I am such a scrooge when it comes to apps. My sister gets angry with me because I refuse to play games with her and yet I will spend hours on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube. I justify my time spent because those are the five apps that I subscribe to. I don't often have apps that I get addicted to.
While these particular apps may not provide actual utility to me they do. Facebook, and Instagram allow me to keep updated on people I don't get to see daily. Twitter is a news source, YouTube and Pinterest are simple entertainment and make me happy.
The utility comes because it provides me with hours of something to do. If I am sitting in a doctor's office I can pull out my phone and browse while I wait.
I think these particular apps have made it because they do provide both happiness and utility. People use them for entertainment and function. They are not one or the other. When you look at what apps have failed and what ones have worked there is a strong balance between the two.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Is Social Media making us dumber?
Is there an argument
that social media is not only making our social skills diminish, but also
ruining our brains? Yes. And that has to do directly with Brooke Gladstone's
"...the zing of authenticity".
You know the ringing in
your ears that occasionally happens? Well the social media has become that
shrill humming noise that never seems to go away. It is just constantly there
muddling our brains and making it almost impossible for us to think independently
for ourselves. Because of the humming it is easy to go along with whatever
social media says because it is almost painful to think beyond the humming.
In this age of
communication we are constantly overwhelmed with information. Some valid, most
of it not. Because of social media we are awarded the privilege hearing news
almost immediately after it happens. However, with all the good comes just as
much, if not more bad.
When we hear news so
quickly it is almost always inaccurate. The only accurate part of the news is
the fact that it happened, everything after that is pretty much always wrong.
Not intentionally, but because they are reporting it so quickly there is no
time to check facts or even know enough about the situation to report
accurately.
In a survey done by the
Pew Research Center, one respondent summed it up, “I believe Facebook is a good
way to find out news without actually looking for it.” This is the problem
with social media in today's world. We find news without looking for it, and we
never bother to search it out and verify it. Most of the time the fact that it
was on a social media site gives us the false sense of security that it is
accurate because it is a form of citizen journalism.
The most recent example of this is the Bunkerville showdown (I coined that term for future reference), the entire event unfolded before our eyes via social media.
There is a possibility that I received the brunt of it being related to three Bundy's, my news feed was full of 'news' from the showdown. There was an almost constant humming to the tune of Bunkerville.
I saw that a majority of people would re-post articles or pictures with a zeal that they were the first to have it among their friends.
While social media has
been bombarded with this news there is a pattern across the board of what it
really means.
People do their best to
select the exposure that they have to certain news stories. If they don't like
a particular story they tend to ignore it. By being selective of the exposure
they receive people tend to get only the side that they want and therefore
continue to assume that their side is the correct side.
So when people hear the
first side of a story and it happens to match their already clearly formed
opinions, they don’t question its authenticity.
Brooke Gladstone’s ‘zing
of authenticity’ is one of the best description for what has happened to our
ability to critically think about things that happen around us. We often take
the first word of news as the truth, that is what we remember the most, and for
the longest amount of time.
This can also be
compared with selective retention. Where we retain only that which we think is
pertinent to us and what we align ourselves with. Therefore, if the first news
that we hear happens to meet that criteria, we can (and do) remember that and
take it to be the truth.
Social Media has not
helped in this regard. We hear news quicker and in more abundance than ever
before. However, this does have its downfall as the news we hear is more often
than not inaccurate. But because we see it coming from our peers we assume its
validity.
Social Media has made us
dumber. I can't prove this as dumbness is subjective but social media has
played a part in our brains not being able to think critically and in depth
about our surroundings. Leading to us being victim to the 'zing of
authenticity'.
Sunday, April 13, 2014
THE LONGEST 48 HOURS OF MY LIFE.
...And not in the way that you would think.
The weekend of March 22-23 I chose to do my abstinence. To be honest it was a lot harder than I had thought but not nearly as hard as I was imagining.
