A fellow named Daniel
Sieberg was telling me his hard-and-fast rule for getting through the night.
He takes all of his
digital devices -- laptops, tablets, cellphones, anything portable that has a
screen-- to another room before he turns off the light.
He has come to terms
with the fact that the technological gadgets that have so thoroughly insinuated
themselves into his life that they can become addictive.
So, when it's time for
slumber, he locks them out. He won't even let his cellphone charge overnight in
the bedroom: "If it's there, I would have the temptation to turn it on and
check it." We have learned to celebrate, even revere, the wireless gadgets
we carry around and the inventors who bring them to us; the response to the
death of Steve Jobs this month was emblematic of how important our do-it-all
phones, our computers, our tablets and related digital devices have become.
We say that the
technology has changed life as we used to know it. But how much is too much?
- Are we
over-communicated?
- Do you feel as if
somehow you were unable to disconnect completely?
- Do you think that
this can be a serious problem for future generations?
Nowadays if you want to contact someone you have many ways to do it, you can either call fro free like with Skype if you have internet or paying like with a normal phone.
ReplyDeleteAnother possibility is to text, you can send your text through phone apps or email or simply message.
In either way your message arrive rapidly. In one hand this is something positive not to waste time but in the other hand what happens if you don't want to answer?
The way this whole thing is organized it is hard to ignore this person because they can reach you one way or the other.
A problem that we are starting to have these days is that being connected twenty-four hours is starting to become a serious problem because there is no limits and it can be addictive.
As he man in the article says if the phone is there, he will have the temptation to turn it on and check it.
Personally I wonder if there is a way to control this or if it is just some kind of fashion that will ease off with time.
I think people tend to abuse of everything they have the chance of abusing of. Don't get me wrong but I personally think people like too little things but they like it too much. Let me explain. Addictions concerning technologies (such as being a BlackBerry addict or a World of Warcraft addict) are not considered as being harmful to the person who is addicted to them. Well, I differ. Everything is bad if in excess, we all agree. But nowadays so many people are addicted to simple things such as their cell phones that it seems normal. These people, because they're addicted to some kind of screen, will develop a sight problem or even a physical health problem because they don't go out and do sports, take a walk around the city or even meet with their friends (because now people don't even meet up and set up Skype dates or things like that).
ReplyDeleteSo, in conclusion, I think having a smartphone isn't harmful if you can live ONE day without it, referring to it or even thinking about it. Everything has its limit.
Luis Gasca
I admit and regret that I sleep less than a meter away from my iPod, phone and laptop. They are three indispensible objects for my day-to-day life and when I haven’t got at least one of those near I feel I need to have it because they are the ones that help me be in contact with the rest of the world, specifically with my friends.
ReplyDeleteI couldn’t agree more that we are over-communicated. A clear example is for instance; when we meet up with someone and they don’t appear at the exact time you agreed, you don’t even wait 5 minutes to call them and ask where they are, you immediately send them a message. Here we can highlight the necessity we have now a days to communicate with others media telephones or other new technologies.
I totally agree with Luis that we are addicted to those gadgets but we should control ourselves so that we don’t have to rely on them. Just imagine a whole week without a mobile phone or a computer. What would you do? This is where my point is going. It is obvious that we have to use new technologies that’s why they have been created, but we haven’t got to be addicted, we have to just use them as an alternative. I think it would be a shame if children at the age of 10 for example wouldn’t know how to send a letter to someone, don’t you think?
Nicole Pattje
Nowadays, technology is a very important aspect in our lives. We would be able to turn it off suddenly. The problem is that during these few years, these devices have developed in an excessive way.
ReplyDeleteI think that sometimes the technology is of great use: you can communicate more easily, you can research more in less time, you can keep in touch with people you no longer see... However, there are a lot of negative aspects with this too. People use it with bad intentions: they can make you think they are another person, they can hack your computer or your economic bank accounts...
