In the futuristic, dystopian novel, Feed by M. T. Anderson, a world is depicted in which people have the internet, known as “feeds,” installed into their brain. In the book, the topic of knowledge, or lack thereof, is an important one. As people have an infinite, immediate access to information in their heads, they do not see education as a priority, and consequentially become less intelligent as the feed becomes more widely used. Within the first few pages, the reader can already see how difference the characters’ speech is from ours, in that their dialogue is extremely simplistic and unintelligent.…
An Analysis of Negative Impact of Corporate Interference with Public School Education in “Idiot Nation” by Michael Moore This study will define the negative impact of corporate interference with the quality of American public school education in “Idiot Nation” by Michael Moore. Moore’s article defines the ethical conflict of interest that private sector corporations that influence the quality of public school education through advertisement funding. The primary issue is the power of corporations to dictate the business-minded orientation of corporations, such food and soda franchises, that “dumb-down” public school curriculums by promoting corporate education over the liberal arts and literacy. In essence, Moore’s “Idiot Nation” illustrates the negative impact of corporate interference in public education a major ethical crisis in American school system.…
Although having his colleagues say they have been affected by the use of the Internet in the same manner as Carr, that does not give us evidence that the Internet is affecting the way we think. The evidence Carr provides ranges from quotes to case studies and a variety of sources, but primarily to solidify his claim. Maryanne Wolf in Carr’s article states is a developmental psychologist at Tufts University. Before introducing the evidences, he made sure the audience knew the credibility of the Wolf before stating a statement by Wolf. Wolf states that “the style of reading promoted by the Net, a style that puts “efficiency” and “immediacy” above all else, may be weakening our capacity for the kind of deep reading that emerged when an earlier technology.”…
Dwight Macdonald has discussed the difference between reading and skimming a text in Reading and Thought. He uses examples such as functional curiosity relating to the growth of educated people to explain how the way we read affects our thinking. Macdonald explains that the more we read from the media, the more irrelevant information we gain. He uses the comparison of people reading in the sixteenth century and the nineteenth century and found that the average educated person back then took about two days to read and understand the material within a text. Nowadays, people skim through the text without understanding what they have read.…
Mind Over Mass Media was written by Steven Pinker. It is an article that addresses the effects of new mass media have on humans’ intelligence. Pinker states that if media causes harm to our society then it would have a negative effect on us, when actually these new technologies helps our society. Pinker supported his claims by providing facts such as “When comic books were accused of turning juveniles into delinquents in the 50s, crime was falling into record lows”. He also stated that if new technology causes great threats toward intelligence then the quality of science would be plummeting when in reality discoveries are multiplying like fruit flies.…
In an age so different from the one she grew up in, it is easy for her to point out the lack of skills that were valued in her generation while remaining oblivious to the skills which are valuable in the current one. An example of this is the downplaying of the Internet’s potential for learning as “something of a mirage” because of one’s “inability to concentrate in a world of competing bits of information” (206). However, studies have shown that Internet use actually increases brain function (Small et al., 2008). Choosing to focus on the widespread use of YouTube, video games, etc., the author fails to realize how useful the Internet can be, where you are not limited by what is at your library or what your parents can teach…
Seok Hee “Christine” Hong Williamson AP Language and Composition 29 December 2016 2008 Form B FRQ Q2 What’s wrong with being intellectually curious and academically serious? Apparently everything, as far as society’s concerned, but Fridman thinks not. In the article “America Needs Its Nerds,” Leonid Fridman criticizes American society for its anti-intellectual values and emphasizes the need to stand against it through the use of rhetorical strategies such as exemplifications and comparisons.…
“When we go online, we enter an environment that promotes cursory reading, hurried and distracted thinking, and superficial learning. It’s possible to think shallowly while reading a book, but that’s not the type of thinking the technology encourages and rewards” (116). Today we are not learning we are only memorizing which only lasts a couple of days at the most. It’s the rise of social media and other entertainment that has us hooked. We are no longer incorporating those lifelong skills we once had we are expecting to get the fish without fishing.…
With the passage of time, technology is taking over our lives and human beings are becoming increasingly dependent on it. As Morpheus, the fictional character from The Matrix eloquently puts it “It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.” The inability to recall a friend’s contact information without the aid of our smartphone’s contact list is an innocuous example of human reliance on technology. However, this is indicative of a bigger problem. The dwindling emphasis on honing working memory and exercising basic mental skills, due to the easy accessibility of gadgets that can perform these tasks, impacts our learning and cognition.…
In his essay “Visible Man: Ethics in a World without Secrets,” Peter Singer asserts that we live in an age of technology, an age where the government can easily access the personal data of its citizens, whether it is voluntarily given to the government or not. Singer compares our world to a “Panopticon,” a theoretical environment that allows for one-way observation (Singer 85). In today’s world, people are under constant, intrusive surveillance, yet, paradoxically, those same people under observation are able to use technology to view the affairs of their government. Singer claims that the ability to monitor the government 's actions will allow us to become better, more informed citizens which will allow people to make better decisions and…
With the leaps that technology has made, individuals’ reliance on screen technology has become so prevalent that it permeates all aspects of life, such as education and entertainment. Neuroplasticity is the theory that the brain is malleable and therefore adapts to environments and experiences in spite of disabilities, injuries, or old age (Doidge 2010). This allows screen technology to influence astuteness. Some scholars argue that screen technology positively affects cognitive skills, whereas others disagree. This essay will outline the debate of the positive and negative effects of screen technology on cognitive development.…
Children all over the world use the Internet as they grow up. Parents can not seem to get their children away from smartphones, tablets, and computers. “The Kaiser foundation reports that children spend on average 8 hours and 40 minutes per day on technology” (Gold). They use the Internet to play games, and watch videos. They also use it for social media.…
“Watching TV Makes You Smarter” In the article, “Watching TV Makes You Smarter,” Steven Johnson claims that the progression of modern television series is making viewers smarter because of their complex plots and multi-threading techniques. I question Johnson’s statement because there is a difference between gaining knowledge and conditioning your brain by noticing techniques that are in television shows today. One gains knowledge by learning and being tested over different subject. Whereas, watching TV trains our brains to recognize the patterns that are embedded within the many plots and scenes in an episode.…
ENGL 1515 ASSIGNMENT “TELEVISION” BY ROALD DAHL: AN ANALYTIC REVIEW NAME : NUR AFIFAH BINTI NOR HASBI MATRIC NO : 1416044 SECTION : 1 LECTURER : DR. MD.…
“Some dismiss [communication studies] as “fluffy,” or easy” (Frierson, 2012). However, people seem to not understand that a communication studies program can prepare you for a variety of careers. Frierson (2012) states, “In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists more career opportunities for communications graduates than any other major, including computer science, engineering and mathematics.” “Communication Studies is a broad discipline that covers rhetorical theory from the ancient Greeks to the latest in digital media.…