Technology and Me

I realized today that I never posted about my findings for how much I use technology! I have to laugh a little bit, because the way that I tracked my usage was with an app. TECHNOLOGY! Most of my usage was with text messaging, email, facebook, buzzfeed, and reading. I use my iPad to read all of my books for school and I use my iPhone to read my scriptures each night. I realized that I am using technology almost the entire day. I wake up to the alarm on my phone each day. I use my phone to listen to podcasts and music every time I'm in the car. I'm on my laptop the entire time that I'm in school. I'm also checking my phone, and occasionally using my iPad during school too. Once I get home from school, I always use my laptop for an hour or more to do homework (and to play around a bit, let's be honest). Then I use my iPad to watch a couple of shows on Netflix. Finally, the whole time I'm home my phone is never too far away from me. I check it off and on to see if I have any messages, facebook notifications, or emails. WOW! That's a lot of TECHNOLOGY!

The first step is to admit you have a problem...

I love technology

but not as much as you, you see

but I still love technology

ALWAYS AND FOREVER!

Technology and Values

Wow! I absolutely loved watching Digital Nation! What an interesting and thoughtful approach to the technology phenomenon. Truly technology is taking over the world and it is affecting each person, nation, and culture in different ways. I'm so glad that they looked at technology in an honest way. It was acknowledged that the internet is having a negative influence on many of us, from feeding addictions to simply being distracted. However, it was also noted that technology is having an amazing affect on the world in positive ways as well. I really like the way that Korea was teaching its students that the internet can be an effective tool when used properly. 

Before watching Digital Nation I made this word cloud of the different values that I believe the world needs.

I feel that technology can either help the world continue to strive towards these values or it can destroy them. The defining factor, however, is us. We are the ones that will decide how technology will affect the world. To me, it's all about balance. We need to learn how to balance our time on technology with our time doing other things. We also need to learn when to simply put away the technology that we might be using. I believe that we are trying to do this.

Media Consumption

It wasn't exactly a surprise to me that adolescents use a significant amount of media. I've known it for some time. What surprised me was the different amount consumed by Whites, African-Americans, and Hispanics. I will admit that I had different assumptions on this. For some reason I always expected that Whites used more media, not the other way around. I think that there are a lot of different reasons why I thought this. I feel like I need to look at them more closely. 

One assumption that I had, and maybe still have, is that there are more White people who are well-off than there are in the minorities. This presumption led me to believe that more White people could afford to have all the little technological toys. Without as much access to technology, I figured that the minorities wouldn't use technology as much. I wonder what further research would show?

Ok, now I'm going to change tracks completely. I just want to say that I'm excited to see how much technology I use today and tomorrow. Already I am using my computer to write on my blog. I used my phone this morning to see what time it was before I got out of bed. Once again, I know that adolescents are probably one of the highest consumers of technology, but I think I may have them beat. Maybe that's one of the reasons why I'm so forgetful? I'll come back to that after I see just how much technology I use. :)

Cognition and the Brain Reflection

Our brains have a collection of neurons that are constantly trying to find other neurons. They like to make connections to each other. These connections are called synapses. More than one neuron can be connected to another. When neurons make these synapses it means our brains are learning something new, or connecting something we already knew to something new.

We can create these synapses when we read, when we watch someone else do something, when we write, when we try to do something new, when we listen to others and many other ways. If we really want to learn and remember something well, then we need to create stronger synapses. This is done by focusing on that one topic. For example, if a dancer wants to perfect a dance routine, she must practice it over and over. If she stops that practice, eventually she will not be able to perform that routine as well. While she has practiced it, her brain has created many synapses. When she stops practicing and starts doing something else then her brain is making other synapses and the previous synapses that she made will begin to disintegrate.

These synapses are why we have little games to help us remember things. Repeating something over and over in our head helps us to create more synapses. Creating pneumonic devices also helps us to create more synapses and remember something. Relating a picture or word to something to help us remember also creates more synapses. We just have to be careful that the connections that we are making correct. :)