Nevertheless, the worst problem is the over-communication some people have. These instant technologies require the owner to be attentive. Some people cannot live without technology, and it is a very pathetic issue present constantly.
I feel I can easily shut off or turn off these devices for some days (in fact, I normally do it). However, what I wouldn't be able to do is disconnect completely with the television.
I sincerely think that this will affect our future generation. If in only 10-15 years we have developed the technology in a massive way, what will our descendants live with? What will they have left to discover or to improve?
This issue torments me, as I am really scared with what will happen to the world in the future.
I completely agree with Paula, Luis Gasca and Nicole, because people is actually to obsessed with the technology, and if it isn't good for health, why do we keep sleeping with laptops, iPods, cell phones and all that stuff next to us?
ReplyDeleteAs Luis said, “people tend to abuse of everything they have the chance of abusing of” and I totally agree with this statement because human beings have a lot of necessities to satisfy, and when we don't have them, we feel strange, and that’s what happens with technology.
I personally think I am a bit obsessed with my Blackberry next to me, and I depend of it quite a lot, and I still think this happens because people is not aware with the consequences this can cause.
Alejandra Séculi Tendero
I will repond to the three question that appear above.
ReplyDelete- Are we over-communicated?
In my opinion we are on the limit and about to become. I do not see why this would be a negative aspect. It would ptobaly mean improvement and the progress of many relations. Even the concept of distant relation could become normal.
- Do you feel as if somehow you were unable to disconnect completely?
Yes I do feel it and I regret it. That is why usually when Im stressed out I pretend to swith off my mobile phone and and my computer. I say pretend becouse I don't really acomplish my wishes.
My dad however does acomplish them and I hope I will someday become like him; when we go out on holiday he completely switches of his mobile phone or if he needs it he just doesn't answer.
- Do you think that this can be a serious problem for future generations?
I do not think so. I would have to be notified about the future problems that it would course. In my opinion communcation is good. What is not good is all this over activity involving tecnology.
Georgina Bastida
We say that the technology has changed life as we used to know it, that’s obvious, because new technologies have changed the lifestyles of current generations. Before, if you wanted to meet a friend you had to send him a letter with a few days in advance, whilst now everything is direct and instant. It has been a revolution.
ReplyDeleteAs far as over-communication is concerned, it is clear that new technologies, especially social networks such as Facebook or Twitter, give the users the opportunity to get to know about everyone they are connected with and everything they do. This has its good side and its bad side. On the one hand, it permits a major connection between the users and, therefore, more interaction. But contrarily, it can get to the point that some users are specialist on what we know as “hacking” and can violate the user’s personal life and privacy.
In reference to what Sieberg says about the dependency on these digital devices, I have to say that he is pretty right. The fact of disposing of one makes the individual have the necessity to make use of it, for what he/she keeps an eye and checks it every X time.
Finally, I think that nowadays the addiction to this gadgets are quite notable, specially between the youth generation, because every single one of them disposes of either an iPhone or a BlackBerry and it feels that if you don’t have anyone of these ones you cannot become part of society. So, if this goes on and the situation gets worse, future generations will end up by operating only with these devices and, as a result, the typical and valuable media of transmission, such as letters or books will be forgotten.
I personally think people have changed their ways to live their lives because of the appearance of new technological devises such as mobile phones, computers... This devises have made us have a total dependence on them because nowadays they are essential as vast majority of our society use those useful devises as well. The fact that a big amount of the population is using those devices creates a necessity for others. There are some advantages which are recognised instantly and some disadvantages which exist but consumers don’t percept them.
ReplyDeleteNowadays, the improvements in technological devices are making people pass even more time with them because it is a form of entertainment which helps you to do things which you could not do without them, such as talking to someone in the other part of the world. The problem comes when a uncontrolled use of it takes. For example, blackberry consumers pass to much time chatting because the messages are frees. I think, the only useful and important things should be done on those devises because a extra time can create dependence.
