In the documentary, Digital Nation they talked about the dumbing down of the world through perceived multi-tasking. How many of you think that you are great at multi-tasking? I like to consider myself good at it and I strive to be better and better, like it is the ultimate goal in life; a true measurement of being productive. But what if it isn’t? I certainly feel as though there has been an increase in how many different devices you are supposed to be using in order to complete your goals for the day. When did this all start? I do admit that I would feel like I wasn’t accomplishing what I needed to without the help of technology. The measuring, the data, the reminders…they all help me to feel a sense of accomplishment.
Watching Digital Nation made me feel that my tech usage day to day is NOTHING compared to what is developing. I, at least had the gradual incline towards media consumption. What scares me is that kids are being taught at such a young age how to multitask using various forms of media. Like they are little adults! In the doc it said that kids spend 50 hours per week on digital media! Their little brains are not fully developed enough and this type of stimulation will have an effect on their brains for the rest of their lives. I have nothing against teaching technology, but technology has changed so rapidly that I worry that we aren’t using it in moderation which can be harmful to our health. Digital Nation referenced the problem of gaming addiction in South Korea, as well as the U.S.
PC Cafes are a large part of Korean culture. 90% of Korean children use internet in their daily lives. Korean kids are taught in elementary school to go online the same time they learn how to read in second grade. One of the professors stated that “we need to meet kids where they are. The world will require them to build, do, and to create. Kids will need to be fluent in technology, have excellent communication skills, and be good problem solvers.” I do agree with this to an extent. If we are not preparing them to succeed in the world in which they are living then I feel, we are doing them a disservice. Students will need a different skillset than what was required previously. Since technology is rapidly evolving, schools need to be technologically capable of meeting students where they are. I don’t think schools are ready. All children will need access to technology. I liked that the Principal provided the students with laptops and then monitored them. I feel that laptops should be provided just as books would be.
Professor Clifford Nass of Stanford said that he noticed changes in the way students write. There are less “big ideas” and much more bursts and snippets of information and that students tend to write in paragraphs with no connection in between. There seems to be an inability to think critically; to be able to take the time needed for deep thought. The digital age does not allow us the time. Students from Harvard were interviewed who said they couldn’t remember the last time they read a book. After watching this, even a book seems like a thing of the past. We are moving into a more virtual world. A world in which the lines blur between reality and AI/Digital. We see this in gaming like World of Warcraft. I found it interesting that the people that are hard core players enjoyed coming together and meeting up! That made me feel a little bit of relief because even going forward and no matter how advanced we become, that humanity will always seek connection.
Still, I found myself curious about the World of Warcraft and thinking, there are monsters and castles and a fantasy world? I can see the allure in wanted to spend your time totally immersed in a fantasy world in a new “skin” doing things that you may never get to do in real life (IRL). Still, I found it ironic that the people that were interviewed spoke so highly of people they had never met. They were so proud of the tasks that they got to perform as a group and meeting up IRL with other gamers was like a family reunion! They said that technology was giving them a new way to be intimate and some of them feel close relationships around games and have formed romantic relationships. I am not sure that this is a healthy connection, but I can certainly envision these experiences becoming normal and more mainstream in the future. Another program that was mentioned was “Second Life.” In the current situation and how we are all meeting on Zoom, I can see versions of this becoming the way we hold meetings in the future. Working from home may become more normalized and meeting on a sandy beach may be just what we do on a Monday morning at 9:00 am. There was a quote in the documentary, “Every once in a while you have technology that comes along and rewrites the rules.” Technology is part of every area of our lives. How will you take technology and use it to express yourself? It is up to us to decide what to hold onto and what to leave behind.
Works Cited:
Digital Nation, PBS. Frontline, February 2, 2010
Mass Media and American Life 
I thought that how the documentary presented multi-tasking was very interesting as well. I also usually will try and do multiple things at one time–combining the digital world with the real by getting coffee with someone while I message someone else and so forth. I also agree that kids do need to be taught how to use the internet well and responsibly because of the growth of technology. Personally, I will probably only use social media to express myself through technology (other than using it for school). I don’t mind technology, but it’s also not my favorite thing.
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The author did an excellent job not only summarizing our assignment but analyzing it in the context of the internet’s impact on society. The author chose good examples to illustrate the author’s point.
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