I would like to say that I don't rely on mobile computing devices that much, but, that would not be true. I use my laptop daily. I bring it to meetings, move it all around for presentations, and often, fire it up at home (although I have a desktop computer). On those rare days when it was getting a quick repair or update I felt lost without it. I could have gone to check my email or read my aggregator at a different computer but it just would not be the same. Despite this reliance on a machine, I will say that when my work is done the laptop is turned off and stays off. I certainly don't feel the need to have it on at all times.
I cannot say that I have the same relationship with my cell phone. I don't particularly like the idea that people can get a hold of me any time they want so I don't always turn it on. Plus, even when it is on, I rarely hear it ring. Sure, my cell phone has come in handy a couple of times, especially when I travel or want to find a movie time at the last minute, but it is just not that important to me. In fact, it drives me nuts when I meet someone and all they do is play with their cell phone. This constant interaction with a little machine makes me concerned for humanity. Although I see that mobile computing devices are indeed an extension of some people, they are certainly not an extension of me.
When I witness the overt connection that many people have to their mobile computing devices I find myself torn between worry and intrigue about the technology. Wagner brought up some excellent questions in her piece on mobile learning. She asks, "Will brevity of expression—characteristic of wireless communication—trump depth of knowledge? Will the "filter generation"—learners who multiprocess and multitask using multiple media—learn how to think critically and communicate effectively while using today’s and tomorrow’s digital tools?" (2005). As an English teacher, the "brevity of expression" replacing "depth of knowledge" creates a huge problem for students. Already I have seen "text talk" used in formal essays. And, the worse part is that it does not seem conscious on the side of the student. In fact, when students are questioned about the use of "U" for "you" they simply say that they did not even realize they were doing it. This "brevity of language" has become unconscious.
Also, the multitasking and muliprocessing that is commonplace these days leads students further away from accessing that "depth of knowledge." One may argue that today it is better to be exposed to a great deal of information and have a little knowledge about a lot of things. But, if this is the case, how will society create new Einsteins or Galileos? Who will push students to follow their passions when they have a difficult enough time just wading through the variety of information out there? Mobile computing devices are great for information access and sharing, but they are not so great for helping people focus their energies (and we wonder why so many kids are diagnosed with ADHD).
Wagner, E. (2005). Enabling mobile learning. EDUCAUSE Review, 40(3), Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Review/EDUCAUSEReviewMagazineVolume40/EnablingMobileLearning/157976
21 comments:
I seriously do not know how I would be able to cope without using a cell phone. Today when we were discussing in class how life would be without cell phones, I totally think you were right. Teenagers completely depend on them and probably would die without them. When I do not have my phone on me I feel pretty awkward. I don’t completely freak out, like many people do, but I feel this strange emptiness that something is happening or someone will try to contact me and wouldn’t be able to.
I believe that people get attached to their cell phones because once they get it becomes a habit and they don’t even notice what they are doing. Not all the time but at times I do become attached to my own cell phone but I do think I can go days without it. I don’t see myself like one of those people that would have a major break down over not having their phone at all times. Life does not revolve around a piece of technology. I wonder if those people that are extremely attached to their phones know how many wonderful things they miss in life that happen around them just because they are on their phone.
I also think that being so attached to your phone has definitely become a dangerous habit. Many people get into accidents now just because they can’t put their phone it down for a while until they get out of their car and be able to use it again. Many people lose their own lives or lose someone else due to texting while driving. I think that is one of the most careless and dumbest things someone could do. Scientists have proven that texting while driving is even worse than driving under the influence. When you are texting you aren’t even looking at the road whatsoever. Check out this web page to see the difference between driving while texting and driving under the influence. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/neal-rodriguez/driving-while-texting-mor_b_480287.html
When people use too much texting, it affects their way of writing. It has happened to me. I have written things that I’m even ashamed of. I was so ashamed that I have stopped abbreviating a lot of words because of it. Texting with the “omg,” “u” and others is a very easy and careless way to mess our writing skills up. It comes to the point that we do it so much that it becomes natural to us. I think this is something that people should really stop doing and be careful so it doesn’t happen to them. One day they’ll be writing an important letter and they’ll do a mistake like that and their future can depend on it. It can depend on that job you wanted or something else you were fighting for.
People, including myself, are highly addicted to their cellphone. I'm on mine all the time. I do text everything out fully. Sometimes it's hard to capitalize the start of a sentence because my phone normally does it for me.
I completely agree with the message you are trying to portray to the reader. A decade ago people could leave their house without a cell phone and have no worries. Today, leaving your house without your cell phone irritates most people. To me, a cell phone is a device of reassurance and safety but to others it can be seen as an entertainment device.
