Technology: Useful or Distracting?

            Like most things in life there are its pros and cons. When you eat 50 cheeseburgers, of course they taste really good but you also could go up two sizes in your jeans. Moving into a bigger home would be nice, but then you have more responsibilities of maintaining the home. Technology and the Internet definitely come in handy sometimes, but are also slowly pulling us away from human interaction and “real life” as we know it.

            In this blog post I will be explaining my input on technology and the internet. There are key, important reasons why I believe it is useful. Technology has increased our school systems, working environments, and communication between people as a whole. Unfortunately it’s hard to miss the downsides too. Everything seems to be getting more and more expensive, the Internet can be dangerous with scams and distrustful people, and the most crucial downside of technology is the lack of human interaction.

            In the movie Us Now I thought that only the pros of the Internet and technology were shown. In 2009 society started to evolve into the social media phase with YouTube, MySpace, etc. In the movie they address amazing experiences that allow you to travel, meet others, and provide assistance for people around the world. All of this sounds a bit naïve to me. Maybe six-seven years ago we were able to live more carefree but nowadays we might be a little more skeptical about meeting someone online and sleeping on his or her couch. The movie made it seem nonchalant or almost sugarcoated by not including the risks.

            As technology keeps evolving it continues to provide assistance educationally. In public schools children are able to interact with technology everyday. Security within the school improves by using systems online to make sure every student is accountable for. Teachers are starting to use iPads to engage students in learning games. The older high school students have a laptop accessible for projects involving programs online or the students have opportunity to use Internet sources for papers, presentations, etc. While we are playing on our laptops, phones, or iPads we start to forget about some of the essential learning factors.

In college I believe that taking notes by hand is much better than typing your notes on a computer. When you take notes by hand you are more focused. Copying words and examples from power points or jotting down important things your professor says keeps you more engaged. When your computer is open in class you notice that Facebook and Twitter are only a mere two clicks away. So all you need is two clicks and you’re zoned out the rest of class.

Not only is the Internet affecting a college student’s study ethics but our phones are just as distracting. Here is an example of how phones are distracting: Let’s say you are typing a paper that is due tomorrow morning. You’ve been pretty much in the zone and working hard. Then your phone buzzes. All you want to do is check and see what your best friend just texted you. You try and continue typing but you finally give in. After you’re done replying to the text, you notice your Instagram pic just got another like. You have to see who liked it. Before you know it, you’ve been on your phone for 30 minutes doing God knows what and your paper is still just one page. I may or may not be guilty for this one.

Technology within the work place goes along with educational reasons, but I do think “occupation technology” has more benefits. Using successful programs offered on your computer can improve and better your business. With social media it’s much easier to get the word out and advertise your company. Numerous retail stores and restaurants have Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook accounts informing all customers about the next big thing. Not only is this important for advertising but it can also create a bond between the producer and consumer. When customers have questions submitted on the company’s social media cites it is their duty to help and offer support in any situation. While doing this, it shows that the business cares about the customer. Essentially this is a friendly, technologically gesture.

LinkedIn is a website where you can make your own personal profile pointing out your professionalism tactics, network with other businesses, and potentially gain knowledge and opportunities. The website was officially launched in May 2003 but became extremely popular within the last five years. Networking is extremely important and leads to new opportunities and open doors everyday. I definitely believe in the quote, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”

            So now we believe the Internet to be some magical resource that answers all of our problems but we are forgetting the potential danger it may cause. On the website NSOPW numerous statistics are posted regarding sexual abuse via Internet. According to www.nsopw.gov, approximately 1 in 7 youths that have access to Internet have received unwanted sexual solicitations. If you’re unaware of sexual abuse via Internet this website will help you raise awareness. Predators can easily hide behind a secret identity and convince and lure in victims by telling them otherwise.

            The most tragic downside of our large technology world evolving is the lack of human interaction. You would think because of cell phones, communication wouldn’t be a problem. This is artificial communication, and nothing will ever top face-to-face communication. Our phones, computers, or tablets distract us and we lose track of some of the more important things in life. Spending quality time with your friends and family is better than checking Twitter anyway. Genuinely interacting with people will always be better than artificially communicating with them, ten times out of ten.