I always complain to my kids that they are far too dependent on their calculators. I truly believe that a great number of them would not be able to multiply or divide if the calculator was not around. Sometimes advancements actually hinder our already learned skills.
I have always thought that I avoid the curse of technology. I realize that I am addicted to email in some form and finding random blogs/websites that interest me. Today I realize I'm becoming or have become as basic skills stunted as some of my students.
I remember in high school that I could tell you any of my friends' phone numbers from memory. Now, I couldn't give you my mother's phone number without looking at my phone. I actually use an old cell phone as my phone/address book.
My research skills have suffered as well. I used to just be the dude who would go to the library and find whatever I needed through poring through loads of books. Now? Wikipedia all day. I get my information from a website that is created by whatever yokel and company wishes to comment on an entry. (by the way, I have been told that my research skills even lack in this area-great)
I have also spent less time actually getting books, watching television and/or renting actual movies. If I can get it off the net, I usually do. I'm proud to say that I am making a concerted effort to get actual books still. Nothing replaces the actual tactile experience of holding a book though.
The movies and idiot box? ehhhh, still gonna pimp the internet for new/newish releases. At least until BSG starts up again and I get over my Big Bro fix.
Anyone else suffering from my same dilemma?
1 comment:
man, we know I'm much further along than that. basically if I needed to, I could probably do without a tv as long as I had a high speed internet connection. The way I look at all these "advancements" is that they are useful because they help you save time. Time which you can then spend on other, hopefully more important things. You no long have to spend hours looking through random books to find the answer to the question, you just do a few searches on google and you can a bunch of different sources, soon you'll be able to search through the same books you used to flipp through before too. And you can share that answer you find with a bunch of other people. Wikipedia is funny though, because it's not like it's really a credible source. No idea why I trust it so much but I do, for some things.
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