In our world today mobile devices are very important. They can be used to track children and criminals. But to a certain extent they are not helping this world. They are "dumbing down" people and making us lazy when it comes to paying attention or writing.
I believe that we do not need mobile devices because it really takes away from personal interactions, personal meaning face-to-face. Instead of talking to the person in front of him or her, the person is texting someone somewhere else. Also, I personally am not a fan of cellphones; mine is mostly out of battery or lost. I like computers but that is the extent of my liking of mobile devices.
I believe that people do need mobile devices. This allows people to communicate in an easier fashion which for example can cause a faster response time in an emergency situation. The easier it is to contact help, the faster the help will arrive. Mobile devices allow people to reach others in a quicker and more efficient way. On the other hand, I agree that I don't like when people are always on their phone. I think it is very rude to be on the phone when you are talking to someone else or hanging out with a group of people. Since you are with those people, you should be focusing your attention on them and not someone who's not even present.
I also believe that computers can be very distracting. Yes, people may gain a variety of information, but a lot of this information could be useless. Although I think mobile devices are very important, I also believe they have their flaws.
I am guilty of my cell phone being an extra limb. Without it, I am lost. It's a most monstrously beautiful convenience. I do regret that writing letters is slowly dying though, because I find them so romantic. Sometimes I will send letters to a friend or my grandmother. It feels so good to receive an honest letter, a text message or e-mail, not so much.
Technology is getting more frightening than purely what you've stated. Advertisements are getting worse and worse and most people don't even realize. Companies base the advertisements you see on the internet off of what you search and television advertisements are considering the same thing only by following what you watch. Television already sends different commercials to different areas, what if your commercials were directed at only you. That, I believe, is much more frightening than our dependence on technology.
I do not totally agree with this. I do not believe that mobile devices have a critical effect the way we write, well atleast not anymore. Now that we have all kinds of smart phones which have spell check and correct the way we type sometimes, I believe that mobile devices have no negative effect on the way we think today, but rather help us.
I do need my mobile device. Without it I would not be able to be in constant contact with the amount of people I would like to be talking to. I can see where educators such as yourself would be concerned with the amount of brevity of language that is occurring during formal writing assignments but in my experience people are moving away from that as they get older. I know I used to right in short hand and say things such as l8er and wtvr but now I feel that it is much more conducive to my language skills to spell out the words. Also my phone has a auto correct function which may have played a role in causing me to switch to normal words. The mobile device is the next generation of technology and this is evident by the newfound popularity of things such as the iPad which even though it doesn't offer anything over an iPhone people still want it to be able to be more mobile with a larger device. The mobile device is here to stay. It all depends on what degree you plan on integrating your life with it.
I completely see where your coming from. Don't get me wrong I love my cell phone and i use it more than any electronic device , but at the same time it annoys me so much. I also hate the fact that people can always reach me whenever they want. Sometimes i was to just shut my phone off and leave it at home. It annoys me so much when someone is texting me non stop or calling me about nothing. I like more of a personable relationship and to much texting or calling irritates me. I think these amazing technologies have taken away a lot when it comes to socializing. I cant think of the last time i heard a guy ask a girl out on a date in person. They just text and get to know each other. I definitely see pros and cons when it comes to cell phones.
I need my phone I believe as a society we have become so used to using not just mobile communication devices but technology in general. Were a nation hooked on the latest gadgets and we now depend on them. Cell phones i also believe are essential to safety now of days. Kids need picked up from school, what do they do?? They use their cell phone to call their parents. Technology has benefited everybody from the soldier to the civilian, from the president to the plummer technology has altered the way we live.
I do disagree that cellular phones do take consume people when you engage in conversation, however I believe they are necessary in most of our lives. A cell phone is great for communication for parents and can even serve as a GPS. My mom sends me a text or two during the weekend to check up if I'm okay and where I'm headed off too. If were stranded on the alligator alley with a broken car a cellular device might be useful to call for service. Even though cell phones do hinder on our ability to concentrate I think they are essential for communication.
I agree with a lot of arguments that you made in your post. I do think many people rely too much on mobile devices. It is crazy that people can get a hold of you ALL the time on your cell phone. And it drives me nuts when I am out with someone and they are on their phone the ENTIRE time! I understand that you may "need" to answer a phone call or text message, but I do not understand the purpose or necessity of being able to stalk everyone's facebook from ANYWHERE from your mobile device. Laptops make it easy to share information and the iphone and other smart phones make it almost too easy to access information from anywhere. With the advancement of technology there is always the extremes and we will have to change or deal with these problems.
While I understand your source for concern, I don't completely share that same fear of technology and the adverse effects that it may have on students and children growing up with it- in fact, I embrace new technologies.