I decided Friday afternoon that I was going to do it. I didn't need to do anything and I was finishing up my homework sooner than expected so I went for it.
I have been procrastinating this project because there really isn't a day that I don't use a computer. I am on one constantly at work. Homework on Saturday's and I teach a Sunday school class that requires me to use a computer and projector so I am pretty much attached so some form of technology 24/7.
This is the exact reason that I was looking forward to doing it. I wanted to know a life outside of always being connected. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Friday when I decided that this was the perfect weekend (I was starting over in my block of Sunday school classes so I could get away with not using a computer), I made preparations for it. First was to call work and let them know that I couldn't be on call (luckily a coworker owed me a huge favor so she took it), then I had to call certain people that I knew would panic if they couldn't get a hold of me.
Phone conversations with my mom:
Me: Hey just wanted to let you know that I am going to be turning my phone off for the weekend.
Her: Oh that sounds interesting! What are you doing that for?
Me: For a class.
Her: Oh how fun... You know I was reading this article on families who were "unplugging" for one day out of every week. I think I might start doing that. I noticed the other day we were all sitting in the front room and everyone was on either a phone or an iPod. I couldn't help but think how sad it was that even in the same room as each other we couldn't talk to each other, we had to be entertained by our phones or iPods.
Me: That is kind of funny.
Her: I can't wait to hear all about it. You should come up for Sunday dinner and you can tell us all about how it is going. I bet the kids would be more willing to do it if they knew you had done it.
Me: Maybe, I don't get out of church until 12:30, but maybe.
Her: OK. Either way I can't wait to hear all about it.
(crazy long conversation)
Phone conversation with my brother:
Me: Hey just wanted to let you know that I am turning my phone off for the weekend.
Him: Why? Is everything OK?
Me: Yes everything is fine, I am just not going to be using any technology for 48 hours.
Him: Hahaha.... Yeah I would like to see you try.
Me: This is exactly why I am doing it!
(more mocking then it ended)
The conversation with my brother furthered my resolve to go ahead with my plan. I know that I am attached but I also know that I can be without. I also don't like it when people tell me I can't do something, that is a sure fire way to get me to do it. My dad did this a lot in high school when he wanted me to do something but knew that I wouldn't really want to do it and I was just stubborn enough that I never caught on.
Saturday morning:
As usual I woke up around 8; however, I have a rule that I don't get out of bed on Saturday until at least 9 because I think it's a sin to not sleep in. I usually turn on Netflix and watch The Office or Bones for an hour; not today. I got out of bed and had breakfast (I usually only get brunch on Saturday's so this was exciting), while eating breakfast I noticed that the sliding door in my front room had the artwork of the several kids that had visited (from about four months before), I could ignore it before because you can't watch TV in the front room unless the blinds were closed because there is an awful glare on the TV. Not today. So I got out the Windex and cleaned it. I then decided to organize some pictures that I have been wanting to scrapbook but I never got around to it (so much easier to just sit and watch TV).
The hardest part was the fact that I couldn't play any music. All of my music is on either phone or my computer. It was a very silent day. However, because of that silence was I able to read (after I grew bored with my organizing venture). I read through The Hobbit, North and South, and parts of a book on the Civil War that I had bought but never had the time to read.
By 2:00 pm I was exhausted. It is hard work not watching TV. I then took a two hour nap, I woke up feeling like death warmed over but I was so happy that I could just sleep and not be interrupted by my phone going off or other such nonsense. That evening I made myself dinner then went back to reading.
Sunday morning:
My Sunday morning routine didn't see much change except that I didn't watch an episode of The Office while I curled my hair. I instead was able to ponder the ridiculousness of curling one's hair when you are just going to wash it the next morning. Girls are pretty dumb.