Some people, are over-communicated as a anxiety and a habit to express what they are doing, others only communicate the important things. Obviously, the result of there being so many people being over-communicated is produced because of the facility a person has to express their mood, actions... I don’t think I would know to live disconnected because it is a part of a habit which helps me a lot.
For future generations, depending on the control we have over technological devices everything will be fine if it is under control. If we lose control over those devices which will have greater intelligence than we do we could have problems.
Without any doubt, phones, laptops and all this type of electronic devices have changed our lives completely. now, you are aware of everything that happens or anything you want to know and you can send a message instant when ever you want.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, our lives shouldn´t depend on these devices, because all of them end up broken and we have to be able to live the same way without them. Putting these devices in another room when sleeping can be looked at two ways.
On one hand it is a good idea so you get used to be some time with them and pull other strings to get what you want, but on the other hand, you may need them or someone may need to talk to you and you wouldn´t be available and this could cause some problems.
My conclusion is that we have to use them only when we need them and we can´t do anything without using them, because if not we will be totally dependent on them.
David Vilalta
I totally agree with all the opinions mentioned above. I think technology plays a very important role in our life’s because we are constantly depending on it. This is because it's really useful, you can instantly access to any type of information or contact with anyone when ever you want. All this has been a very good advantage to us, but it has arrived a point where everything is done by the internet, people don't know how to live without it and a serious addiction has been created where we can't spent any moment without having any technologic object around us. This is a serious problem because we are over-communicated, there isn't a minute in the day were we are disconnected from other people and it can cause for example desconcentration.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion I think that technology is a very positive thing but we need to learn to use it properly without having to require it all day long.
Claudia Samsó
Nowadays, people are to obsessed with cell phones and other types of electronic devices. It seems like we are not able to live without them, we have become to dependent in them and its going to worse as time passes. I think it’s a bit exaggerated that a person has to move all its technological objects to another room during the night because otherwise he would keep connecting on them and checking messages and similar stuff, but it is true that this happens to some people.
ReplyDeleteWe wouldn’t be able to manage our live without all this communication we have, in a certain way it is vital for us. For example, if you have arranged to meet someone but at the last minute you can’t go for whatever reason, how would you be able to tell them if you haven’t got a phone or a computer or any other source to communicate? You would have to just leave them there until they eventually realise that you aren’t going to meet them. In other situations, this type of issues could represent big problems, for big companies and for all the people that work in the section of technology it could be an absolute disaster. If now suddenly all our digital devices suddenly disappeared, our lives would completely change. It seems hard to imagine how much our life could modify, but if you think about it carefully you will realise.
Gemma Roig
I agree with Gemma when she says that people nowadays are obssesed with phones, computers or this kind of things . The more technology is invented the more addicted people are. Why? Well I personally believe that the reason for this is that generations are getting deppendant and as time passes we all get in the circle because jobs ask for innovations and technology is the best source for doing that.
ReplyDeleteTechnology is becoming quicker than us. With all this new aparatus we are able to do things faster and also originally aswell as communicating important things all around the world. But the problem is that as we are permanently sorrounded with it, we arrive to the point were we forget the main uses of technology and we use it for careless activites which make us get even more addicted.
Although new technologies are positive as they help us for lot of things through sources such as internet, it’s important to consider that we’ll arrive to a point were we won’t be able to do anything without it . We have to be conscious and take measures specially with children , with the new generations because , in my opinion , having to have your phone in another room so not to be continually checking it , is sad and worrying. Let’s try and be more intelligent than technology is!
Agus Nieto
I personally think that nowadays is very difficult to live without a smartphone.Smartphone nowadays are the best way for socialize because with this phones you have whatsapp or yahoo messenger where you can send instant messages with all your friends.Before sending messages had a cost where nowadays it's free, sending messages now is free so people send messages with more constancy.I think it's good to have a smart phone for send free messages but it has an inconvenient that is getting addiction.The are cases where people can't separate of this new tecnology mobils and this is a big problem.
ReplyDelete