Technology: Who’s The Boss?

     In this weeks’ blog assignment the topic is, “Do we control technology or does it control us?” I think the topic is interesting, but the answer is evident to most, it controls us.

     Sitting here in my office pondering the subject I leaned back in my chair to think. As I did I looked at how many different types of technology and gadgets were right here in this one small room. The answer is thirteen: Copier/scanner/fax, multi-line office phone, computer, digital thermometer probe, 2-way radio, desk-top thermometer with relative humidity, smart phone, digital camera, moisture meter, digital caliper, laser pointer with distance measure, laptop, and another digital camera. And the bad thing is I use it all in my day to day life. I couldn't function without it.

     I didn't even know what most of these technologies were until I was an adult and had to learn them for work. Now days I see kids eight years old with iPhones. What is this world coming to that an eight year old schedule is so hectic that they need an iPhone to keep up? The tech is everywhere and starts so much earlier in life now, and we are all addicted.

     So yes I do think we are being controlled by technology. Don’t believe me then let’s try an experiment where you give up your phone, or computer, for the day?

Behavioral Driven Technology Puppets

     I can’t think of where we’d be today without the different forms of technology we rely on. I do think life would be easier. I was one of the last one of my friends to have a home PC, cell phone, and a laptop. I still do not have any social media attached to my name. Part of my reason is technology drives us. We become puppets through the habits it teaches us.

     I could not think of an example where technology drove my thinking, but I can think of examples where technology influenced my behavior. Yesterday I was typing a paper for work and when I got to the end of my sentence I double tapped the space-bar, as you would on a cell phone, to put a period at the end of my sentence. There are others as well. I live by the spell checker on both my computer and phone, I don’t remember any phone numbers by heart anymore, and just yesterday I typed “u” instead of “you” in a work document. These are all habits directly resulting from technology usage and it has become the norm.

     While technology can and does make our life easier, it will drive our thoughts, words, and deeds. It does make us think less for ourselves and by that make us a dumber society. We must continue to try to keep our minds sharp through sources other than technology and not rely on it wholly. 

Bubbles, Trackers, and Togetherness; Oh My! 

The internet is a wonderful part of today’s technology. It is used for both enjoyment and research. I think there is probably not a person today who is not familiar with the internet. What people don’t know is what the internet is doing to them.

The internet can trap you in a filter bubble. Inside your “bubble” the internet’s various search engines or programs are keeping track of the sites you visit and the things you look up. It will then cater what it provides as top hits based on what it thinks you like or would want.

Trackers on the internet’s various sites are always collecting your personal information even though you can’t see them. This is why you have to be so careful when inputting personal information over the internet such as online shopping or banking. Only trust reputable sites with security measures and a valid security certificate. This will greatly reduce your chance of identity theft.

“Alone Together” is an issue I am very familiar with. Technology has taken over our lives and even when we are together as a group we sometimes do not pay any attention to each other. My daughters and nieces prove that all the time. At family get-togethers we have five girls ranging from twelve to eighteen. They can all be in the same rooming playing on smart phones and never talking to each other. Social interaction as we know it is dying.

Informative Research Paper, Essay #3

     This week as we return from fall break, and midterms, we are starting pre-work for the next essay assignment entitled “The Informative Research Paper.” We will have thirty days to pick a topic, learn the lessons, and have our first draft finalized for grading. This paper’s topic will also be the same topic we use for the final essay assignment in our class, “The Rogerian Argument.”

     The topic choice is ours to decide, except for a few topics Mr. Sentell said we cannot use. The “no-no” topics are highly debatable, emotional-charged topics that have been debated to death already. They are also ones that there would be an information overload on when researched. Once the topic is chosen the assignment is simple, research it and write a paper that is informative enough so your readers can form their own opinion without doing any additional research of their own. We are not to argue for or against the topic, just be informative. Keeping opinion out of this may be very difficult for some. The persuasive argument comes later in the next assignment.

                                                     

    

    

     Hopefully since everyone has plenty of advanced warning they can pick a great topic and research it using all the methods we have learned so far. I know I am personally going to put a lot more time into research this time. I might even step foot in a library for the first time in a long time!