After church I came home fixed a snack, started reading but again feel into a nap that when I woke up I wasn't 100% certain it was still Sunday. I assumed it was as I hadn't been awakened by the racket my roommates usually make in the mornings. I then continued reading and decided to make myself dinner (I never cook, I love to cook, but cooking for one is not only difficult but kind of depressing, especially since I can't even share with my roommates as they tend to look on my food as something they wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole). After dinner I sat down to read and ate three creamies, you know I would hate for my healthy dinner to really do what it should for me, I keep it real by eating more ice cream snacks than the taste testers at Ben and Jerry's.
My roommate and I then went on a walk. What started out as a simple Sunday stroll turned into a three-mile event. I kept thinking "Why go home? There is nothing to really do there? I have been reading and sleeping all day so a little outside activity won't hurt." Then when we returned I sat down and read a bit more and was in bed by ten. My perfect day.
The greatest lesson I learned from the 48 hours was, boredom. I use technology to alleviate boredom, more than 51% of the time. The only time that it was hard was the hours between reading and sleep that I was truly bored. Other than that being away from technology was fairly easy.
Now, why would I name this post "The longest 48 hours of my life"? Usually the weekend's fly by, I am so excited about them, I think I am going to rest and be completely refreshed by Monday morning but they almost never happen that way. I usually blink and it's Monday again. However, this weekend was different. The hours seemed slower, more laid back and relaxed. Who knew that the key to a relaxing weekend meant no technology?! I certainly didn't. I now know better.
Not to sound like a puritan; however, technology does in fact take away from the human experience, as well as add to it. I enjoy technology, I really love having a car that gets me from point A to point B faster than my feet. I enjoy having electricity. I enjoy having the internet and being able to almost instantaneously communicate with my friends around the world. However, I enjoy the uninterrupted face-to-face communication that only human interaction without technology brings.
As wonderful as technology is, I do see the merit in not having it. We are a society driven by the need to be connected. In that need we have lost sight of the fact that some of our most important connections happen face-to-face. If we loose that basic human function then our connections through technology will have no value because we won't understand their worth because we will have lost the comparisons.
The weekend of March 22-23 I chose to do my abstinence. To be honest it was a lot harder than I had thought but not nearly as hard as I was imagining.
I decided Friday afternoon that I was going to do it. I didn't need to do anything and I was finishing up my homework sooner than expected so I went for it.
I have been procrastinating this project because there really isn't a day that I don't use a computer. I am on one constantly at work. Homework on Saturday's and I teach a Sunday school class that requires me to use a computer and projector so I am pretty much attached so some form of technology 24/7.
This is the exact reason that I was looking forward to doing it. I wanted to know a life outside of always being connected. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Friday when I decided that this was the perfect weekend (I was starting over in my block of Sunday school classes so I could get away with not using a computer), I made preparations for it. First was to call work and let them know that I couldn't be on call (luckily a coworker owed me a huge favor so she took it), then I had to call certain people that I knew would panic if they couldn't get a hold of me.
Phone conversations with my mom:
Me: Hey just wanted to let you know that I am going to be turning my phone off for the weekend.
Her: Oh that sounds interesting! What are you doing that for?
Me: For a class.
Her: Oh how fun... You know I was reading this article on families who were "unplugging" for one day out of every week. I think I might start doing that. I noticed the other day we were all sitting in the front room and everyone was on either a phone or an iPod. I couldn't help but think how sad it was that even in the same room as each other we couldn't talk to each other, we had to be entertained by our phones or iPods.
Me: That is kind of funny.
Her: I can't wait to hear all about it. You should come up for Sunday dinner and you can tell us all about how it is going. I bet the kids would be more willing to do it if they knew you had done it.
Me: Maybe, I don't get out of church until 12:30, but maybe.
Her: OK. Either way I can't wait to hear all about it.
(crazy long conversation)
Phone conversation with my brother:
Me: Hey just wanted to let you know that I am turning my phone off for the weekend.
Him: Why? Is everything OK?
Me: Yes everything is fine, I am just not going to be using any technology for 48 hours.
Him: Hahaha.... Yeah I would like to see you try.
Me: This is exactly why I am doing it!
