- Joined
- May 18, 1997
- Messages
- 55,701
I am not sure I agree with all of this but it is an interesting read, but I think my IQ might have dropped a few points while ingesting the report outline. Then again, life can get pretty damn boring without a Netflix window open. I call it multi-tasking.
There is a broader conclusion that can be drawn from these experiments that raises questions about the goals of our technological progress. The great power of technology is abstraction, and yet our ability for abstract thought is being undermined by the constant intrusions of digital technology in our mental processes. This is not just a trivial concern. The use of mobile devices among younger and younger children may have serious unintended consequences for the ability of future generations to make use of our rapidly increasing computational capabilities. iPads are being rapidly deployed in middle and high schools, but the results, in my own experience, are not encouraging. Increased game and social media usage seem to be much more prevalent than engagement in the more complex cognitive processes that digital technology are supposed to enable.
There is a broader conclusion that can be drawn from these experiments that raises questions about the goals of our technological progress. The great power of technology is abstraction, and yet our ability for abstract thought is being undermined by the constant intrusions of digital technology in our mental processes. This is not just a trivial concern. The use of mobile devices among younger and younger children may have serious unintended consequences for the ability of future generations to make use of our rapidly increasing computational capabilities. iPads are being rapidly deployed in middle and high schools, but the results, in my own experience, are not encouraging. Increased game and social media usage seem to be much more prevalent than engagement in the more complex cognitive processes that digital technology are supposed to enable.