Comment on triangular group Videos.

Hannah,

I'm glad that you really followed the format of what Andy wanted. You did your own thing and let people watch which is hard to do. I didn't exactly follow the format but both of our videos representations of digitalization.

I feel like your video is saying that digital shit is taking up most of the time in your life. Even when your playing guitar, your using an electric tuner. That really shows what the world has come to.

I see when your texting in your video your kind of looking around, I don't know if that is subconscious or not, but when I'm texting I kind of feel awkward, like you awkwardly looking around.

In future videos I would make a few more "statements" about technology, but the guitar with the tuner is a good example of how digital is taking over our lives.

Your video really makes me think about what the world is coming to. What can we do that is not technology based??? Even in the gym when your working out, there are usually TV's in the room, and most people are listening to their Ipods. I wonder how the world will turn out.

Once again i enjoyed your post and look forward to future ones.

Jace

(Amon didn't have a video so I commented on his survey)

Amon,

Your question, is by far the most articulated and well stated question i've read. You asked the exact question I was wondering about, but I didn't know how to articulate it as well as you.

I agree with your brother and best friend when they say that Digitalization is coming at us so fast and strong, there's no way to get from it. I agree with Stranger #1 when he says it helps us do work faster and more efficiently, but I also agree with Stranger #2 when he says its taking us away from the real world.

Overall, I feel that technology is fine in moderation. Too much of it can be over stimulating, but if your don't use it you will be lost in the world.

I really enjoyed reading your post. I agree with a lot of your thoughts but do the rest of your work so we can read it!

Jace

When I watch my own video, I feel like i should have made a video of me simply watching TV, or web surfing, but I wanted to show a problem that I actually do have a lot, even if it's not completely real.

In the video I get angry pretty easily, and give up. I don't mean to do this and i definitely don't do it in the physical aspects of my life, but it seems like sitting in front of the computer makes my vulnerable to hostility. Even not on the video, Im realizing it now.

I already have a brother who spends most of his time on the computer, tv, or his phone. It is disturbing and it really is affecting his health. He is gaining weight and stays up all night. Although it doesn't seem to be affecting his social life, i'm afraid that if he goes on like this, then it will.

My hand on the phone looks very big, and I never noticed that. I also noticed that when I am texting I am very entranced by it, and don't pay attention to anything else, but I kind of knew that already.

If someone can do something digital that they like, such as the Wii, and stay active at the same time, It's still taking you away from something better you could be doing. Unless its the only active thing you really do in our life, then Its a must.

Interviews and Surveys

I interviewed my Mom Judy for the Family Member survey.

Question: How many hours a day do you spend using anything digital? (Computer, TV, Camera, Phone etc.)
Answer: 5 hours

Q: Out of those 5, how many do you use doing work or something productive?
A: 4.5

Q: Do these digital objects make your life easier?
A: Yes, it also in some ways makes it more difficult because sometimes i discuss important topics over email or text, when we really need to set-up a meeting and talk face to face, but yes digital things makes it more convienient.

Q: Do you sometimes find yourself doing work on the computer or phone, and not really thinking about it, because you are so used to digital things doing the work for you/making it easier? Such as spell check?
A: (At first she said yes, but after "thinking" about it for a little while she said): I would say most people do, but I'm not that type of person. I don't rely on those type of things to do work, I usually try to spell things correctly and do the best i can do.

Q: Do you think that the generations are getting dumber and lazier, because their spending more time in front of the TV (killing brain cells), on the computer (doing work for them), on the phone (giving us brain cancer), and texting (making us use language that is not correct in the English Language):
A: Yes, I think that this access to all this information is rather frightening, and people dont need to excersice thier minds quite as much to get all of it. People are not using it correctly. The technology is doing everything for us and we are sitting there letting it happen. Usually after using the computer for social networking or something of the sort, i actually feel dumber. I get concerned also of what kids have access to now-a-days because a lot of it is inappropriate.

Q: If it was up to you, what would you eliminate in all of this Digital Media:
A: Texting, not computers or phones, but texting and IMing. Also some of the unnecessary sites that people have access to.


I Then took it to the street and interviewed some complete strangers. The questions i asked goes as followed:

Q1: How many hours a day do you spend using something digital?
Q2: How much of this digital media time spending is productive or work related?
Q3: Do you think that digital things are making are generation dumber and lazier?

Answers

2 middle school kids:
A1: About 10 hours a day.
A2: Probably about 2 hours
A3: Computers are making it easier to do work, and Facebook is a good thing because you can keep in touch with people who live far away.

20-something year old man standing on the corner with a box?:
A1: 3 Hours
A2: 1 Hour.
A3: In terms of making us dumber, it is definitely taking away from the social intelligence aspect of life. You are getting disconnected by using computers. Now that I think about it Everything is making us disconnected. Social Networking is fine in moderation, but too much makes us disconnected from the world. There's a certain type of intelligence which is social intelligence, and people are not getting that now-a-days. They spend all their time talking to their friends on the computer or phone (texting). Even Ipods, when you walk around with your headphones on, no one wants to talk to you. On the flip side though it is making civilization move along faster technologically.

SOF teacher Scott:

A1: 3 hours.
A2: 1.5 hours.
A3: Computers are making us work more, but its also making it much easier. At the same time it is more efficient.

I then went on aim to interview one of my best friends who is now a freshman at the University of Rhode Island.

David:

A1: 3.5-4

A2: Almost all of it. (I then asked him if he was doing work right now, while talking to me on aim, and he said no, and I told him that this is part of using digital stuff, so you can't say you use all 4 hours doing work. and he says that "You said productive. I'm being productive right now". I asked him how and he said " by expressing my emotions and setting my state of mind through music. And talking with a friend from home who i don't often get to see. I agreed.)

A3: Well if u consider an electric drill a digital thing, which it is since its machinery, putting it through someone's head would make them dumber. If you waste all ur time watching barny the same may be true, however if your doing something productive rather than destructive with something that is digital, like trying to map out the melodies of beethoven, then you can be doing things which are productive. In conclusion, just like everything, you can use digital devices progressively or destructively.

HW 4 - Triangular Comments 1

Kareem,
I like how you sticked to the topic that digitalization is making us lazy. You said things that everybody could relate to and it really is a scary thought what the world is coming to.

It is so easy to not leave your house but get all the amenities that you need, even ones that you don't need, like Netflix and online gaming.

What your saying is something I have been thinking about for a long time. As generations go by, people are getting dumber and dumber. Lazier and lazier. It's like Katherine said that peoples thumbs are getting bigger so they can text better.

What you could have done better is make the arguments more succinct and organized. You were kind of all over the place with your ideas, even though they were good, you could have taken time to expand them.

I look forward to reading more of your posts, because I feel the same way.

Initial Thoughts

I feel like digital/electronic media is slowly taking the ability to think for ourselves away. Whenever you type something on the Internet browser, it always finishes your website for you. It knows what you want before you even know what you want. On Microsoft word, if you type "Dear Person", a little computer pops up in the corner and says "it look like your trying to write a letter! do you need help?". Even right there when i was typing "you" i almost typed "u". It is taking our intellectuality, and our individuality away from us.