(more mocking then it ended)
The conversation with my brother furthered my resolve to go ahead with my plan. I know that I am attached but I also know that I can be without. I also don't like it when people tell me I can't do something, that is a sure fire way to get me to do it. My dad did this a lot in high school when he wanted me to do something but knew that I wouldn't really want to do it and I was just stubborn enough that I never caught on.
Saturday morning:
As usual I woke up around 8; however, I have a rule that I don't get out of bed on Saturday until at least 9 because I think it's a sin to not sleep in. I usually turn on Netflix and watch The Office or Bones for an hour; not today. I got out of bed and had breakfast (I usually only get brunch on Saturday's so this was exciting), while eating breakfast I noticed that the sliding door in my front room had the artwork of the several kids that had visited (from about four months before), I could ignore it before because you can't watch TV in the front room unless the blinds were closed because there is an awful glare on the TV. Not today. So I got out the Windex and cleaned it. I then decided to organize some pictures that I have been wanting to scrapbook but I never got around to it (so much easier to just sit and watch TV).
The hardest part was the fact that I couldn't play any music. All of my music is on either phone or my computer. It was a very silent day. However, because of that silence was I able to read (after I grew bored with my organizing venture). I read through The Hobbit, North and South, and parts of a book on the Civil War that I had bought but never had the time to read.
By 2:00 pm I was exhausted. It is hard work not watching TV. I then took a two hour nap, I woke up feeling like death warmed over but I was so happy that I could just sleep and not be interrupted by my phone going off or other such nonsense. That evening I made myself dinner then went back to reading.
Sunday morning:
My Sunday morning routine didn't see much change except that I didn't watch an episode of The Office while I curled my hair. I instead was able to ponder the ridiculousness of curling one's hair when you are just going to wash it the next morning. Girls are pretty dumb.
After church I came home fixed a snack, started reading but again feel into a nap that when I woke up I wasn't 100% certain it was still Sunday. I assumed it was as I hadn't been awakened by the racket my roommates usually make in the mornings. I then continued reading and decided to make myself dinner (I never cook, I love to cook, but cooking for one is not only difficult but kind of depressing, especially since I can't even share with my roommates as they tend to look on my food as something they wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole). After dinner I sat down to read and ate three creamies, you know I would hate for my healthy dinner to really do what it should for me, I keep it real by eating more ice cream snacks than the taste testers at Ben and Jerry's.
My roommate and I then went on a walk. What started out as a simple Sunday stroll turned into a three-mile event. I kept thinking "Why go home? There is nothing to really do there? I have been reading and sleeping all day so a little outside activity won't hurt." Then when we returned I sat down and read a bit more and was in bed by ten. My perfect day.
The greatest lesson I learned from the 48 hours was, boredom. I use technology to alleviate boredom, more than 51% of the time. The only time that it was hard was the hours between reading and sleep that I was truly bored. Other than that being away from technology was fairly easy.
Now, why would I name this post "The longest 48 hours of my life"? Usually the weekend's fly by, I am so excited about them, I think I am going to rest and be completely refreshed by Monday morning but they almost never happen that way. I usually blink and it's Monday again. However, this weekend was different. The hours seemed slower, more laid back and relaxed. Who knew that the key to a relaxing weekend meant no technology?! I certainly didn't. I now know better.
Not to sound like a puritan; however, technology does in fact take away from the human experience, as well as add to it. I enjoy technology, I really love having a car that gets me from point A to point B faster than my feet. I enjoy having electricity. I enjoy having the internet and being able to almost instantaneously communicate with my friends around the world. However, I enjoy the uninterrupted face-to-face communication that only human interaction without technology brings.
As wonderful as technology is, I do see the merit in not having it. We are a society driven by the need to be connected. In that need we have lost sight of the fact that some of our most important connections happen face-to-face. If we loose that basic human function then our connections through technology will have no value because we won't understand their worth because we will have lost the comparisons.
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