Technology, constantly evolving, seems to be a major topic of conversation because of the noticeable effects technology has on its users and the ways they communicate with one another. Judith Newman, one of many authors to write about technology, highlights a few of the positive effects of technology on people’s interactions with each other in her article, “To Siri, with Love,” which was published in The New York Times (628). However, Newman fails to focus on the adverse effects technology can have on people’s interactions with others. The Dean should take both sides into consideration when analyzing technology’s impact but should specifically focus on the negative impacts because of the importance of communication in the Army. Cadets at the
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Newman’s 13-year-old, autistic son, Gus, is progressively overcoming the difficulties of socialization, inflicted by his disorder, with the assistance of Siri (631). Newman observes, “My son’s practice conversation with Siri is translating into more facility with actual humans” (631). Due to her position as a mother observing this miraculous change in her son’s social development, Newman’s views are biased and her tone is solely positive. Not every technological encounter will yield positive results similar to Gus’s …show more content…
As newborns, people are born without the ability to articulate thoughts. Being submerged in an environment where people constantly speak, allows children to learn how to speak by repeating what is heard. Initially, young children begin speaking a handful of words. Then, as children continue to listen to the way others engage in conversation, they begin to form sentences and complete thoughts. As children continue to develop conversational skills, they learn how to communicate their thoughts and their speech begins to follow an organized flow. As Newman observed, Gus’s conversations with Siri facilitated his ability to have a conversation “[that] was back and forth, and it followed a logical trajectory” (631). By actually having conversations, Gus was able to improve his verbal skills. Learning how to speak is a process, and the foundation to learning is one’s environment.
Being around other people is truly the only way to fully engage someone in a conversation. Although Gus’s verbal skills improved, his conversational skills did not necessarily improve as well. With Siri, Gus does not have to worry about maintaining eye contact or his body language. Both have great influence over a conversation, so not worrying about eye contact or body language can cause misinterpretations within a conversation. Additionally, neither can be practiced through the use of technology. Nothing can substitute a conversation
Newman’s 13-year-old, autistic son, Gus, is progressively overcoming the difficulties of socialization, inflicted by his disorder, with the assistance of Siri (631). Newman observes, “My son’s practice conversation with Siri is translating into more facility with actual humans” (631). Due to her position as a mother observing this miraculous change in her son’s social development, Newman’s views are biased and her tone is solely positive. Not every technological encounter will yield positive results similar to Gus’s …show more content…
As newborns, people are born without the ability to articulate thoughts. Being submerged in an environment where people constantly speak, allows children to learn how to speak by repeating what is heard. Initially, young children begin speaking a handful of words. Then, as children continue to listen to the way others engage in conversation, they begin to form sentences and complete thoughts. As children continue to develop conversational skills, they learn how to communicate their thoughts and their speech begins to follow an organized flow. As Newman observed, Gus’s conversations with Siri facilitated his ability to have a conversation “[that] was back and forth, and it followed a logical trajectory” (631). By actually having conversations, Gus was able to improve his verbal skills. Learning how to speak is a process, and the foundation to learning is one’s environment.
Being around other people is truly the only way to fully engage someone in a conversation. Although Gus’s verbal skills improved, his conversational skills did not necessarily improve as well. With Siri, Gus does not have to worry about maintaining eye contact or his body language. Both have great influence over a conversation, so not worrying about eye contact or body language can cause misinterpretations within a conversation. Additionally, neither can be practiced through the use of technology. Nothing can substitute a conversation