Technology Makes You Stupid?
from the or-maybe-it's-just-those-who-don't-get-technology dept
A silly article written by someone who is showing their age, complaining about things he doesn't understand when it comes to others using technology. It comes off as a "Well, back in my day, we didn't have any of this new-fangled technology stuff, since we had to walk to school uphill both ways in the rain, and etch our homework in clay...." While I personally don't enjoy ringtones (I'm good with keeping the damn phone on vibrate, so as not to bother others), that doesn't mean they're making people stupid. He's upset that ringtone popularity is now more indicative of what's popular than sales of singles, because apparently, what determined pop culture when he was a kid must always determine pop culture or something must be wrong. He also completely misses the point of camera-phones, assuming that because the quality doesn't match regular digital cameras, there's absolutely no use for them. The reason people are buying them isn't because of quality (which is only getting better anyway), but because they offer the ability to do other things that a regular camera does not (for example: quickly take snapshots, and send them somewhere else).
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
No Subject Given
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
does technology make one stupid?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: does technology make one stupid?
Besides, even if I do rant like the guy in the article, that somehow makes it right?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Mike: Please explain.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Mike: Please explain.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Bummer
Here's a recent example from my own tech-aided life: I went to the emergency room the other night due to a nasty cut on my hand. In my haste -- the blood! the blood! -- I left my PDA at home. I answered most of their admittance questions, but I couldn't for the life of me (heh) remember my family doctor's name, let alone her contact information. The hospital staff looked at me like I was either stupid or lying, because they couldn't believe I didn't know my doctor's name.
But the fact is, I've dumped those facts I don't need every day to my PDA. It serves as a crutch for my lousy memory, but in so doing, has destroyed my ability to recall a whole bunch of facts. I've become more "stupid", if you will -- that is, unless I have my PDA.
And that is, of course, the whole idea: I generally don't *have* to remember my doctor's phone number. I look at it this way: my brain has a more or less finite processing capacity. By dumping the more basic functions (contact info memory, simple math, etc.) in favor of more complex tools (PDAs, calculators, etc.), we not only extend our abilities in those areas, but also free up our minds for higher pursuits.
...such as juggling knives while drinking heavily...
As for the utterly unrelated rant about camera phones, he doesn't GET it. The reasons to have a camera phone are:
1. You can send images directly from the phone. (I'm personally getting impatient w/ regular digi-cams -- "Ya mean I have to wait til I get home and sync w/ my PC??? lame...") Thus, picture-taking serves as another tool of conversation.
2. You ALWAYS have it with you. Granted, even a lousy digi-cam is generally better quality, but you only have a pretty narrow window of opportunity in which to use it, i.e., when you are expecting a good picture-taking opportunity.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]