As we are propelled faster and faster into the technological age, it is only natural that a greater number of people, especially the youth, embrace and come to use new technologies in their day to day life. The internet certainly has had an extremely noticable effect on subsequent generations- many good and many bad. Yes, the internet is a source of distraction and procrastination for many people, including students, but the benefits that it has are greater than its negative impacts. The sheer amount of information that students can access is immense, and this was not possible before the internet. Thus, the amount of knowledge that they can access allows for cultural, intellectual and artisitic growth. I don't completely understand why you said that people would have "little knowledge about a lot of things", because even though that may be the case with a great deal of people, having such a large knowledge base not only allows for the exploration of several topics that one may be interseted in, but it also allows for the indulgement in a specific area, such as a scientific branch, etc., that one may never have been exposed to withought the internet. Thus, I believe that the internet, and more importantly, the onset of new technologies allows for a richer and more varied knowledge base and open up possiblilities that may not have existed withought said technology.
Hey mrs stoklosa, you should watch the show 1000 ways to die. The show had a segment that this lady had been using her phone too much that she began to get massive migraines, heart problems, and a little bit of carpel tunnel syndrome. So she decided to get acupuncture, when the man stuck the needles in her the lady was their waiting and wouldn't you know she receives a message, and the dumb lady couldn't resist on grabbing that little phone that she fell over and the needles punctured her lungs. Maybe theirs a lesson in your topic that phones aren't always useful and important.
Now in days, I believe we depend so much on our devices. I can say I NEED my cellphone or I NEED a computer. Why? Daily I use my cellphone not just for social talk but to reach others faster or to reach my parents when ever I need their permission to do something. The computer has became a tool for my homework and social networking. But at the same time, I feel very distracted my these devices that I become aware of the amount of time I spend in the computer or in the cellphone not paying attention to what really surrounds me. I can SAY I'M EASILY DISTRACTED BY MOBILE DEVICES.
I think that many people are too attached to their mobile devices. I have many friends that will be on their cell phones and laptops constantly and say that they feel lost or like they are missing something when they do not have their mobile devices with them. Personally, I am not as attached to my cell phone or computer as many other people I know. For spring break I went on vacation with my family to a place where there was no service for our cell phones and the only way to have access to a computer was at a store where you had to pay to use the internet. I was perfectly fine not being able to use my cell phone or a computer, but I noticed that my brother and sister really missed not being able to use their mobile devices and went to the store a few times during the trip.
I do not think we necessarily need mobile devices but I think today's society has become dependent on it. In my second period my teacher asked us to raise our hand if we didn't have a cellphone and everybody kept their hand down. In my opinion it will be difficult to function in your every day life without a cellphone especially with the decrease in the number of payphones. If you get into a accident or find yourself in a emergency at times you need a cellphone. I do think cellphones have become for many people an obsession; people spend way to much time on their phones and it gets in the way of their work and for student in the way of school.
Sadly I believe that we do need mobile devices. Our generation has become so dependent on the convenience of them. These devices really are convenient though. Computers are even better. It is so easy to just take it out and get work done. I find that without the mobility of such devices it would be hard to get as much accomplished. A drawback to the devices is that it they are kind of dumbing us down. "Text talk" makes people seem less intelligent and in fact it starts to take over normal conversation now. With all that said, I still think that these devices have a big impact on us, I just think we need to use them more wisely.
I really enjoyed reading your thoughtful perspectives on identity, digital gaming, and mobile computing. Your journal is in great shape.
It's interesting how we become conditioned to respond to the machines in our lives. For some reason, I don't feel that as much with my cell phone as I did with my land line. It always felt like such an interruption when the home phone rang. Maybe it was the obnoxious ring, but I always felt like I had to answer. I solved that problem by getting rid of it. LOL.
Thank you for sharing your perspective and supporting references.
Best,
WD
I believe that cell phones can sometimes be a necessity, but they are not vital for someone's life. Cell phones are great devices for communication and can sometimes help you immensely in certain situations, but they can also get you in trouble. I have to admit, I have a cell phone and I use it very often, but only when I have to. I think that the difference between me and other people is that I don't let the a phone take over me and control my actions. I am always very aware of when I'm using it and what I'm using it for.
I also think that people use cell phones so often because, it no longer becomes a necessity, but a habit. Honestly, I don't understand how some people can become so attached to their cell phones, that sometimes they even lose a grip of reality. Although cell phones are awesome technological advances, they are also very harmful to a person's mental and physical health. What I mean by this is that the constant use of cell phones can damage your brain, and also many people replace studying with homework. A person's physical health can also be affected by cell phones, because people change their outdoor activities and exercise for a cell phones. As you can see, cell phones can harm you tremendously, but only if you let them take over you.
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