brains and technology, let’s build some individual critical thinking skills in ourselves and in our children. Let’s create a workable system to organize and prioritize information…and some serious digital time-management models that balances work and the rest of life. Let’s take some time to systematically develop our own deep inner life – enjoy nature and pray or meditate. How about beefing up our face-to-face relationships? Then the technology and our brains will take care of themselves.
Just say no to Chicken Little.
And don’t worry. Keep texting.
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