Effects of Rising Technology Essay

In the twenty first century, evolution and constant use of technology have greatly impacted humans, and their ways to approaching media. Many people believe that technology has improved the quality of life of the people at a great depth, while others see it as a force that has escaped from human control. Modern technology such as Internet, may help people solve problems or gather information faster than an ordinary human being is capable of. At the same time, it can also destroy one’s social life and interactions with humans if proper balance is not maintained. While people’s thoughts regarding the two sides are intriguing, the question is, are the negative effects gradually outnumbering the positive ones? In the essay â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid† written by Nicholas Carr, and â€Å"The Multitasking Generation† by Claudia Wallis, we are presented with ways in which technology affects the daily lifestyle of human being. Even though both authors perceive some of the beneficial uses of modern technology, they ultimately pinpoint the negative effects of it to a large extent. While the bad effects remain constant between both authors, they introduce different aspects of ways humans are being affected – Carr, emphasizing on how technology (Internet in this case) has drastically changed the way humans acquire and present information, and Wallis, focusing on how technology (Media Multitasking) deteriorates social interactions among humans. In today’s world, uses of technology have become far more efficient than ever, and it is only increasing. Internet itself alone, has marched onto becoming the modern power source of simplicity and efficiency. When one hears about ‘efficiency’, a concept of getting a lot done with less amount of time spent, triggers to his mind. In other words, saving time while getting the maximum work done is the key, and that is what Internet delivers to human. In â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid†, Carr expresses his convenience of using Internet to do his research, â€Å"Research that once required days in the stacks or periodical rooms of libraries can now be done in minutes† (Carr 1-2). He acknowledges the fact that Internet makes his job as a writer easier, by saying that Internet is giving out information faster than before. The benefits are not only limited to easy access of Internet. The Internet is also taking over people’s daily life rather quickly as it can be programmed to perform certain functions of any information processing device. â€Å"It’s becoming our map, our clock, our printing press, and our typewriter, our calculator, and our telephone, and our radio and TV† (Carr 4), says Carr, as he refers to some of the devices used everyday, to explain the concept of Internet being a powerful computing system. Wallis, in the article â€Å"The Multitasking Generation†, also reflects on some positive effects of technology. Through the concept of â€Å"media multitasking†, or â€Å"listening to iTunes, watching a DVD and IMing friends all at the same time† (Wallis 3) to mention a few, Wallis refers to kids being able to absorb multiple tasks simultaneously, while possibly serving the kids with some benefits. One might be curious to ask how can technologies such as media be beneficial to children? Surprisingly, according to Wallis, â€Å"Piers†, the fourteen years old son in the Coxes family, â€Å"repairs the family computers and DVD player. † â€Å"Bronte†, Piers’ twin sister, â€Å"uses digital technology to compose elaborate photo collages and create a documentary of her father’s ongoing treatment for cancer† (Wallis 3). In the quote, Wallis expresses the fact that even children today, are aware of the beneficial power of technology, and they are quite capable of taking full advantage of it. While both authors present some of the positive effects of technology, as mentioned above, to us, each of them addresses different issues on how exactly uses of technology and technological improvements negatively impact human life. As people become addicted to the valuable web efficiency, it turns out that the Internet serves to be quite harmful towards human cognition in such that it diminishes the capacity of human concentration and contemplation. As Carr says in â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid†, â€Å"media supply the stuff of thought, but they also shape the process of thought† (Carr 2). In other words, Internet is controlling and changing the way we think or consume information and thus, flattering our own intelligence into â€Å"artificial intelligence† (Carr 8). People nowadays are so used to the information provided by the Internet that they do not rely on their own knowledge or think on their own like they used to prior to the advent of Internet. An instance that reflects this idea of self-manipulation is shown in Carr’s own statement, â€Å"Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski† (Carr 2). Even though Carr does not go onto to say that he is becoming vacuous, he believes that his mind is changing due to spending so much time on the web over the last several years. Before, he was very much engaged into reading and deep thinking, whereas now he does not have the patience to do so. Skimming seems to be the fast and efficient way to get over it. Carr’s notion demonstrates people’s inability to absorb any lengthy texts because of excessive access to media, indicating to the negative impacts that media have on humans. Although Wallis in â€Å"The Multitasking Generation† implies a similar concept of negative effects of technology on humans as Carr, Wallis follows a different aspect to address the issue. While multitasking allows activities to be done in parallel in an attempt to achieve the possible outcomes more efficiently, it is for the most part, both physically and mentally impossible to do multiple tasks at the same time with accuracy. To add that to a large extent, the way it affects humans is that it deteriorates people’s ability to interact with each other in the society. â€Å"The mental habit of dividing one’s attention into many small slices has significant implications for the way young people learn, reason, socialize†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Wallis 3), indicates multitasking as the factor, which young generations today are not aware of, the fact that they are being transitioned to a darker side of the society. Even the parents confess, â€Å"we don’t get out together to have a social life† (Wallis 3), clearly expressing their feelings towards the changes that are being caused by advanced technology. And while people are shifting to these changes, society is being affected as a whole. As usage of modern technology is prospering, the simplicity and efficiency in life are also rising. However, as people move on, there will be many controversies over the excessive usages of technology in form of media. There will be more concerns on whether the negative effects will override the positive effects sometime in the future. As of now, both Carr and Wallis emphasize on the negative impacts of technology on humans; however, Carr conveys that technology negatively manipulates people’s way of thinking and absorbing information, while Wallis believes that technology reduces people’s ability to focus on certain tasks and interaction with others in the society.