Mike Steminsky
ENG 110 – H6
Professor Emerson
13 October 2017
The Benefits and Deficiencies of Instant Information
Information is readily available in today’s society. Whether it is in newsstands, the internet, even social networking, the world is buzzing with information. This fairly new experience is shaping the way a person goes about their modern lifestyle. Sam Anderson in “ In Defense of Distraction” talks about the shifts we are all going through in order to keep up with modernism. Many argue that all these new influences in our lives actually act as distractions. Richard Restak, a M.D. from Georgetown University School of Medicine, talks about this in his piece where he describes the effects of technology and how it controls our lives. However, I strongly believe an approach which describes that if we channel the use of the internet and its use as a mainstream media, it will benefit the individual more then hurt them. A wealth of constant information strengthens young minds because it allows growth, instant access, and the ability to create big change on a small scale.
The information and technological advances of our time have strengthened the future by reaching children at a younger age. Many elementary schoolers are getting more technology at a faster rate. Some get tablets before they’re five, others are using their parents phones earlier then that. They get this to keep up with the ever changing lifestyles of modern society. If children do not have this technology available to them then it can hold them back in school. The effect of technology is apparent in today’s society but why does this matter? The earlier a child has access to the internet the faster their brains can begin to start making connections to certain aspects and interests.They are also able to learn more about what they want at their own rate. For example, a child having the ability to look up anything at anytime allows them to be interested in a topic more than just school. A student can learn without being in front of a teacher or not during school hours. Plus they can achieve this by being able to research an ever expanding amount of information. The child’s brain can bounce from topic to topic and for the most part they can find information on each topic. This works great in a classroom setting. I worked in a 5th grade classroom for a little while last year. Everyday after recess the students would work on computers provided by the school to enhance their skills. They would use a program where they would either do math problems, read the next chapter of their textbook, or look at scientific pieces of work. This program gave a variety of different activities for the children while also being able to engage them in fun games and activities. These programs are changing the way our children learn and this use of technology is very successful with the new generation. Why children though? Why not talk about older adults? The younger individuals eventually use these skills when they become adults.Thomas King, a 19 year old who was named VCE leader of the year and a youth campaigner at Animals Australia, describes this when referring to school. He states “For starters we don’t need to remember things like we use to, because information is always available to us. We’ve literally got access to the world through something we keep in our pocket [referring to cell phones]”. For instance, in elementary schools, the children in the next generation of employees have been using computers and tablets since their first day. They use so much technology from a young age that they are already adapted to their society. As time goes on they can use this technology to improve their abilities. Therefore, the integration of this actually benefits the 20 year old population because it allows them to master their skills before they need them in the future.
Technology can be seen as a distraction, however, if a person learns to choose how they use it, it will be beneficial. Technology allows for hours on hours of distraction but it can be controlled. If an individual has enough control to stop themselves from talking in a situation then the distraction can be handled or avoided. For example, the argument that many present of “young adults always being on their phone” can be attributed to their choice of always being on it. There can be many factors that alter this claim but at the end of the day it’s their choice to go on their phones. If individuals choose not to be on their phones then they can still enjoy the benefits of having communication without the distraction. The instant communication revolutionizes our society. It creates a modern world where mail or long waiting is no longer needed. This results in better and faster relations in the business and personal world.
Instant access allows an individual to create a big change on a small scale. Thomas King is an example of this. At thirteen he saw an animal in distress. Her habitat had been logged and burned for commercial use. He wanted to make a change. King developed a website that would “inform over a half a million people annually from more than 200 countries about the issue of deforestation and what we can do.” By reaching out to an audience online, he was able to spread his message and awareness to a mass group of people. Social media and mass media also shows this through many products. Also, a person’s message can be sent out very easily. A recent example of this is JJ Watt and his charity donation. JJ, an NFL player for the Houston Texans saw all the devastation from this past hurricane. He started a twitter video and pledged $200,000. The video blew up and he has now accumulated over $33 Million for the relief fund for the hurricane. An individual’s message can be seen and everyone can respond to it a lot faster then any other way. For young individuals who want to create a significant change in the world like Thomas King or JJ Watt, instant access is a great tool.
The issue with technology is that it poses a distraction, however this can be corrected with the integration of an education system to promote choice. Richard Restak discusses in “In Defense of Distraction” that “people have always been required to do more than one thing at a time or think of more than one thing at a time.” He talks more about the distraction that we face in our daily lives. He discusses it more when talking about T.V. later when he says “We watch a story for a few minutes and then switch over to a basketball game until we become bored with that, and then move on to Animal Planet.” Restak gives multiple examples on how all this media can negatively affect a person. However, I suggest that all of this can be altered. People can be educated on ways to balance this. Winifred Gallagher, author of Rapt (a new book about the power of attention), suggests “Once you understand how attention works and how you can make the most productive use of it. If you continue to just jump in the air every time your phone rings or pounce on those buttons every time you get an instant message, that’s not the machine’s fault. That’s your fault.” Gallagher suggests that if one can figure out how to adapt correctly they can easily fix the issue of distraction. I agree with Gallagher’s point. If people can be educated to avoid distraction correctly then they can choose to when to be distracted and not be. The key here is choice. The issue with distraction is that people don’t realize they can be distracted. A person can be taught, especially at a young age, to balance the distraction and the use. The issue that people run into in today’s society is that they do not know how to not be distracted. If people know how to handle it then they can use it for their own personal advantages. This will fix the issue of distraction and make it so the only benefits can be seen.
Information being in our lives is a benefit because of multiple reasons. In elementary schools, it is showed as being a positive in the way students can now use it. The students use technology every day and it preps them for their future careers whether in college or eventually the workforce. Thomas King also adds to this point by saying that schools need to incorporate certain aspects of this point as well. For instance, he describes that students can learn without a teacher. He shows that technology can allow students to learn and explore more areas of interest. This allows them to become more familiar with certain aspects with no extra help, only the information presented in the available technological searches. All of this allows for greater development as a young child and a better handle on topics needed for future learning. King also describes how an individual can make a huge difference with instant access or exposure. JJ Watt is also known to use this technique. Instant access or social media allows for the widespread of a topic. This allows for a global change with could not have occurred before the technology or instant communication age. The ability to spread a message through mass media allows a general person to make a big difference and without that an individual would never be able to have the impact they have now. Finally, the education to learn about choice creates an ability to either increase or decrease the rate of distraction. If a person can be educated to choose when they want to use technology and when they do not then they have the luxury of choice. They can choose to use it or not and when they use it, they can use it productively. This will allow in the ability to positively use instant access, and mass media to create a better workforce.
Work Cited
King, Thomas, “Adults, we need to have the talk.” Youtube. TEDx Melbourne, Nov 2015. Web
September 2017.
Restak, Richard. “Attention Deficit: The Brain Syndrome of Our Era” (2003)
Anderson, Sam. “In Defense of Distraction.” May 2009. Web October 2017
